ACM SIGCHI Bylaws

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

• Amended: January 17, 2023

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Article 1. Name and Scope.

(a) This organization shall be called SIGCHI, the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction.

(b) The scope of SIGCHI is the study and practice of the design, implementation, use, and evaluation of interactive computing systems. The focus is on human communication and interaction with computer systems. SIGCHI is an international organization that provides a forum for the exchange of ideas among all people interested in the roles computing technology plays in human activity, including computer scientists, behavioral scientists, system designers, interaction designers, usability professionals, and end users. It will also serve its members, ACM, organizations concerned with the manufacture, distribution, and use of interactive systems, and the public at large as a clearinghouse of information for the field of human-computer interaction and as a voice supporting the design and deployment of systems mindful of human-computer interaction concerns.

Article 2. Purpose.

SIGCHI is organized and will be operated exclusively for educational, scientific and technical purposes.

It is the mission of SIGCHI to advance the state of knowledge and practice in the field of human- computer interaction.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

(a) Human factors in the interaction process
(b) The role of computing and communications technology in social organizations and processes
(c) The technology of developing user interfaces
(d) Design methods directed towards the improvement of the user interface
(e) Understanding the relationship between studies of users, human factors, and behavior, and the technology of computing and systems design
(f) Understanding the relationships among interface design, user experience, performance, and business or organizational goals
(g) The evolving role of technology in the lives of humans and issues related to the ethics and impact of deploying technology for human use
(h) Technical and social issues related to the design, development, and evaluation of interactive systems
(i) The state of professional practice, education, and training related to human-computer interaction
(j) Improving communication among the diverse set of individuals involved in human-computer interaction, including computer scientists and software engineers, behavioral and cognitive scientists, usability professionals, designers, and end users

SIGCHI’s activities will include:

(a) Promoting and providing facilities for the exchange of information
(b) Collecting and disseminating information through printed and/or electronic membership publications
(c) Sponsoring and promoting conferences, symposia, tutorials, and workshops
(d) Overseeing the operations of SIGCHI-sponsored conferences
(e) Supporting and overseeing the operation of SIGCHI-affiliated chapters
(f) Overseeing the selection and publication of papers through SIGCHI-sponsored conferences and publications
(g) Organizing working groups to address issues related to HCI education, research, and practice
(h) Organizing and funding initiatives to benefit the membership and to further develop the field of HCI worldwide
(i) Advocacy to support the advancing the field and the practice of HCI worldwide
(j) Collaborating with ACM, its other special interest groups, and other societies worldwide on technical activities such as lectureships, joint conferences, professional development seminars, and curricula
(k) Recognizing contributions to the field of HCI and to SIGCHI through achievement and service awards
(l) Serving as a source of technical information for the ACM Council and other subunits of ACM
(m) Serving as an external technical representative of ACM when authorized by the Council or the Executive Committee of ACM

Article 3. Charter.

SIGCHI will exist until dissolved by the Council of ACM as provided in the ACM Bylaws.

Article 4. Officers.

(a) SIGCHI’s Elected Officers are the President, the Executive Vice-President, the Vice-President for Membership, the Vice-President for Communications, the Vice-President for Finance, the Vice-President for Accessibility, and two Vice-Presidents At Large. SIGCHI also has four appointed officer positions: The Vice-President for Publications, the Vice-President for Conferences, and the Vice President for Chapters, and the Vice-President for Operations. All officers must be members of SIGCHI and of ACM. The Elected Officers are elected for three-year terms beginning July 1 of the election year. Appointed officers are appointed in a manner specified below. No elected officer may hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms. There is no term limit for appointed offices.

(b) The President is the principal officer, being responsible for leading SIGCHI and managing its activities. To ensure continuity of leadership, the President serves as Past President during the tenure of the succeeding President. The duties of the President include:

• Conducting SIGCHI activities in accordance with the policies of ACM
• Appointing committee members, filling vacancies, and appointing adjunct chairs as authorized herein
• Representing SIGCHI in meetings of the ACM SIG Governing Board, at other ACM meetings, and in meetings with other organizations
• Chairing the SIGCHI Executive Committee
• Calling and presiding at SIGCHI business meetings
• Submitting SIGCHI’s annual report of activities to ACM

The President shall have the power to delegate specific responsibilities to the Executive Vice-President and other officers as appropriate. The President is an ex officio member of all committees except for the nominations committee.

