District III Constitution
American Forensic Association
National Individual Events Tournament
I. DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP
A. Any two- or four-year institution of higher learning within District III that pays the annual American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament subscription fee by the deadline established by the AFA-NIET Committee is automatically a member of District III.
B. District schools are entitled to receive information regarding the AFA-NIET and are eligible to participate in the qualifying procedures for the AFA-NIET.
C. Each District III member school is entitled to one vote in selecting District III Committee members in the event that such a vote is necessary.
D. Each District III member school is entitled to one vote in selecting the District III Student Representative to the District Committee.
II. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
A. Eligibility for Committee membership:
1. Any full-time coach or person primarily responsible for the individual events program at a given school is eligible.
2. No more than one person per school may serve on the Committee at the same time.
B. Each spring, the District III Committee Chairperson will conduct an election at the AFA-NIET District III Qualifying Tournament to determine the Committee members for the next academic year.
1. Nominations will be taken from the floor. Nominees must be present to accept nomination.
2. The position of District Chairperson is on a two-year cycle with a three-consecutive-term limit.
3. An additional four members will be elected to the Committee each year. These four members should include, to the best of the District’s ability:
a. a two-year school representative, and
b. a representative who has not previously served on the District Committee.
C. Eligibility for Student Representative and Vice-Student Representative:
1. Any full- or part-time undergraduate student enrolled for a minimum of six hours at the school they are representing is eligible.
2. Each representative must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Each representative must maintain enrollment (as articulated above in item IIC1) in a District member school in the academic year for which they are elected.
D. Each spring, the District III Student Representative will conduct an election to determine the Student Representative to the District Committee for the next academic year as well as the Vice-Student Representative.
1. Nominations will be taken from the floor.
a. The student receiving the highest number of votes will be named Student Representative.
b. The student receiving the second highest number of votes will be named Vice-Student Representative.
c. Tiebreaking procedures will be at the discretion of the current Student Representative.
2. A total of one Student Representative and one Vice-Student Representative will be elected each year with the understanding that if the Student Representative is unable to fulfill their duties, the Vice-Student Representative will assume full responsibility for the duties of the Student Representative.
3. Each member school is entitled to one vote. Only students from member schools of the District will be allowed to vote.
E. Committee Responsibilities:
1. Chairperson:
a. The Chairperson must be a member of the American Forensic Association.
b. The Chairperson of the District III Committee will serve a two-year term beginning May 1 of odd-numbered years.
c. A Chairperson-Elect will be elected by the new District III Committee in even-numbered years. The Chairperson-Elect will serve a one-year term, assuming the office of Chairperson on May 1 of odd-numbered years.
(1.) The District Chairperson is expected to attend meetings at the AFA-NIET and the National Communication Association’s annual convention.
(a.) The District Chairperson or their designated proxy is expected to attend meetings of the National Committee. Meetings of the National Committee are scheduled for the annual NCA convention and on the Friday preceding the start of the annual AFA-NIET.
(b.) The District Chairperson should submit items for the National Committee meetings, as the need arises, to the National Chairperson.
(2.) The District Chairperson shall preside over the meeting held at the District Qualifying Tournament each spring for purposes of selecting future tournament sites, dates of the District Qualifying Tournament, as well as attending to the election of the District Committee and other matters of concern.
(3.) The District Chairperson shall construct a mailing list of schools within the District that either participate in individual events and/or have an interest in participating in individual events. The Chairperson shall keep one copy of the list and by August 1 of each year, forward a copy to the National Chairperson.
(4.) The District Chairperson shall maintain a current list of AFA-NIET subscribing schools in the District. By December 10 of each year, the District Chairperson shall send complete copies of the list of the subscribing schools to:
(a.) AFA-NIET Committee Chairperson.
(b.) AFA-NIET Board of Trustees Chairperson.
(c.) AFA-NIET Tournament Director.
(5.) The District Chairperson is charged with the responsibility of collecting subscription fees for membership in the AFA-NIET.
(a.) At the beginning of the school year, an invoice shall be sent to all schools in the District. Schools should send payment to the District Chairperson.
(b.) Following the national deadline for schools to subscribe as members, the national fees shall be sent to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.
(c.) Late subscriptions may be accepted with the approval of the National AFA-NIET Chairperson and the AFA-NIET Tournament Director.
(d.) The District Chairperson shall provide an oral summary of the District’s financial statement at the District Qualifying Tournament in March of each year.
(6.) The Chairperson shall ensure that the following year's District Qualifying Tournament Host is scheduled prior to the current year's AFA-NIET.
(a.) Bids for the District Qualifying Tournament should be solicited from District schools. Factors to be considered should include:
(1.) availability of contest rooms,
(2.) availability of hired judges,
(3.) availability of nearby hotels,
(4.) cost for school facilities,
(5.) constraints on dates and/or starting times, and
(6.) centrality of location site.
(b.) The Chairperson shall send the date and location of the District Qualifying Tournament to:
(1.) the AFA-NIET Committee Chairperson, and
(2.) the Editor of the AFA Tournament Calendar for purposes of publication.
