Rules and Bylaws for the

DIGITAL GAMES RESEARCH ASSOCATION - DiGRA

Article 1 Name and Domicile

1.1 Name. The name of this association shall be the Digital Games Research Association (hereafter referred to as the Association, or DiGRA).

1.2 Domicile. The domicile of DiGRA is in Tampere, Finland.

Article 2 Objectives and Forms of Activity

2.1 Main objectives. DiGRA aims to encourage high-level digital games relevant research, and to promote international collaboration and dissemination of work by its members through research, development, commercial, practitioner and policy communities, networks and organisations.

2.2 Key forms of activity. This it seeks to achieve with

• an annual conference
• an association website
• a series of association publications on current digital games research.

2.3 Motivation of the association. The association is based upon the rationale that digital games have long been overlooked as a research area, yet they are the most economically successful and popular area of digital interactive media. DiGRA notes that games are increasingly influential in other media as well and are central to the development of contemporary consumption, media and leisure practices. DiGRA will contribute to a better understanding of these processes by developing an international network of members and organising a range of activities.

2.4 Agenda of the association. DiGRA aims to support and promote the academic study of digital games and develop its recognition as a field of enquiry with, and raising, distinct questions relating to:

?        Theory and aesthetics of games and gaming

?        Gaming and information technologies

?        Production, demand and consumption of games

?        Social, political and ethical issues related to digital games and gaming

?        Interactive media, gaming cultures and globalisation processes.

2.5 Educational and research goals. Association recognises the need to encourage high quality academic research in digital games and supports the integration of this research into teaching practice and development of new and existing undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Additionally DiGRA encourages the integration of research students into research communities and seeks ways in which to support new and young researchers entering into and developing the field of digital games research.

2.6 Interdisciplinary collaboration. Supporting this, DiGRA strongly encourages the study of digital games as an interdisciplinary field building upon expertise in pertinent disciplines. It proposes that game theory should both be informed by, and inform, contemporary game development, production and retail. As such DiGRA promotes collaboration between academic and other research institutions, as well as with commercial organisations, trade associations, independent members of the games industry and policy makers.

Article 3 Membership of the Association

3.1 Eligibility for membership. Any individual qualified in the manner described below shall be eligible for membership in the Association and shall be admitted to membership under the terms and conditions as prescribed in the bylaws.

3.2 Rights and privileges. All members shall exercise and enjoy such rights as the bylaws of the Association may prescribe.

3.3 Dues. Members shall pay such dues and assessments as association’s Executive Board has confirmed.

3.4 Membership categories. The membership of the Association shall consist of the following categories: individual (members, student members), non-profit institutions, corporate (businesses). Unwaged students are entitled to a special reduced membership fee that still carries with it all privileges of full membership.

3.5 Associate Members. The Executive Board may grant institutional or Associate Member status to other legally institutionalized organizations. Associate Members are affiliated organizations, which are granted that status for reasons of reciprocal agreements and benefits. Associate Members receive the same benefits that are referred to elsewhere in the rules as members but are not entitled to voting rights or Board positions.

3.6 Application for membership. All those who approve the purposes and rules of the Association can become members of the Association. Applications for membership are accepted by the Treasurer.

3.7 Admission to membership. Upon payment and acceptance of first year dues set forth hereafter, the Applicant shall become a member of the Association. The Board may grant Institutional memberships at a separate rate.

3.8 Membership rights. Members of DiGRA (Individuals only) shall be entitled to one vote on any matter presented to the membership. Regular members are eligible to be elected to any office in the Association. Student members are only eligible to be elected to the office of Student Officer or Open Seat. Regular and student members may be appointed to committees of the Association with the approval of the Board. Regular and Student members are eligible to participate in DiGRA’s Annual Meeting. Membership also allows access to all online resources and services developed by DiGRA without charge, as well as special discounts on the association conference fee and print publications such as the DiGRA yearbook of game studies.

3.9 Termination of membership.

3.9.1 Resignation. Resignation of members shall be made in writing and shall be acted upon with thirty days receipt of said resignation.

3.9.2 Suspension and Termination of Membership for Non-payment of Dues. In the event that any member shall fail to pay dues by the end of the third month from the due date, the membership of such person in the Association shall automatically be suspended. Suspension of membership results in forfeiture of all membership rights and privileges. Such suspension shall automatically be revoked, and all rights and privileges restored, upon payment by any such suspended members of all dues in arrears, provided they are paid within one calendar year from the due date. In the event that dues in arrears are not paid, the membership of such member shall automatically be terminated.

Article 4 Governing Bodies (Including Officers)

4.1 Executive Board. DiGRA is managed by a board of executives, selected by the voting members and appointed at the annual general meeting. The Executive Board is made up of five to eleven offices, the minimum composition consisting of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Student Officer.

