Triangle Constitution

Last updated Fall 2024.

The Triangle Constitution

We, the members of The Triangle, in order to further pursue the right and true cause of accurate and fair information dissemination, for ourselves and our posterity and to protect by their exercise our First Amendment rights, do hereby ordain and establish this Constitution of The Triangle of Drexel University. This document was last revised upon the 20th of October, 2024.

Amendments to this Constitution are only to be made by the guidelines set forth in Section 12, “Amendments.” The Editor-in-Chief, in conjunction with the Editorial Board, shall maintain an attached document known as the Bylaws to further delineate the guidelines, procedures and rules of The Triangle. This Constitution and the Bylaws shall serve as the guidebook to which all staffers must adhere. The Constitution and the Bylaws will be readily available to all staffers.

ation is affiliated with Drexel University as a recognized student organization and as such, agrees to abide by the rules, policies, and procedures of Drexel University. Members of The Triangle must obey the Drexel code of conduct. The Triangle and Drexel University’s relationship has been defined in detail by the Memorandum of Understanding, a document that both the paper and the University have signed and acknowledged.

1 Name

The name of the official student newspaper of Drexel University shall be The Triangle, hereby referred to as the newspaper or the paper.

2 Purpose

The purpose of the newspaper shall be to inform the students, faculty, administration, and alumni with events pertaining to the welfare of students at Drexel in a manner in keeping with the highest journalistic ethics. The newspaper shall also serve as a learning tool and social community for the well-being of its staff.

3 Definitions of Responsibility

3.1 Officers and Section Editors

The titles and responsibilities of the Officers of the newspaper are as follows. Officers are the backbone of the newspaper. It is their responsibility to work effectively so the newspaper represents a combined, team-oriented effort. All Officers:

are expected to develop the talent of staff members and represent the newspaper in a professional manner at all times;
must write and maintain a standard operating procedure document which outlines their duties and explains how to fulfill them. The document will be passed down to them from the previous editor at least one week prior to the start of their position.

3.1.1 Editor-In-Chief (President)

to assume ultimate responsibility for all material printed in the newspaper;
to protect the interest and integrity of the newspaper and its staff;
to serve as the official representative of the newspaper outside the organization and within Drexel;
to see that an adequate staff is maintained;
to be responsible to and consult with the Editorial Board to determine the policy of the newspaper;
to consult with the Business Manager on business and financial matters and to prepare the budget;
to be responsible for the newspaper’s editorial content, in consultation with the Editorial Board;
to be responsible for the availability of adequate supplies in coordination with the business manager.
The Editor-In-Chief must be a full-time undergraduate student and live in the greater Philadelphia region.
The Editor-In-Chief may not hold any other position within The Triangle.

3.1.2 Managing Editor (Vice President)

to actively search for ways to improve the organization and assign responsibilities accordingly;
to manage the production of the newspaper and coordinate staff with the assistance of the staff manager;
to act as liaison among the editors and staff members of the newspaper;
to assign collateral duties to staff members as necessary;
to assume responsibility for organizing extra-publication activities, such as inter-organization outreach and promoting the papers standing within the journalistic community;
to assume responsibility for office management, maintaining the working space and equipment;
to enforce the creation of transition documents for section editors.
to be the preferred chairperson of the Editor-in-Chief elections;
to be prepared to assume the responsibilities of Editor-in-Chief should the need arise;
shall have full Editorial Board membership as long as they meet the conditions for membership;
The Managing Editor must be a full-time undergraduate student and live in the greater Philadelphia region.
The Managing Editor may not hold any other position within The Triangle.

3.1.3 Business Manager (Treasurer)

to ensure maintenance of the financial stability of The Triangle;
to handle all financial matters and correspondence concerning the newspaper;
to keep the Editorial Board informed of the financial status of the newspaper, with quarterly fiscal financial reports;
to prepare an annual budget in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief;
to supervise the business staff members and determine their responsibilities;
to maintain contact with the newspaper’s financial University adviser.
The Business Manager will have membership on the Editorial Board but will not have a voting position.
The Business Manager will assume all responsibilities related to the submission of purchase requests.
The Business Manager will manage advertising and communicate with all departments about the status of advertisements.
The Business Manager must be a full-time undergraduate student of Drexel University and live in the greater Philadelphia region.
The Business Manager may not hold any other position within The Triangle.

