Aperture Bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section I. Aperture definition: a “space through which light passes in an optical or photographic instrument”;  referencing how research brings things to light and drives innovation.

Undergraduates at the University of Kentucky (UK) are truly remarkable, and they are a tremendous source of inspiration and pride for the University and the Commonwealth. Incredibly curious and creative, UK undergraduates demonstrate tremendous aptitudes for independent thought, ingenuity, research, and creative work.

Aperture is an open-access, interdisciplinary peer- and expert-reviewed student journal at the University of Kentucky. Aperture’s primary mission is to make more visible the rich and diverse scholarship conducted by University of Kentucky undergraduates and promote the advancement of knowledge by publishing reports of their unique experiential endeavors. Historic submissions have included works from a variety of subject areas including agriculture, architecture, artistic and musical creations, business, creating writing and poetry, engineering, humanities, and the social, natural, and medical sciences. 

Section II. Aperture is edited and produced by an undergraduate student editorial board of peer editors. Our board is composed of individuals with rich writing, editing, and research experiences who are passionate about the publication of undergraduate work.

The purpose of Aperture’s editorial committees is to provide undergraduate researchers with the opportunity to take on a position of higher responsibility, leadership, and impact in the UK academic community. Editors-in-Chief, committee chairs and committee members will take an active role to complete weekly tasks geared toward the growth and development of the Aperture Journal. 

Aperture is a peer- and expert-reviewed journal published in partnership with the University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research. All materials published by the journal must receive approval from the Office of Undergraduate Research. 

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section I. Membership in this organization is open to all UK students regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, faith, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sex, sexuality, economic class, social class, and all other identities represented on our campus.

Section II. In order to become a member of the Student Editorial Board of Aperture, students must apply and be selected for one of the following positions: 

1. Editor-in-Chief

   1. Online applications will be made available to prospective Editors-in-Chief towards the end of the Spring semester.

   2. Those selected to become Editors-in-Chief will assume the role of leading and overseeing the production of Aperture.

   3. The responsibilities and requirements of Editors-in-Chief are mentioned in Article III.

2. Committee Chair

   1. Online applications will be made available to prospective Committee Chairs towards the end of the Spring semester.

   2. Those selected to become Committee Chairs will assume the role of leading and developing their respective committee upon the final meeting of the spring semester.

   3. The responsibilities and requirements of a Committee Chair’s respective committee are mentioned in Articles III-IV.

3.  Committee Member

   1. Online applications will be made available to prospective Committee Members during the first month of the Fall semester.

   2. Those selected to become Committee members will assume the role of carrying out designated tasks aligning with their committee’s goals and responsibilities.

   3. The specific responsibilities and requirements for each committee are mentioned in Articles IV-V. Committee members must meet the specified research and skill qualifications for their committee.

All applicants will be considered for Student Editorial Board positions, but preference will be given to those that have exhibited prior dedication to the journal.

All Aperture members will sign a contract that describes the roles, responsibilities, and maintenance of each roll.

Section III. In order to maintain membership, students must continue to fulfill the requirements of their role as described in Articles III-V of this document. Failure to fulfill the requirements may result in loss of membership. 

Concerns about failure to fulfill requirements shall be raised in the following manner: 

1. Editor-in-Chief

   1. If any member of Aperture has concerns with an Editor-in-Chief failing to fulfill the requirements described, the concern must be escalated to the University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research. 

2. Committee Chair

   1. If any member of Aperture has concerns with a Committee Chair failing to fulfill the requirements described, the concern must be escalated to the Editors-in-Chief.

3. Committee Member

   1. If any member of Aperture has concerns with a Committee Member failing to fulfill the requirements described, the concerns must be escalated to the Committee Chair. 

ARTICLE III: EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL BOARD 

Section I. The Executive Board consists of (7) positions: two (2) Editors-in-Chief, one (1) Design Committee Chair, one (1) Marketing and Outreach Committee Chair, two (2) Editorial Review Committee Chairs, and one (1) Publications and Productions Committee Chair. The Executive Board will serve as the governing body of Aperture.

Section II. General responsibilities for the Executive Board are outlined below. Specific responsibilities for each committee are further outlined in Article IV.