4.1.1 President. Responsible for ensuring the continuity and development of DiGRA and ensuring that the association undertakes, to the best of its combined abilities, actions to facilitate this. The President holds final responsibility for ensuring the legal and ethical behaviour of the Association and in the event of a tied vote on the executive committee she or he holds the power of the deciding vote.

4.1.2 Vice-President. Responsible for representing the conference organising committee and the web site development team. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall take on his or her duties as appropriate.

4.1.3 Secretary. Responsible for maintaining copies of all records of the Association and producing and filing minutes of all executive committee meetings. The secretary will also take the lead in producing executive reports for the DiGRA membership and maintaining up to date and accurate membership records.

4.1.4 Treasurer. Responsible for ensuring the transparent and legal management of all DiGRA financial matters including banking, handling of subscriptions fees, donations, payments, etc. The treasurer will be the primary signature on all financial records and transactions with one from the other elected member of the Executive acting as second.

4.1.5 Liaison Officer. Responsible for creating, developing and maintaining DiGRA links with other research, industry and policy organisations.

4.1.6 Student Officer. Responsible for ensuring representation of students and other young or new researchers in DiGRA and contributing to the Association’s aim to support and encourage new researchers entering into and developing the field. To be eligible for this position, a candidate must be a registered student at a recognised higher education institution.

4.1.7 Dissemination Officer. Responsible for ensuring quality and continuity of published work issued under the DiGRA umbrella. As such print publications such as the DiGRA Yearbook, DiGRA Digests and Conference proceedings come under the remit as well as electronic publications such as the DiGRA web site. Working with the Liaison Officer this person will also ensure that DiGRA publications are reviewed, and made widely available.

4.1.8 Two Open seats. Responsible for such tasks as the Executive Board may assign to them, including conference organizing, publication help, or member outreach. These seats can be filled with an additional election at off years to add such expertise to the board that has been identified to be currently needed by the membership or by the board.

4.1.9 Two Appointed seats. These two posts are appointed without membership vote at the discretion of the Executive Board and as such they need not be filled or expect the same term of office as elected post. Their purpose is to ensure, through the co-opting requirement, a diverse representation within DiGRA’s Executive Board of knowledge, expertise, gender, disciplines, or geographic spread.

4.2 Terms of office. All elected Executive Board members serve for a period of two years.  After a term of office a member of the executive committee may stand for election to the same or other post but officers may serve as elected members of the committee for no more than four consecutive years. It will be the custom that when new Executive Board is appointed, it will invite either President or the Vice-President from the old Board to serve as an Executive Board member to guarantee continuity in the Association’s operations. To stand for executive office candidates must be current members of DiGRA, above the age of majority and be in good standing within the Association.

4.2.1 Removal from office. Officers appointed by membership in the General Election Meeting cannot be removed from the Executive Board except by vote from members in another General Election Meeting. Those officers that Board have invited into the Executive Board can be removed by a vote of no confidence by the Board. These votes must pass by a two-thirds majority. In the event that an officer is removed, the position can be temporarily filled by board’s appointment. However, no more than half of the Executive Board may be non-elected members.

4.3 Eligibility for office. To stand for executive office candidates must be current members of DiGRA, above the age of majority and be in good standing within the Association.

4.4 Advisory Board. The executive committee shall invite prominent game researchers, game developers, and other respected game-industry related individuals to serve on an advisory board. The advisory board is a non-voting body dedicated to providing feedback, insight and guidance to the association on matters of research, policy, and public interest.

4.5 Executive board meetings. The Executive Board will hold meetings on a quarterly basis, at minimum. Requests for additional meetings will come from the invitation of the President, or when the President is excused, the Vice-President, when they regard it needed, or when at least half of the Board members demand it. The invitation for an Executive Board meeting should be delivered in letter or in email at least two weeks before the meeting.

4.6 Quorum. The Executive Board has quorum and can make decisions when at least half of its members, including either President or Vice-President, are present. Votes are decided by majority rule. If the votes are divided evenly, the vote of the President or Vice-President as the chairperson of the board meeting is decisive. However, if votes are divided evenly in elections of persons, the choice shall be decided by lot.

4.7 Virtual meetings. The Executive Board meetings can be organized virtually as online (chat) discussions or email discussions. In this instance being present in a meeting means that a member is not for instance due to a travel arrangements disconnected from his or her email or online access when a topic is being discussed and decided.

4.8 Additional bodies. The Executive Board may appoint non-standing Committees and ad hoc groups.

Article 5 Meetings

5.1 Annual Meeting. There shall be an annual meeting of the Association held at such time and place as may be fixed by the Executive Board, within six month period, starting from June and ending in November, and other meetings of the Association shall be called as provided in the Bylaws.

