CONSTITUTION : RESEARCH SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN PERIODICALS

Approved 24 May 1991; revised 24 May 2003; 27 May 2004; May 2008.

I. NAME: The name of the organization is the Research Society for American
Periodicals.

II. PURPOSE: The Research Society for American Periodicals is organized to
offer scholars in American literature and culture, and all interested persons, an
opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of American periodicals. A
nonprofit organization, the Research Society for American Periodicals—
through such outlets as its annual meetings, scholarly panels, special
symposia, miscellaneous publications, and a website—provides a medium
of communication among interested scholars and expands the possibilities of
scholarly and critical study of an important part of American literary and
cultural history. The sole purposes of the Research Society for American
Periodicals are educational and literary within the meaning of those terms in
section 501 (c ) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the 1954 or corresponding
section of any future Federal tax code, and the Research Society for American
Periodicals shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by
an organization exempt from Federal income tax under that section.
(Especially: no substantial part of the activities of the Research Society for
American Periodicals shall be carrying on propaganda, or otherwise
attempting to influence legislation—except as otherwise provided by Internal
Revenue Code section 501 (h)—and it will not participate in, or intervene in
(including the publication or distribution of statements), any political
campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office; no part of the earning
of the Society shall inure to the benefit of any member or other individual—
except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or
for the Society; and in any taxable year in which the Society may become a
private foundation as described in IRC section 509 (a), it shall distribute its
income for that period at such time and manner as not to subject it to tax under
IRC section 4942, and shall not (1) engage in any act of self-dealing as
defined in IRC section 4941 (d), or (2) retain any excess business holdings as
defined in IRC section 4943 (c), (3) make any investments in such manner as
to subject it to tax under IRC section 4944, or (4) make any taxable
expenditures as defined in IRC section 4945 (d) or corresponding provisions
of any subsequent Federal tax laws.)

III. DISSOLUTION OF THE ORGANIZATION: Upon dissolution of the
Research Society for American Periodicals, all assets belonging to the Society
after the discharge of any and all outstanding obligations shall become the
property of an academic institution approved by the Officers and Advisory

Board. Such institution must qualify as a tax-exempt institution under the
terms of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or
corresponding section of any future Federal tax code. (Especially shall no
member or other individual be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the
Society’s assets on dissolution of the Society.)

IV. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION: Proposed amendments shall be
submitted by email or through the RSAP website or other approved mail
ballot to the entire membership of the Society and shall require approval by
two-thirds of the members returning ballots. All proposed amendments must
be circulated among the entire membership at least one month prior to the
ballot deadline.

BYLAWS: RESEARCH SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN PERIODICALS

I. CONSTITUTION: All activities of the Research Society for American
Periodicals must be in keeping with the Constitution of the Research Society
for American Periodicals.

II. MEMBERSHIP: One becomes a member of the Research Society for
American Periodicals by paying the annual dues established by the Society.

III. OFFICERS: Officers are a President, President-Elect, Secretary, and
Treasurer. Upon recommendation by the Advisory Board and with consent of
the membership, the Secretary and Treasurer can be the same person. An
Advisory Board (which serves also as an editorial board) consists of the
Secretary,  the immediate Past-President, and six elected members.
The President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer are nominated by the Officers
and Advisory Board (with nominations also being accepted from the floor)
and are elected to a two-year term by majority vote of the members present at
the annual meeting.

The President presides at meetings, conducts necessary business throughout
the year, convenes a meeting of the Officers and Advisory Board preceding
the annual meeting of the Society, and oversees the functions of the Society.

The President may authorize expenditures totaling $100.00 or less that must
be made between annual meetings. With the consent of the Officers and
Advisory Board, the President can authorize expenditures totaling more than
$100.00 when exigencies arise.

The President-Elect assists the President, shares in the program planning for
annual and special meetings, presides in the President’s absence, and becomes
President at the conclusion of his or her predecessor’s term.

The Secretary keeps a list of members and their addresses, handles
correspondence, and records minutes of all meetings.

The Treasurer manages the treasury and gives an annual financial report.
(Upon recommendation by the Advisory Board and with consent of the
membership, the Secretary and Treasurer can be the same person).

Advisory Board Members are nominated by the Officers and existing
Advisory Board (with nominations also accepted from the floor). Advisory
Board Members are elected to a three-year term by majority votes of the
members present at the annual meeting, two members being elected every
year to replace two members whose term is ending. The number of
consecutive three-year terms a member of the Advisory Board can serve is
limited to two terms.

The Advisory Board helps plan annual meetings, aids the Officers in carrying
on the business of the Soceity, serves as a nominating committee for Officers
and Advisory Board members, and serves as an editorial board for the
website.

IV. MEETINGS: The Research Society for American Periodicals holds an
annual meeting at a site selected during the previous year’s annual meeting.
The Society sponsors panels and special session at appropriate conferences
and conventions. At the discretion of the Officers and Advisory Board, the
Society may also sponsor and/or participate in special symposia held at
locations appropriate to the study of American periodicals.

V. WEBSITE:  The RSAP Website is the official home of the organization. 
Features include brief articles, announcements, research and pedagogy links,
information about business meetings, membership, and any other related
material of interest to the membership.
 