(c.) The District Qualifying Tournament shall not conflict, insofar as possible, with
(1.) the AFA District Debate Tournament,
(2.) the National Debate Tournament, or
(3.) regional or national tournaments of the forensic honorary fraternities.
(7.) The District Chairperson shall verify the at-large qualification status of students. The Chairperson shall appoint a member of the District Committee to verify their own students’ at-large qualification status.
(8.) The District Chairperson shall assist the AFA-NIET Committee Chairperson in resolving any appeals from schools within the District.
(9.) The District Chairperson should encourage schools to submit bids to host the AFA-NIET.
(10.) The District Chairperson is encouraged to submit impromptu topics to the National Tournament Director, as well as recommend individuals as tournament staff and/or hired judges.
(11.) The District Chairperson shall faithfully attempt to promote the growth and well-being of the AFA-NIET in the District.
(12.) The District Chairperson shall maintain a file of all District records. The Chairperson shall send the District Qualifying Tournament’s results to the NIET National Chair by March 31.
(13.) The District Chairperson is responsible for conducting the District Qualifying Tournament with the staff of their choosing.
(14.) The District Chairperson is responsible for providing the NIET Vice-Chair with the name, address, and phone numbers (home and school) of the student elected to serve as the District III Student Representative.
2. Secretary:
a. The Secretary will be chosen from the District Committee by the District Chairperson at the first business meeting of the newly elected District Committee in the spring.
b. The term of office is one year.
c. Duties of the Secretary:
(1.) Record minutes of District Committee meetings and distribute minutes to each member school.
(2.) Other secretarial duties requested by the Chairperson.
3. Responsibilities of Committee Members:
a. Must attend the District Qualifying Tournament and fulfill the work assignment made by the Chairperson.
b. Should solicit membership in District III from schools in the geographic area.
c. Attend all District Committee meetings, send a representative, or give their proxy to another member.
4. Student Representative to the District Committee:
a. The Student Representatives will have one vote regarding issues voted upon by the District Committee except in the case of matters pertaining to the nomination and selection of the NIET All-American Team.
b. The Student Representative will conduct the District Student Meeting corresponding with the District Coaches Meeting at the District Qualifying Tournament.
c. The Student Representatives will serve as a liaison between the District Committee and the student population of the District.
d. The Student Representative will promote communication among students at member schools in the District.
e. The Student Representative must travel to the National Student Meeting at the AFA-NIET in April to represent the interests of the District.
III. District Qualifying Tournament
A. Participation:
1. Any accredited (or pursuing accreditation) two- or four-year college/university shall be eligible to send participants to the District Qualifying Tournament.
2. To gain eligibility, participating institutions must be in good standing with the financial requirements as established by the NIET Committee and Board of Trustees.
3. The District Qualifying Tournament shall be open subject to the following criteria:
a. The NIET subscription fee must be paid.
b. The school must meet established eligibility requirements.
c. The entry must meet the criteria established and published by the AFA-NIET and District Committee.
4. Rules and procedures of the District Qualifying Tournament shall not violate the intent of rules and procedures established by the AFA-NIET Committee.
B. Conduct:
1. The District Committee is responsible for establishing the nature and form of the District Qualifying Tournament. Insofar as possible, the District Qualifying Tournament should mirror the AFA-NIET.
a. Dates for the District Qualifying Tournament have traditionally been set as either the first or second weekend of March.
b. The District Qualifying Tournament must utilize the same conflict pattern as the AFA-NIET, except in the case where a streamlined tournament schedule is possible and preferable.
c. The District Qualifying Tournament should have a minimum of two rounds of preliminary competition.
d. Number of entries required for outrounds:
(1.) The Tournament Director makes the decision regarding the number of entries required in order to hold a semi-final or final round in any particular event.
(2.) While traditional guidelines have been set, the Tournament Director (in consultation with members of the Committee) has the right to make changes.
(3.) Traditional guidelines:
(a.) 7 or fewer entries: Decision of the Tournament Director.
(b.) 8 to 25 entries: The event will break to finals.
(c.) 25 to 30 entries: Decision of the Tournament Director.
(d.) 31 or more entries: Semi-finals will be held.
e. Rules for the events and standards of eligibility must be the same as those of the AFA-NIET.
f. Fees should be in keeping with other regional tournaments' fees.
g. District Qualifying Tournament results shall be immediately forwarded to the National Tournament Director.
h. Invitations to the District Qualifying Tournament should be forwarded to member schools at least six weeks prior to the tournament and in no case fewer than four weeks prior to the tournament.
i. Contestants who have alternately qualified an event for the NIET will not be allowed to enter that event at the District Qualifying Tournament.
2. Participants will qualify for the National Tournament according to the prescribed procedures of the AFA-NIET.
IV. Procedures for Amendment
A. This Constitution may be amended by 2/3 vote of the entire Committee at a District Committee meeting.
B. A committee member who cannot attend a meeting may select someone to sit in their place or may give any member of the Committee their proxy.
Constitutional Revisions by Mike Jones, Director of Forensics, Lee College, Baytown, Texas
February 5, 1998
Constitutional Revisions by Mallory Marsh, Director of Forensics, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas
March 4, 2017