Operations and Ethics: History and Description

In 1993 student leaders in student media, their advisors and college administrators agreed The Evergreen State College's policy on student media needed an overhaul.

In particular for the Cooper Point Journal the objective was to remove from the policy even a whiff that someone other than the student newspaper's editors and business manager had complete authority over and responsibility for the non-advertising and advertising content of the newspaper. Also, the policy at that time detailed such things as the position description and selection process for the editor-in-chief and advisor and the CPJ budget process, all of which included required approval from a then-existing board of media persons from off campus, college administrators, faculty, college staff members, media advisors, student media leadership and a couple of students at large. The authority of that board seemed to conflict with a student-centered student activity organization and with the sovereignty of the student newspaper. Everyone recognized and agreed, however, that in ridding the college policy of details about CPJ operations the CPJ would then need its own governance document, which the new college policy could refer to as the guiding policy of the CPJ as an organization and as a newspaper. In Spring 1993, CPJ student leadership not only drafted the proposed new college policy on student media but made a list of what the governance document should address. The current list of contents for Cooper Point Journal: Operations and Ethics almost mirrors that initial list. For all of 1994-95 and most of 1995-96 students engaged in the intellectual and philosophical rigors of creating what in effect would be the constitution of the Cooper Point Journal.

Cooper Point Journal: Operations and Ethics is a living document. Portions that have become obsolete are excised and as new matters that need addressing emerge portions are added, all by students engaging in a process prescribed by Operations and Ethics that includes examining the pros and cons of amendments and reaching a consensus decision.

Provided here are downloads of each section of the Cooper Point Journal's Operations and Ethics in Word format.