Staff Selection & Dismissal

STAFF POLICY FOR SELECTION AND DISMISSAL

A.  EDITOR AND STAFF SELECTION PROCESS

1. Editor in chief(s) and other editor level positions are chosen by faculty adviser, with input previous year’s editorial board.
2. New and returning staff are judged by application, previous work, potential and perquisite class work.
3. Applicants are not turned down because of age, race, sex, religion, mental or physical handicap that do not impair editorial responsibilities.
4. Staff applications are due in January of each year prior to registration.
5. The staff and editors are selected prior to registration each January. The adviser reserves the right to make changes to the list as he/she deems necessary after the registration deadline.
6. Editor titles and positions are not named until after all media have finalized publication for the previous year.

B. REGARDING STAFF DISMISSAL

1. All individuals involved with MSD media are considered a team, each member is expected to complete all assigned stories, pages, photos, etc. on or before the assigned deadline. Staff members, including editors, may be dismissed from their positions and/or the publications staff itself if any of following violations occur:
   1. continuously missed deadlines (dismissal procedures will take place by choice of adviser and EICs)
   2. Plagiarism
   3. Quote falsification
   4. Vandalism or theft of publication equipment
   5. Continuous negative or pessimistic attitude toward staff member or adviser
   6. Submitting an advanced page design, story, photo or other publishable item to anyone outside the media staff without approval by the editorial board
   7. Two suspensions in one academic year
   8. Failing to fulfill job as outlined in job description

2. Major infractions will result in immediate dismissal from staff duties and dismissal from class and staff at the end of semester (major infractions include but are not limited to following: plagiarism, vandalism, theft).
3. Minor infractions will be given a written warning for the first one. The second one is immediate dismissal from staff duties and dismissal from class and staff at end of semester.
4. Warnings will be written and signed by the adviser and editor-in-chiefs, as well as staff member in question.
5. An editor will be stripped of his her title if suspended.
6. First misdemeanor or arrest will result in the loss of editor’s title, and second will result in dismissal from staff.
7. Each member of the editorial board and adviser will attend a meeting with potentially dismissed student to discuss the issue, adviser will make final decision.
8. The academic nature of the school newspaper class allows removal of editors or staff members when school and or established media policy is violated.
9. The above list infractions could all result in dismissal however, staff dismissals are not limited to the listed infractions.
10. A dismissed staff member receiving academic credit may be given a grade of F and will not be allowed to register for any other journalism courses (will not preempt school policy).
11. Dismissal procedures are reviewed and approved by the editorial board
12. The dismissed staff member may appeal their dismissal in writing to the editorial board within three school days following dismissal
13. All dismissal appeals will be directed to the building principal and the editorial board