3.1.4 Staff Manager (Event Coordinator)

to represent the entire staff’s interests to the Editorial Board and the Editor-in-Chief;
to plan all staff events for The Triangle including but not limited to:

Quarterly staff dinners
Staff outings
Social engagement events

to maintain communication with Drexel administrators in matters related to but not limited to:

Recruitment and tabling
Event Forms
Student organizations

to manage relationships with food vendors;
to work in collaboration with the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief on managerial matters;
to actively recruit new members each quarter for The Triangle, ensure new staff are welcomed and introduced to other staff members and work with IT to maintain a directory of active and inactive staff;
to monitor the social and professional dynamics of staff and mediate disputes where appropriate;
to enforce the Bylaws with staff as appropriate and in conjunction with the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief.
The Staff Manager shall have full Editorial Board membership as long as they meet the conditions for membership.
The Staff Manager must be a full-time undergraduate student of Drexel University and live in the greater Philadelphia region.

The duties of the supporting managers, section editors and officers are delineated in the Bylaws. Positions may be added, removed or modified by a majority decision of the Editorial Board.

3.1.5 Other Officers

If the need for other, non-regular officers is required, the staff member proposing/appointed to the new title must provide the Editorial Board with an outline of the positions, duties and expectations.
The Editorial Board must approve of all new officer positions. This does not include assistant section editors or assistant managers; those positions may be appointed by respective editors or managers.

3.2 Editorial Board

3.2.1 Purpose and Meetings

The Editorial Board will serve to make all long-term decisions of The Triangle.
The Editor-in-Chief shall act as chairperson of the Editorial Board.
The Editorial Board shall consist of the Editor-in-Chief and at least four other staff members.
The Editorial Board shall meet each week to determine editorial and newspaper policy and discuss other important issues.
Each seated member of the Editorial Board, except the Business Manager, must have a vote, when necessary, to resolve a dispute.
The Editorial Board must reach a quorum of two thirds (rounded to the nearest whole number) of its members to vote on any matter.
When necessary, an emergency meeting may be called to resolve an urgent issue.
The Editorial Board is responsible for the Editorial published in the Opinion section of the newspaper.

3.2.2 Membership

To hold a seat on the Editorial Board, the following conditions shall be met and have a two- thirds majority approval from the seated members:
1. an announcement to the general newspaper staff that the Editorial Board is considering adding members;
2. written application to the Editorial Board with the intent to join;
3. must be local to Philadelphia region;
4. is an undergraduate student of Drexel University;
5. a minimum of two terms of experience with the organization; this condition can be overridden by the existing members of the editorial board or by an approval from both the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief;
6. They must also agree to attending a weekly editorial board meeting.
When deemed necessary for the good of the organization, the Editorial Board may modify the requirements for membership.
Each Editorial Board member is required to adopt a “special task” or “duty” which should benefit the paper in some way. An Editorial Board member’s failure to meet the responsibilities of their special task or duty will result in probation from the Editorial Board.

3.2.3 Communication

Any staff member wishing to address any concern with the Editorial Board must follow the chain of command through their respective officer, section editor or supporting manager.
The Editorial Board must keep minutes during meetings. All final decisions must be made known to the general newspaper staff. The constitution will be posted on thetriangle.org or current domain address for the paper.
Meeting minutes should be sent to The Triangle faculty advisor at the end of each meeting.
All decisions, whether internal to the Editorial Board or not, shall be kept on record for posterity.

3.2.4 Retaining Membership

If any Editorial Board member fails to attend more than three meetings or GBMs (General Body Meetings) in an academic quarter, they will be placed on probation. Leniency can be considered by the Board for extenuating circumstances, such as co-op or class contributing to their plan of study.
If any Editorial Board member commits an action that has been deemed unbecoming by the other Editorial Board members, they may be placed on probation.
1. Probation will be determined by a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board
2. While on probation, an Editorial Board member’s privileges will be revoked.
3. While on probation, the Editorial Board member must attend every meeting from their time of probation to the end of the term and fulfill all duties associated with the Editorial Board (as set forth in the bylaws)
Editorial Board members not on probation must vote to end the probationary period for a member.
If a member of the board does something to warrant probation two times, they can be removed from the Editorial board by a two-thirds vote.