(c) The duties of the Executive Vice-President include:

• Assisting the President in leading and managing SIGCHI
• Carrying out such duties as are delegated by the President
• Assuming the office of President, should that office become vacant

(d) The duties of the Vice-President for Membership include:

• Overseeing membership benefits and services, including conducting periodic membership surveys
• Overseeing SIGCHI’s volunteer development program
• Filing official notification to ACM of changes in the officers of SIGCHI, and such other reports as required by ACM

(e) The duties of the Vice-President for Communications include: 

• Keeping and distributing minutes of the Business and Executive Committee meetings
• Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGCHI
• Maintaining communication with SIGCHI’s membership, including welcoming new members, notifying the membership of important information, and tracking membership correspondence

(f) The duties of the Vice-President for Finance include:

• Managing SIGCHI finances in accordance with ACM policies
• Preparing SIGCHI’s annual budget
• Monitoring SIGCHI disbursements for adherence to the budget, and monitoring SIGCHI’s fund balance for adherence to ACM guidelines
• Preparing periodic financial reports for the Executive Committee
• Preparing an annual report on SIGCHI finances for the membership, tobe presented at a SIGCHI business meeting as well as published for the membership in a membership publication
• Assisting in the review of financial plans and reports of SIGCHI-sponsored conferences and SIGCHI-affiliated chapters

(g) The duties of the Vice-President for Accessibility include:

• Overseeing all aspects of accessibility within SIGCHI-sponsored conferences and publications, SIGCHI-affiliated chapters, and all SIGCHI Committees
• Connecting regularly with disability communities in SIGCHI to align Executive Committee policies and practices with member needs
• Making recommendations to the Executive Committee on policies and practices affecting accessibility within SIGCHI, including within the Executive Committee (e.g., accessible meeting formats)
• Establishing and overseeing contracts with qualified accessibility service providers (e.g., CART and SLI) for SIGCHI events
• Working with the Vice-President for Publications on issues related to the accessibility of the end-to-end publication process
• Working with the Vice-President for Conferences and the Council of Steering Committee Chairs to establish standards of accessibility for conferences, conference websites, and conference-related meetings
• Working with the Vice-President for Operations on issues related to the accessibility of technological infrastructure
• Working with the Vice-President for Communications regarding accessibility of outreach activities and materials
• Working with the Vice-President for Chapters regarding accessibility of chapter meetings and accessibility
• Overseeing any committees or working groups organized to facilitate accessibility activities, subject to approval by the SIGCHI Executive Committee
• Compiling a regular report of activities and sharing it with the SIGCHI Executive Committee

(h) The duties of the two Vice-Presidents At Large shall be decided by the Executive Committee. These duties are expected to change in response to issues facing SIGCHI. A Vice-President At Large may be appointed to one of the appointed officer positions, in which case that individual holds both titles. Should such an officer subsequently resign or be removed from the appointed position, they retain the position of Vice-President At Large.

(i) The Vice-President for Publications is appointed by nomination of the President and approval of the Elected Officers. The duties of the Vice President for Publications include:

• Representing SIGCHI in discussions with ACM on proposals to add, change, or remove publications related to human-computer interaction
• Working with the editors of SIGCHI membership publications to monitor the effectiveness of editorial goals and policies
• Working with the Editors of other ACM publications relevant to SIGCHI to monitor the effectiveness of editorial goals and policies
• Oversight of SIGCHI’s archival publication series, including development of standards for conferences seeking to include papers in the archival publication series
• Working with the Vice-President for Conference on issues related to the paper review process for archival conferences
• Making recommendations to the Executive Committee on future directions for SIGCHI publications, including alternative modes of publication
• Conducting periodic review of publication packages offered to members

The Vice-President for Publications shall have the power to delegate specific responsibilities to appropriate committees organized to facilitate publications activities. The membership of these committees is subject to approval by the SIGCHI Executive Committee.

(j) The Vice-President for Conferences is appointed by nomination of the President and approval of the Elected Officers. The duties of the Vice-President for Conferences include:

• Overseeing all aspects of SIGCHI-sponsored conferences
• Making recommendations to the SIGCHI Executive Committee on matters such as future CHI conference sites, CHI conference chairs, and CHI conference-related policies
• Making recommendations to the President on requests from conferences for SIGCHI sponsorship, co-sponsorship, and in-cooperation status, and on budgets and other conference requests requiring SIGCHI approval
• Making recommendations to the Executive Committee on policies affecting SIGCHI-sponsored, co-sponsored, and in-cooperation conferences
• Report to the Executive Committee periodically on the programmatic and financial status of the CHI conference and all other SIGCHI-sponsored and co-sponsored conferences
• Working with the Vice-President for Membership and Vice-President for Communications to coordinate volunteer development, and to coordinate conference attendee/membership surveys
• Working with the Vice President for Publications on issues related to the paper review process for archival conferences

The Vice-President for Conferences shall have the power to delegate specific responsibilities to other members of committees organized to facilitate conferences. The membership of these committees is subject to approval by the SIGCHI Executive Committee. The President shall have the power to delegate conference sponsorship, budget approval, and/or contracting decisions to the Vice President for Conferences. All such delegations shall be reported to the Executive Committee, recorded in the minutes, and relayed to the appropriate staff at ACM.

