Administrative Policies

Kentucky Community and Technical College System Boards of Student Publications

I. Responsibility for Student Publications

Jurisdiction over campus-wide student publications of a KCTCS college shall be vested in a Board of Student Publications reporting to the college president/chief executive officer or designee. Jurisdiction means the responsibility for the fiscal management, the editorial policies, and the general operation of the student publications. A campus-wide student publication is defined as a publication which meets all of the following criteria: (a) any enrolled student is eligible to participate in its publication, (b) it is published for a campus-wide audience, and (c) it is supported in whole or in part by KCTCS funds.

II. Composition of the Board of Student Publications

Membership on a College Board of Student Publications will include, but is not limited to, the advisers and editors of student publications and representatives from the faculty, staff, and student body. One or more members-at-large may be appointed from the alumni, professional journalists, or public-at-large. Members of the Board will be appointed by the college president/chief executive officer.

III. The Role of the Board of Student Publications

1. Consistent with the general philosophy of providing a free and responsive press on the college campus and consistent with the Code of Student Conduct, the Board of Student Publications shall be responsible for the development and promulgation of a statement of policy for the guidance of the editorial staffs of publications under the Board’s jurisdiction. This statement will deal with operational, editorial, and financial policies of student publications and shall be submitted by the college president/chief executive officer to the KCTCS Office of Student Affairs for approval.
   
   
2. The Board of Student Publications shall be available for immediate consultation with the editor and/or adviser; its role shall be one of policy interpretation and not one of censorship.
   
   
3. The Board of Student Publications shall advise and consult with the student publications advisers and editors regarding financial management of the publications under the Board’s jurisdiction. The Board shall approve budget proposals prior to submission to the college president/chief executive officer.
   
   
4. If, after thorough investigation which shall include affording the editor an opportunity to present personal views, the Board should conclude that an editor has violated the Board’s policies or has otherwise failed to perform appropriate duties as editor, the Board is authorized to take one or more of the following actions in reference to the student’s status as editor: counsel, warn, reprimand, suspend for a specified period of time, or dismiss.