3.3 Editor-in-Chief Eligibility and Authority

Candidates for the post of Editor-in-Chief must be active staff members of The Triangle and full-time undergraduate students of Drexel University.
The term of the office of the Editor-in-Chief shall have one academic year, to begin on the day following the last publication in summer or winter term.
The Editor-in-Chief is to start transitioning the next editor the quarter before their graduation or end of term in office in the event that it falls within the span of their term. They must remain in the paper for that quarter as an advisor to the incoming Editor-in-chief.
All officers and editors serve under the direction of the Editor-in-Chief.
In the event that an Editor-in-Chief leaves their position before the expiration of term, the Editorial Board must hold an election for the position within one week’s time.
If the Editor-in-Chief leaves after an election was held, the Editor-in-Chief-elect will assume the position of Editor-in-Chief as soon as possible.
Pending review of the Editorial Board, the Editor-in-Chief may place on probation a staff member who fails to perform their designated duties or who hinders the day-to-day operation or production of the newspaper.
The Editor-in-Chief will make all policy decisions unless contested by a member of the Editorial Board, who may request an Editorial Board vote.
The Editor-in-Chief may veto the Editorial Board’s decision, but it can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the seated Editorial Board. Such a vote will be final.

4 Voting

The post of Editor-in-Chief is the only post open to a general member vote.
All staff members as defined by the Bylaws Section 1 (Membership) shall have the right to vote for the Editor-in-Chief.
Each staff member shall have one vote.
A period of election will be held during the second-to–last GBM of the term to allow an orientation period for the new Editor-in-Chief.
The current Editor-in-Chief shall appoint a staff member as the elections chairperson, subject to the approval of the Editorial Board, who will dedicate an area for the posting of election information.
1. The elections chairperson will choose the voting method (i.e. website, forums).
2. The elections chairperson will post an election schedule containing the names of all eligible voters as defined by Section 3.3 (Editor-in-Chief Eligibility and Authority).
Candidates must post in the election area a written notice indicating their intent to run for Editor-in-Chief one week prior to the end of the voting period.
Votes for write-in candidates, that is candidates who do not post a written notice of their intent to run for Editor-in-Chief, are not allowed and will be considered void.
Any further details about the election should be decided by the elections chairperson, but may be overridden by a simple majority vote of the Editorial Board.
The new Editor-in-Chief will be the candidate who receives a majority of the valid ballots.

5 Staff Meetings

The staff shall meet each week at a scheduled general meeting, which will be called to order by the Editor-in-Chief.
The Editor-in-Chief or a staff member appointed by the Editor-in-Chief will disseminate information and address concerns of the staff.
Staff members are expected to attend meetings and will be held responsible for information disseminated at these meetings.
Staff meetings may only be canceled by the Editor-in-Chief.

6 Vote of No Confidence for the Editor-in-Chief

In the event that the Editor-in-Chief’s ability to complete their job becomes in question, the seated Editorial Board, by a two-thirds vote, may choose to have another election.
Any qualified candidates may run, including any person who lost in a previous election and the current Editor-in-Chief.If the current Editor-in-Chief retains their position, the matter will be deemed closed, and the term length will not change.
The Editorial Board may have only one re-election proceeding per term or per Editor-in-Chief.

7 Adherence

The Editorial Board will make policy, as needed, to ensure adherence to, clarify and interpret this Constitution. This includes, but is not limited to, standard operating procedures and verbal and written policies.

8 Finances

The finances of the newspaper will be under the direction of the Editor-in-Chief along with the Business Manager and the Editorial Board.
Staff members of the newspaper do not have to pay any dues to the newspaper. All of the income of the newspaper will be generated by advertisements, classifieds and other sources.
All major purchases will be approved by the Editorial Board with input from the Business Manager.
1. The Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor shall approve all purchase orders.
2. It is the job of the Editor-in-Chief and the Business Manager to monitor the use of Web Finance.
The Triangle shall not accept monetary funding from Drexel University under any circumstances.