(k) The Vice-President for Chapters is appointed by nomination of the President and approval of the Elected Officers. The duties of the Vice-President for Chapters include:

• Overseeing and promoting the SIGCHI Chapters program, and the relationship between SIGCHI and its Chapters. SIGCHI Chapters are ACM Professional Chapters or ACM Student Chapters that have chosen to affiliate themselves with SIGCHI
• Serving as the liaison between the Executive Committee and the ACM Chapter support staff
• Overseeing any committees organized to facilitate chapter activities. The membership of these committees is subject to approval by the SIGCHI Executive Committee.
• Providing information and assistance to SIGCHI members considering forming chapters
• Making recommendations to the Executive Committee concerning its recommendations to ACM on the establishment, operation, and dissolution of SIGCHI-affiliated Chapters
• Reviewing copies of all reports from Chapters and making recommendations to the Executive Committee on these reports
• Compiling a regular report of Chapter activities
• Making recommendations to the President and the Executive Committee on policies and proposals relating to cooperating society agreements with external organizations

(l) The Vice-President for Operations is appointed by the nomination of the President and approval of the Elected Officers. The duties of the Vice-President for Operations include:

• Overseeing all operational aspects of SIGCHI’s electronic infrastructure, including: e-mail lists, web sites, and databases
• Serving as, or designating a volunteer to serve as, SIGCHI’s information director and liaison with ACM’s technical staff
• Coordinating operational aspects of SIGCHI’s publicity program, outreach activities, and other activities
• Recruiting and managing volunteers to maintain SIGCHI’s electronic and physical infrastructure
• Overseeing any committees organized to facilitate operations activities. The membership of these committees is subject to approval by the SIGCHI Executive Committee.

Article 5. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges.

(a) SIGCHI is an open organization and membership is available to anyone.

(b) An eligible person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGCHI are determined by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have authority to specify discounted dues levels for students, retired persons, and persons from soft-currency countries.

(c) All voting members of SIGCHI may vote in any ballot of the SIGCHI membership conducted within SIGCHI.

(d) The membership records of SIGCHI will be maintained by ACM Headquarters.

Article 6. The Executive Committee.

(a) The Executive Committee comprises the elected and appointed officers and the Past President. The editor of each membership publication and the ACM program director serve as non-voting, ex officio members of the Executive Committee. No person may hold more than one vote on the Executive Committee at a given time.

(b) All the major management policy decisions of SIGCHI must be approved by the Executive Committee, except for the appointment and removal of officers, which is reserved for the Elected Officers. Each member of the Executive Committee, except for ex officio members, has one vote in such decisions. Except where specified otherwise in these By Laws, action by the SIGCHI Executive Committee shall require a majority vote of all Executive Committee members eligible to vote.

Article 7. Ad Hoc Committees and Adjunct Chairs.

(a) The SIGCHI President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall create and appoint members and a chair to ad hoc committees and designate adjunct chairs for specific purposes within SIGCHI. Ad hoc committees shall have a specific charge and shall exist until dissolved by vote of the Executive Committee. Adjunct chairs shall have a specific responsibility, and their position shall report to a specific officer. Adjunct chair positions terminate at the end of the President’s term, at the completion of the specific responsibility, or at the discretion of the President. The rest of this article specifies certain commonly-recurring ad hoc committees and adjunct chair positions. Adjunct chairs, committee chairs, and committee members may be invited to participate in Executive Committee meetings, but these positions carry no vote.

(b) The nominating committee is appointed every third year as specified in the Elections article of these Bylaws.

(c) One or more awards committees shall be appointed every year to select candidates for SIGCHI’s achievement and service awards.

Article 8. Meetings.

(a) SIGCHI will conduct at least one business meeting each year, normally in conjunction with the annual CHI conference.

(b) All SIGCHI committee meetings must be open to all members of ACM and all members of SIGCHI. Meetings may be held in-person or by conference call. Minutes of meetings must be made available to any member of ACM or of SIGCHI.

(c) Any decisions or votes taken by electronic mail or individual telephone calls must be reported at the next in-person or conference-call meeting and recorded in the minutes of that meeting.

Article 9. Reports and Records.

The President is responsible for filing reports about SIGCHI as required by the ACM Bylaws. These include:

(a) An annual report on the activities of SIGCHI during the previous calendar year.

(b) All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of ACM.

(c) Closing reports on conferences and symposia sponsored or co-sponsored by SIGCHI, as required by ACM.

Article 10. Financial Operations.