VI. AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS: Changes of a minor nature in these
bylaws may be effected at the annual meeting of the Society by a two-thirds
majority of the members present (quorum of fifteen members). Amendments
of a more fundamental nature (e.g., concerning the organization, structure, or
membership of the Society) shall be submitted by mail or email to the entire
membership of the Society and shall require approval by two-thirds of the
members returning ballots. All proposed amendments must be circulated among
the entire membership at least one month prior to the annual meeting or the
mail ballot deadline.

VIII. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE OHIO STATE
UNIVERSITY PRESS, PASSED BY RSAP, 24 MAY 2003:


MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

Between The Ohio State University acting through its Press (hereinafter the Press)
and its Department of English (hereinafter the Department)
and The Research Society for American Periodicals (hereinafter the Society)

1. The Press, the Department, and the Society agree to participate jointly in the
publication of American Periodicals (hereinafter the Journal) as provided below.

2.This agreement, when signed by all parties, becomes effective on July 1, 2003.
The appointment of the Editor rests with the Department and the Society.

3. The Editor will be responsible for all editorial functions, specifically, editorial
policy, the reviewing and processing of manuscripts, the content of Journal issues, the
preparation of manuscript material and illustrative matter for printing according to
standards of style and format .agreed upon by the Editor and the Press and on a
mutually agreed upon schedule.The Editor will consult as needed with the Press
concerning the details of all advertising, promotion, and subscription campaigns
undertaken in behalf of the Journal, and will cooperate in all ways possible in
implementing such campaigns.

4. The Press will be responsible for all business matters pertaining to the Journal.
These will include, among other matters, maintaining the Society's membership list,
subscription fulfillment and promotion, production and distribution of the Journal,
determining the schedule and frequency of publication, soliciting and selling
advertising space, preparing and selling offprints and reprints, warehousing and
selling back issues, licensing the use of Journal material by other publishers, rental of
the Journal's subscription list, financial accounting, receiving and disbursing funds
resulting from publication of the Journal, and registration of copyright.

The Press will secure, schedule, and oversee the services of copy editors (except for
the Winter 2003 issue; the copyediting of which will be the responsibility of the
Department), designers, production editors, indexers, typesetters, proofreaders,
printers, and others, as required to produce the Journal at a high standard of quality
and at the lowest feasible cost.

5. The ownership of the Journal shall be transferred from the Society to The Ohio
State University Press. The Journal will be copyrighted in the name of The Ohio State
University. The imprint shall be "Copyright by The Ohio State University." Before
publication of any contribution, authors will be required by the Press to transfer and
assign their copyright exclusively to The Ohio State University in writing.
The use or republication by authors or third parties of copyrighted Journal material
will be agreed upon by the parties in conformity with the Press's official policies
on permissions. The Editor will forward to the Press all requests concerning rights and
permissions related to the contents of the Journal.

6. The Journal shall be published as an annual volume in Winter 2003. The Press
anticipates that the Journal will be published as two issues per year (Spring and
Autumn) for 2004 and following years. All parties will strive to hold strictly to
the scheduled appearance of issues and to avoid significant delays. The number of
pages per year shall be 224. Any additional pages requested by the Editor will be
paid for, at cost, by the Department.

7. The Press, in consultation with the Department, will set subscription rates for the
various purchasers of the Journal. The Press, in consultation with the Society, will set
membership rates for subscription to the Journal by Society members.

8. The Press may dispense free copies for the purpose of advertising and promotion,
its own files, and general office use. The Press and the Editor will confer on and
jointly consent to the distribution of exchange and complimentary subscriptions
that serve the interests of the Journal.

9. The Press will credit to the Journal's account in Press records all receipts from
publication of the Journal. These include receipts from subscriptions from sale
of individual copies, from sale of offprints and reprints, from licensing reprint rights,
from sale of advertising space, from rental of the mailing list, and from other sources.

10. The Press will debit to the Journal's account in Press records all expenses that the
Press incurs on behalf of the Journal. Expenses of two kinds are expected: a) "direct"
expenses, i.e., those incurred by the Press specifically for the Journal individually;
and b) "indirect" expenses (including management expenses), i.e., non-specific
expenses that are to be shared by the journals served by the Press. Direct expenses are
to be taken from external invoices, internal time sheets, and internal accounting records;
indirect expenses are to be computed on a pro-rata basis. After the last label run for
the last issue of the volume year (Winter in 2003, then Autumn in 2004 and following
years) if funds are available in the Journal's account after expenses are debited, the
Press will transfer the amount of $4.00 per RSAP member/subscriber to the Society.

If the funds available in the Journal's account is less than this total amount, no
payment will be made for this period. After funds have been transferred to the Society,
50% of the remaining funds in the Journal's account will be transferred to the Department
for support of the editorial office. If no payment is made to the Society in any period,
no payment will be made to the Department for that same period.

11. The Press will make a detailed financial report to the Department and the Society
within ninety days or sooner following the close of each fiscal year.

12. The Department or the Society may audit the accounts of the Journals Division of
the Press at any time reasonably convenient to both parties.

13. The term of this Agreement is through June 30, 2006. After that, the Agreement

will renew automatically for one-year terms. Press ownership of the journal will
survive this Agreement's termination. Nevertheless, the Press agrees to make a good
faith effort to negotiate the sale of the journal to any interested third party, including
both the Society and the Department.