Student Officers

Student Officer Information

Candidates for the offices of president, vice president and members-at-large of the Southern Interscholastic Press Association must be juniors who are in attendance at the Spring Convention. Candidates will serve from the convention their junior year through the convention their senior year.

To remain a student officer of SIPA, students must remain in good standing on a SIPA member staff at their school, according to their media adviser.

Student officers are expected to attend a convention planning session in first semester of their senior year.

SIPA’s president presides at the annual convention and may participate in meetings of the Executive Committee.

The vice president takes over the president’s responsibilities if the president is unable to meet them.

The members-at-large work with other student officers.

All officers may contribute to SIPA communications and help plan SIPA sessions and activities.

Convention campaigning rules include the following:

1. Only one person from each school may campaign for any office. No nomination will be accepted without adviser’s consent. Candidates must also be rising seniors.
2. Candidates may have an exhibit table for a meet and greet in the hotel atrium. You must let the SIPA office know if you want a table and if you will be shipping materials for the exhibit table.
3. Candidates may have trifold displays and videos along with any other campaign materials at exhibit tables.
4. Candidates may distribute flyers but not post them on hotel walls.
5. Campaign posters are not permitted.
6. Only presidential candidates will give speeches at the opening assembly Friday night. Speeches should not be longer than four minutes.
7. Voting will take place Saturday night of the convention at a designated area. Voting delegates: Each publication staff that has paid the SIPA membership fee and has one or more delegates attending the convention may select one voting delegate.
8. Any infraction of these rules should be reported to a member of the Executive Committee.

Candidates agree:

1. I will abide by the SIPA Behavior Contract.
2. I will be an engaged participant at all sessions and activities unless excused by my adult adviser and either the chair or director.
3. I will not intimidate or sabotage other candidates. I will do my best to ensure students from my delegation represent me and my campaign appropriately.
4. I will report any infractions in violation of these rules to my adviser, the chair and the director.
5. If a situation violating these rules arises, all parties involved have the opportunity to appear before the chair and director who will decide the status of eligibility.