SIGCHI must prepare a budget each year subject to approval by ACM. This budget shall contain funds dedicated to specific projects or purposes; discretionary funds associated with specific officers, committees, or adjunct chairs; and funds specified for later allocation by the Executive Committee. All funds must be managed and expended in accordance with ACM policies. Except where ACM and SIGCHI policies are more restrictive:

(a) SIGCHI officers, committees, and adjunct chairs may expend budgeted non-discretionary funds for the purposes specified, without further approval.
(b) SIGCHI officers, committees, and adjunct chairs may expend budgeted discretionary funds of up to a limit specified in these Bylaws, for purposes consistent with their responsibility within SIGCHI, without further approval.
(c) Discretionary fund expenditures of greater than the limit specified in these Bylaws, other than those incurred by the President, must first be approved by the President.
(d) Discretionary fund expenditures of greater than the limit specified in these Bylaws made by the President must first be approved by the Vice-President for Finances.
(e) The limit for discretionary fund expenditures without separate approval shall be $5000 during the term of office commencing July 1, 2003. This limit shall be increased to match inflation at the start of each new term of office. The Vice-President for Finances shall compute the expenditure limit and report it to the Executive Committee.
(f) Unbudgeted expenditures, or expenditures requiring a change in budget, require approval of the Executive Committee.
(g) Funds allocated in an annual budget are available for use only during the specified fiscal year. Unspent funds revert to SIGCHI’s general fund balance. The SIGCHI Executive Committee may approve carrying funds over into the next fiscal year to ease implementation of multi-year projects. Such a carry-over shall be deemed to be an allocation of general fund balance funds to the project.
(h) Funds allocated by SIGCHI in response to out-of-budget requests are allocated for a specific duration. If no expiration is specified in the allocation, the funds are allocated for a period of one year, after which they revert to SIGCHI’s general fund balance.

Article 11. Elections.

(a) By September 15 of each third year, starting with the year 2005, the President shall appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elected office of SIGCHI. The committee shall have two goals in proposing candidates:

1.    finding candidates who are well-qualified to carry out the offices to which they are nominated, and
2.    finding a set of candidates that jointly represent the diversity of SIGCHI’s membership.

All candidates must be members of SIGCHI and ACM. For the offices of President and Executive Vice-President there must be at least two pairs of candidates, with each member of the pair having agreed to run for office jointly with the other. Candidates for President must have previously served on the SIGCHI Executive Committee. For the offices of Vice-President At Large, at least three consenting candidates shall be nominated. The report of the nominating committee must be presented to all SIGCHI members by the following March 1.

(b) A petition from one percent of the voting members of SIGCHI, received by the President or the Chair of the Nominating Committee by January 15 of the election year, will place other consenting candidates on the ballot, provided the candidate meets the requirement of being an ACM and SIGCHI member. In the case of the offices of President and Executive Vice-President there must be a pair of candidates, one running for each of the two offices, and the candidate for President must have served previously on the SIGCHI Executive Committee. Petitions will be handled in accordance with ACM Bylaws.

(c) The election will be conducted among eligible voters by ACM Headquarters according to ACM Bylaws. Of all the ballots returned in an election, the candidates receiving the largest number of votes win. In the case of Vice-President at Large, the membership will be asked to vote for up to two of the candidates, and the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes will win the election. In the case of the offices of President and Executive Vice-President the membership will be asked to cast their vote for one pair of candidates and the pair of candidates receiving the largest number of effective votes become President and Executive Vice-President. Newly elected officers who are not involved in ties will resolve ties.

Article 12. Vacancies, Appointments, and Removals.

(a) Should the post of President become vacant before the three-year term expires, the Executive Vice-President will become President. Should any other elective office of SIGCHI become vacant, the President may nominate a member of SIGCHI and ACM to fill the vacancy. Nominations are approved by majority vote of the remaining Elected Officers. Vacancies in appointed offices are filled according to the procedures for making the original appointment to that office.

(b) An elected officer or appointed officer may be removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the Elected Officers.

(c) An adjunct chair, or member or chair of an ad hoc committee, may be removed by the President.

(d) Officer appointments made by nomination of the President expire automatically when the President’s term of office expires, but appointees continue to serve until the new President nominates, and the new Elected Officers approves a successor. The new President may re-nominate the officer, subject to the approval of the Elected Officers.

Article 13. Amendments.

(a) These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of SIGCHI members or as specified in ACM Bylaws.

(b) Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the SIGCHI Executive Committee, or by a petition from one percent of the voting members of SIGCHI. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of ACM after the Executive Director of ACM has provided advice.

(c) The ballot on the proposed amendment(s) will be conducted among the eligible voters by ACM Headquarters following the ACM Bylaws. The proposal is adopted only if a majority of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, and only if at least five percent of the ballots are returned.

Article 14. Dissolution.

Should SIGCHI be dissolved, control of its assets will revert to ACM.

Article 15. Consistency.

The Constitution, Bylaws, and policies of ACM take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or internal policies of SIGCHI.