1. Editors-in-Chief

   1. Oversees the production of content for the publication

   2. Delegates tasks to committees

   3. Provide support to editorial board

   4. Outline publication timeline

   5. Final revision of publication 

   6. Decision-making regarding the publication

   7. Developing and updating bylaws

   8. Creating and enforcing Ethics, Diversity, and Inclusion statement

2. Committee Chairs

   1. Assist in outlining publication timeline

   2. Delegates task to committees

   3. Discuss and solve problems that might face the journal

   4. Make policy decisions regarding the publication and approve the bylaws

Section III. The Editorial Board is expected to adhere to several standards: 

1. Attend all weekly meetings synchronously.

   1. If an Executive Board member cannot attend a meeting, he/she/they will notify the Editors-in-Chief at least 24 hours prior to the meeting, he/she/they will be responsible for reading the meeting minutes after the meeting is complete.

   2. The criteria for excused absences are found under University Senate Rule 5.2.4.2.

2. Complete all designated tasks prior to weekly meetings.

3. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained in order to remain eligible to be on the committee.

4. Respond promptly (within 48 business hours) to all forms of communication, including but not limited to email, text messages, phone calls, and GroupMe messages.

5. Serve for an entire academic year and as a contact point/support system for subsequent Executive Board members upon the completion of the term, if available. 

ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES AND DUTIES

Section I. Membership within a committee is a competitive process. Thus, all Committee Chairs and Committee Members must be full time students and in good academic standing as defined by the University of Kentucky. Each Editor-in-Chief and Committee Member may serve in only one committee and must prioritize their duties within that committee. Committee Chairs will support committee members within their committee in all Aperture-related efforts.

1. Design Committee (1 Committee Chair and 4 Committee Members)

   1. Requirement: Visual Art and Graphic Design Skills

   2. This committee shall be responsible for:

      1. Developing the format/layout of the journal

      2. Creating graphics for online content

      3. Delineating process for selecting cover art

      4. Designing promotional items

2. Marketing and Outreach Committee (1 Committee Chair and 4 Committee Members)

   1. Requirement: 1+ terms of research

   2. This committee shall be responsible for:

      1. Planning and leading workshops (how to navigate the website, where to find resources, formatting walk-through, etc.)

      2. Email and campus outreach

      3. Collaboration with UK student organizations

      4. Maintaining social media presence (Instagram, etc.)

      5. Updating the website with relevant content

      6. Creating Student Editorial Board spotlights

3. Editorial Review Committee (2 Committee Chairs and 10 Committee Members)

   1. Requirement: 2+ terms of research and strong technical writing skills

   2. This committee shall be responsible for:

      1. Developing submission guidelines 

      2. Faculty/Student reviewer training

      3. Initial peer review of submissions

      4. Post-submission correspondence

      5. Final student/faculty review

4. Publications and Productions Committee (1 Committee Chair and 8 Committee Members)

   1. Requirement: 2+ terms of research and academic presentation experience

   2. This committee shall be responsible for:

      1. Section Editors

      2. Article layout and typesetting

      3. Proof review

      4. Online publishing 

      5. Indexing

ARTICLE V: COMMITTEE MEMBER DUTIES

Section I. The specific duties of a Committee Member will depend on which committee they are placed. In addition to the summation of duties in Article III, duties will be specified by that committee’s Chair.

Section II. Committee members are expected to adhere to several standards: 

1. Attend all meetings synchronously

   1. If a Committee member cannot attend a meeting, he/she/they will notify their Committee Chair at least 24 hours prior to the meeting, he/she/they will be responsible for reading the meeting minutes after the meeting is complete.

   2. The criteria for excused absences are found under University Senate Rule 5.2.4.2.

2. Complete all designated tasks prior to meetings.

3. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained in order to remain eligible to be on a committee.

4. Respond promptly (within 48 business hours) to all forms of communication, including but not limited to email, text messages, phone calls, and GroupMe messages.

5. Serve for an entire academic year and as a contact point/support system for subsequent Committee members upon the completion of the term, if available.

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS

Section I. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Editorial Board. Proposed amendments must be submitted at least 48 hours prior to the Executive Editorial Board meeting.

ARTICLE VII: SSO ADHERENCE

Section I. In accordance with Administrative Regulation 4:1, Registration and Recognition of Student Organizations, no RSO/SSO will be hindered or discriminated against in the ordering of its internal affairs, selection of its leaders and members, defining of doctrines and principles, and resolving organizational disputes in the furtherance of its mission or in its determination that only persons committed to its mission should conduct such activities. In all other respects, all RSOs and SSOs must comply with the University’s non-discrimination policy, Administrative Regulation 6:1, Policy on Discrimination and Harassment.