5.2 Annual Meeting. The Annual Financial Meeting of the Association shall usually be held at the annual DiGRA conference, and shall consist of a discussion meeting and a business meeting. Every other year there will be the General Election Meeting, where new Executive Board is being elected. When in addition to the Annual Financial Meeting there is the General Election Meeting, they are held as a single Meeting and called the General Meeting. Other meetings of the Association may be called at any time by the President upon the written request of at least three members of the Executive Board or upon written request by twenty-five (25) members or 10% of the members of a voting category.

5.3 Special General Meeting. The Board may, whenever it thinks fit, convene a Special General Assembly of the Association will be held when the General Assembly so decides or when the Board or not less than four of its members consider there is need for it or when at least one tenth (1/10) of the Association’s members demands it in writing. The Assembly must be held within 60 days from the date when the petition has been received by the Board

5.4 Notice of Meeting. Notice of the time, place, and business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting of the Association shall be mailed to each member of the Association at his or her last known electronic or regular address appearing on the books of the Association. The notice of the Annual Meeting shall be mailed at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting and shall include the program of the discussion meeting and an informative agenda of the business meeting. No amendment, bylaw or candidate shall be voted upon unless included in the notice. The time and contents of notices of other meetings shall be as directed by the executive board.

5.5 Voting rights and the use of proxy. In the Association’s meetings, each member, except for associate members, has one vote. The use of proxy is allowed.

5.6 Majority in vote. Unless otherwise prescribed by the Rules of the Association, the vote of the majority of all the ordinary members shall decide any question. If two or more alternatives get the same amount of votes, the election shall be decided by lot.

5.7 Course of Annual Meeting. The ordinary course of the General Meeting shall be:
a. Opening of the meeting
b. The election of the chair of the meeting, the recording secretary, two scrutinizers of the minutes and, if needed, two counters of votes
c. Notification that the Meeting constitutes a quorum
d. Accepting the agenda of the Meeting
e. The Meeting is presented the accounts, the Board’s reports and the auditors’ report upon the transactions of the Association from the preceding financial year (in Annual Financial Meeting)
f. The Assembly decides about confirming the account and giving discharge from liability to the Board and to others in charge (in Annual Financial Meeting)
g. The election of one or two auditors and their vice persons (in Annual Financial Meeting)
h. Accepting the financial plan and plan of action for next year (in Annual Financial Meeting)
i. The election of President, Vice-President, and other members of the Board (in General Election Meeting)

Article 6 Standing Rules

6.1 Standing Rules. Standing Rules may be adopted to regulate all matters for which further regulation is deemed desirable. Standing Rules may not contain any provisions in conflict with the law or these rules and bylaws.

6.2 Making Standing Rules. Standing Rules shall be adopted and amended by the General Assembly. Their verbatim text must be made available for inspection by the members at an appropriate location five days before the meeting in question until the end of the day on which the meeting is held.

6.2.1 Electronic availability. The appropriate location referred to above is, in addition to printed copies of the text, the Association’s web site and email list.

Article 7 Signatories

7.1 Signatory rights. The signatories of the Association on all cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes, and other negotiable instruments are the President, Vice-President and the Treasurer, or other two Executive Board members together. In addition, the Executive Board may grant a person the right to act as a signatory of the Association by making a separate decision about it.

Article 8 Financial Year

8.1 Financial period. The financial period of the Association is one calendar year.

8.2 Terms for financial reports. The accounts of the Association and the executive board’s report must be given to the auditors at least three weeks before the General Meeting. The auditors must give their written report to the Executive Board at least two weeks before the General Meeting.

8.2.1 The requirements for the auditor’s reports. In the auditors’ report, and in certifying to the accounts, the auditors shall state, whether they have obtained the information required by them; whether, in their opinion, the accounts are properly drawn up so as to exhibit a true and correct view of the financial position of the Association according to the information at their disposal and the explanations given to them and as shown by the books of the Association; whether, in their opinion, the accounts are properly drawn up so as to exhibit a true and correct view of the financial position of the Association according to the information at his or her disposal and the explanations given to him or her and as shown by the books of the Association; and whether the rules relating to the administration of the funds of the Association have been observed.

Article 9 Changing the rules and dissolution of the Association

9.1 Changing the rules. The decision to change the rules and about the dissolution of the association must be done in a Annual Meeting of the Association by the majority of three thirds (3/4) of the given votes. The call for the meeting must mention changing rules or dissolution.

9.2 Dissolution and funds. In the case of dissolution, the funds of the association shall be used to advance the purpose of the association in the way that the Annual Meeting sees fit.

Contact the board and association working group:   workgroup@digra.org ? DiGRA, 2003