9 Advisor

The newspaper may have up to two advisors.
One will be a full-time faculty member who advises the organization, but who will not have any editorial control or prior review.
The organization advisor must be a full-time member of the faculty, administration, or professional staff of Drexel University.
In times when it is necessary, the other adviser can be a full-time staff member who will advise in financial manners that relate to the newspaper. Both advisers will work with the Editor-in-Chief, and the financial adviser will also work with the Business Manager.

10 Ratification

This document must be approved by the Editorial Board and read by every member in full.
Then, it will be presented to the general staff for comments and concerns. Staff members will have one week after the constitution is presented to suggest amendments to the Editorial Board for ratification.
After a period of one week after it has been presented to the general staff, a vote will be taken at a general staff meeting. A simple majority of the attendees of the meeting will be necessary to ratify this Constitution.
This process will take place fall quarter once per academic year.

11 Dissolution

The Editorial Board may vote to dissolve The Triangle at any time by a unanimous vote.
In the event of the dissolution of the newspaper, the Editorial Board shall decide the allocation of property, including intellectual property.

12 Amendments

Amendments to this Constitution may be suggested in writing to the Editorial Board by any staff member.
An amendment shall take effect if approved by a two-thirds vote of the seated Editorial Board, unless vetoed by a simple majority vote of the staff members present at a regular staff meeting.

Bylaws

1 Membership

All full-time and part-time students of Drexel University are eligible to apply for membership. This includes undergraduate and graduate students.
All students interested in joining The Triangle must complete an application or interview process.
Drexel alumni may also become eligible for participation, with the majority approval of the Editorial Board.
An application and deadline will be released quarterly and open to all students on a schedule defined by the Editor-in-Chief in conjunction with the Staff Manager.
Applications will be reviewed by the Managing Editor, Staff Manager, and Editor-in-chief, and granting interviews to applicants will be at the sole discretion of the Editorial Board. Section Editors may request to be present when applications are reviewed for their section.
All new staff members must complete the training process as defined by the Editor-in-Chief in conjunction with the Staff Manager and Section Editors.
Membership in this organization shall not discriminate against any individuals regardless of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, ability, and/or any other protected class.

2 Retaining Membership

Staff membership will be divided into active and inactive members.
1. Active members will be staff members who are in classes or are on/close to campus for co-op.
2. Inactive members will be staff members who are away for summer break, co-op, study abroad or have a special circumstance which prevents them from actively participating in The Triangle and has been approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
Staff members can retain their membership in The Triangle by completing requirements each term.
1. Only active staff members of The Triangle must complete the requirements. While inactive members are still welcome to participate, they are exempt from the term’s requirements.
2. The exact number of requirements needed to stay on staff each term will be determined by the Editor-in-Chief in conjunction with managers and section editors.
3. Managers and editors may be subject to different requirements, as they are expected to perform other duties.
4. Active staff members who fail to complete the requirements for a term may be asked to leave The Triangle. If there are special circumstances, the Editor-in-Chief may work with the staff member to determine make-up requirements.
A requirement is counted as any one of the following
1. Writing and submitting an article which is published by The Triangle.
2. Contributing a minimum of one photo to a Triangle publication per term.
3. Copy editing three articles.
4. Creating or helping create one comic, puzzle or graphic.
5. Helping with one distribution cycle.
6. Adding one feature to a Triangle software or IT system
The Editor-in-Chief, at their discretion, may choose to recognize any other significant contribution to The Triangle which does not fit into one of the above categories as credit for completing one or more requirements.
Any member of the newspaper staff, including editors (but not the Editor-in-Chief), may be asked to leave the staff by a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board.
Any member holding an officer title must provide at least three weeks notice before they leave The Triangle, and advise the new editor in the role, otherwise they will be barred from participating in The Triangle in any form for a period of one year.

