Student Publications Policy

I.       Current Publications

1. The purpose of the student newspaper, The Mesa Journal dba "The Basin Falconer", is to publish news and comments of interest and importance to the university community with emphasis on the news that most directly and immediately concerns students.

2. The purpose of the student literary publication, The Sandstorm, is to provide an outlet for creative writing (short stories, poems, articles, art, photography essays, humor).

 II.    Approval for New Publications

1. The petitioner must file, with the Student Senate, a prospectus of the new publication. 

2.  Subject to approval by the Student Senate, the petitioner must submit a budget request to the Student Fees Advisory Committee should Student Service Fees funding be desired.

 III.   Protection of Editorial Expression

1. The student press shall be free of censorship and its editors and writers shall be free to develop their own editorial policies and news coverage subject to the purpose of the publication listed in section I.

2. All student publications shall avoid libel, the use of obscene material, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity and the techniques of harassment and innuendo.  The advisor may delay the printing of a publication, article, photograph or other contents of a publication if there is such a violation.

3. All recognized student publications shall explicitly state on the editorial page or other appropriate place that opinions expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of the university or the student body.

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 IV. Code of Ethics

1. Student editors and writers are expected to be governed by the code of ethics most recently adopted by The Society of Professional Journalists.

 V.   Advisors

1. The Vice President for Student Services shall appoint the advisor for The Mesa Journal dba The Basin Falconer and the Department of Humanities and Fine Arts shall appoint an advisor for The Sandstorm.

2. The advisors shall select the editors for the respective publications and may suspend the editors for violations listed in Section III, B.

3. The advisors shall provide professional guidance, training and support to the editors and student staff of the publications under their supervision.

4. The advisors will advise and assist the editors of the student publications in the establishment of deadlines, the supervision of student staff members, and the coordination between a student publication and academic classes.

5. In the interest of maintaining the highest standards of journalism, the advisor shall receive and review all copy submitted for publications and then provide the editor with such suggestions as are deemed appropriate.

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 VI. Budget 

1. The editors of the publications shall prepare budget requests for funding to the Student Fees Advisory Committee should student fees be utilized for the publication.

2. The advisors of the publications shall approve or disapprove all expenditures for the publications.

3. The Office of Student life shall provide advice regarding the funding of the publications if the funding support comes from Student Service Fees.  This advice shall include budgeting and oversight of expenditures.

 VII.   Responsibilities of Editors

1. The editors-in-chief of student publications have final authority over what is published in their respective publications as long the provisions of this policy are followed. 

2. The editors-in-chief are expected to insure that copy be available for review by the advisor on a timely basis.

3. Editors and student staff members must be familiar with and agree to abide by the cooperative agreement between the publication and any academic departments, should such an agreement exist.

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 VIII. Stipends

1. A student may hold only one stipend position per publication per semester.

2. Stipends will be paid at the close of the semesters.

3. Job descriptions for the various positions should be available from the respective advisors.

 IX.  Disputes

1. The student due process procedures, as printed in the Student Guide and Handbook for Operating Procedures, shall dictate the process for handling disputes.

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