3 Code of Conduct

Professional behavior is expected from staff members while they are in the Triangle office.
1. Guests, including advertisers, prospective staff members and sources for articles, are to be treated with respect and courtesy.
2. Excessive noise or horseplay in the office is not allowed.
3. Staff members are expected to handle property and equipment owned by The Triangle with care and must never intentionally damage or steal anything.
4. All staff members are to be respected and will not be subject to harassment or threats.
The primary purpose of The Triangle’s resources is the production of the newspaper.
1. Use of The Triangle’s resources is restricted to Triangle staff members only.
2. Under no circumstances may The Triangle’s resources be used for business or personal profit.
3. Use of the resources of The Triangle can only be authorized by the Editor-in-Chief or staff members they designate.
Discussion of The Triangle to outside entities is restricted as defined below.
1. Staff members are under no obligation to defend or justify material published by The Triangle or people’s perceived views of The Triangle or its staff members.
2. Information gained at news meetings, Editorial Board meetings and other meetings between Triangle staff members is considered privileged information and cannot be shared to non-Triangle members without permission from the Editor-in-Chief.
3. The Editor-in-Chief is the only person allowed to speak on behalf of The Triangle on matters related to published material, especially to outside entities. Staff members must never comment on material published in The Triangle and always refer outside entities to the Editor-in-Chief.
4. Staff members are not permitted to respond to media queries and must immediately notify the Editor-in-Chief if they receive one.
The Triangle will in no way tolerate plagiarism or fabrication or the use of generative AI.
1. Writers who include exact words from a source must include those words in quotes.
2. Infractions for plagiarism or fabrication may include permanent dismissal from The Triangle and referral to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.
Staff members should never accept gifts from outside organizations without permission from the Editor-in-Chief.
1. The Editor-in-Chief, in conjunction with the Editorial Board, will determine when a staff member may accept a gift.
2. Gifts are any free or discounted item received by The Triangle or staff member in conjunction with their work for The Triangle. This includes, but is not limited to, food, discounts, travel, promotional material from a company, and complimentary tickets to a movie or performance.
3. Staff members must alert the Editor-in-Chief immediately if they receive a gift.
4. In no case will The Triangle accept gifts as a quid pro quo.
5. If gifts may influence The Triangle’s reporting or view on an issue, the gifts must be refused.
6. In no case will The Triangle or any staff members accept bribes that are intended to suppress or alter the content of The Triangle or the opinions of staff members.
Staff members must disclose to The Triangle any potential conflicts of interest such as their employment, work study, community service, other student organization affiliations, and work with other campus media organizations. The Triangle and its editors reserve the right to limit a staff member’s contributions on subjects which cause a conflict of interest.
Members of The Triangle attending events in a journalistic context must identify themselves as members of The Triangle and conduct themselves accordingly. Content should always be produced as a result of attending events.

4 Code of Conduct Adherence

All members of The Triangle are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct defined here in the Bylaws.
Infractions of the Code of Conduct by any member will be handled with a three-strike system, with written records kept by the Staff Manager.
1. At the first infraction, a formal written warning will be issued to the offending staff member by the Editor-in-Chief. If the infraction is minor, the Section Editor may have a verbal discussion with the staff member.
2. At the second infraction, the offending staff member will be suspended from all organization activities for a period of ten academic weeks. This includes, but is not limited to, submitting articles, participating in staff dinner, and attending general body meetings.
3. A third infraction will result in permanent dismissal from The Triangle for the member.
Serious infractions may result in permanent dismissal from The Triangle without prior notice or warning at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board. The Triangle’s response to serious infractions may also include referral of the staff member to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

5 Copyrighted Material

All editorial material published by The Triangle, unless otherwise stated, is copyright The Triangle.
1. A notice of The Triangle’s copyright claim must be stated in each publication released.
2. If a question or problem arises about copyright, the Editor-in-Chief should contact the Student Press Law Center.
3. Content published by The Triangle cannot be removed at individual’s requests and removal is up to the discretion of the Editorial Board
The Triangle may, through an agreement with individual contributors to The Triangle, allow the author to retain the copyright for the work. This is solely at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
Only the Editor-in-Chief may grant another person or organization permission to reprint anything for which The Triangle has claimed copyright.
1. Each publication of The Triangle must clearly state this.
2. Each reprint must state the material is copyright The Triangle.
The Triangle may, at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief, claim ownership of all notes, tapes, and other material used by a writer to compile a story. Staff members should be prepared to give this material to The Triangle at the request of the Editor-in-Chief.
Members can use work published in The Triangle for the use of portfolio sites and other non-commercial career advancement uses. They must link to the original article as published in The Triangle.
Members of The Triangle cannot publish content for competing collegiate newspapers, including but not limited to Temple News and The Daily Pennsylvanian.

6 Other Officers

All other officers defined in this section are subject to the rules laid forth in the Constitution Section 3.1 (Officers and Section Editors).

6.1 Section Editors and Managers

will exist for each section of the newspaper as decided by the Editorial Board (including but not limited to news, opinion, arts & entertainment, sports, comics and photography);
will be responsible for managing section members and editing content for their respective sections;
will write and maintain transition documents;
will contribute to completion of any SORC and university organization requirements.

6.1.1 Section Editor Renewal

Elections for Section Editors will be re-held each academic year. Editors who have served must submit their candidacy for re-election. If there is a vacancy, section editor candidates will be chosen from any active member of The Triangle, as defined by Bylaw Two, who are interested in the role. An announcement will be made that the section editor role is open at GBM as soon as the role is known to be vacant. Members can express interest in the position and will be considered for the role at the next meeting of the Editorial Board. The outgoing section editor must attend the meeting to advise the editorial board upon the candidates. The new candidate will be voted in by a simple majority of the editorial board.

6.2 Chief Copy Editor

oversee copy editing team and ensure schedule is adhered to;
copy-edit each article in accordance to Associated Press standards;
check all articles for plagiarism, artificial intelligence and factual accuracy.

6.3 Production Manager

maintain professional relationships and serve as point of contact for printing company and other related entities;
submit purchase orders to printing company for each issue;
create InDesign template files for each issue and ensure all advertisements are included;
maintain template files for InDesign;
update staff box and classifieds as needed.

6.4 Distribution Manager

oversee the distribution of the newspaper and fill stands;
ensure the Gator and other distribution equipment are in good working order;
maintain relationships with Drexel Facilities leadership regarding kiosks and distribution equipment;
maintains the archival system of all Triangle editions, including The Triangle’s relationship with the W.W. Hagerty Library.

6.5 Information Technology Manager

find and implement new ways to improve IT services in The Triangle;
aid in and approve the purchase of new computer equipment;
maintain contact with hardware and software vendors;
help develop IT policies and procedures;
create other roles to fulfill IT responsibilities as needed;
discuss software concerns and requests with the Editorial Board;
ensure all technical services managed by The Triangle remain online and operational.

6.6 Social Media Manager

post featured articles to The Triangle’s social media every publication;
post breaking news to The Triangle’s social media as soon as possible as it arises;
post to The Triangle’s social media (ex: Instagram story) to promote application cycles
must be present at production nights;
make graphics and templates for The Triangle’s social media;
suggest new ideas to freshen up the content of The Triangle’s social media.

7 Alumni Board

The Triangle Alumni Advisory Board (TAAB) is an outside group of alumni advisors who serve to give guidance on the operations of The Triangle. The Editorial Board and the Advisory Board will schedule a time to meet once per fall, and all changes in leadership will be communicated to the TAAB.

8 Hazing

Membership should be a valuable and beneficial experience for all students. Leadership of this organization shall provide its new and current members with an experience that is positive, informative and consistent with federal, state, and local laws, and the policies and procedures of Drexel University. Activities which detract from the goal of fostering personal and intellectual development have no place in this organization. Hazing will not be tolerated by or of any member. It is the responsibility of the organization, its leadership and members to report hazing of any kind by members to the proper authority.

9 Discrimination

Membership in this organization shall not discriminate against any individuals regardless of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, ability, and/or any other protected class. The Triangle and its membership will follow all applicable rules outlined in the Drexel Discrimination, Harassment and Bias Incident Prevention Policy, and all applicable laws.