ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGARCH

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

  • Adopted: July, 1972

  • Amended: May, 1980

  • Amended: December, 2008

  • Amended: November, 2022

Article 1. Name and Scope

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Computer Architecture("SIGARCH") of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM"); it will be referred to herein as "the Group."
  2. The scope of the Group's specialty is the architecture of computer systems, including all aspects of their organization, structure, design, and engineering.

Article 2. Purpose

  1. This Special Interest Group is organized and will be operated for educational, technical, professional, and scientific purposes in the subject area of computer architecture and in furtherance thereof.
  2. The Group shall promote the interest of professionals by:
    1. Affording opportunity for discussion of problems of common interest.
    2. Encouraging presentation of papers of special interest to the Group at National and Regional Meetings of the ACM and at other special meetings organized by the Group.
    3. Providing guidance to the ACM Council on matters of importance to the Group.
    4. Publishing a bulletin containing information of interest to the Group.
    5. Other appropriate means. No addition may contradict the main purpose as stated in Article 2(a) above.

Article 3. Charter

The Group will exist until dissolved by the Council of the ACM as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.

Article 4. Officers and Board of Directors

  1. The Group's officers are the Chair, the Vice-Chair, and the Secretary-Treasurer. The Group's Board of Directors will consist of four members. The officers and Board of Directors are elected for two-year terms beginning July 1 of odd numbered years.
  2. The Chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading the Group and managing its activities. The duties of the Chair are:
    1. Calling and presiding at the Group's Executive Committee and Business meetings;
    2. Conducting the Group's activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM; and
    3. Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein.
  3. The duties of the Vice-Chair are:
    1. Assisting the Chair in leading and managing the Group; and
    2. Presiding at meetings when the Chair is absent.
  4. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer are:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of the Group;
    2. Notifying Executive Committee members of the time, place and agenda of Committee meetings and likewise notifying Group members of business meetings;
    3. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of the Group; and
    4. Managing the Group's finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring the Group's disbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.
  5. The duty of the Board of Directors is to serve on the Executive Committee.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee comprises the officers, the Past Chair, and the Board of Directors. No person may hold two positions on the Executive Committee.
  2. The general duties of the Executive Committee will be to advise the Chair on all matters of interest to the Group. Specific duties or responsibilities may be specified in these Bylaws or assigned by the Chair. All the major management policy decisions of the Group must be approved by the Executive Committee.
  3. All members of, or candidates for, the Executive Committee must be voting Members of the ACM and of the Group.

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments

  1. Should the Chair leave office before their term expires, the Vice-Chair will assume the duties of the Chair. Should any other position on the Executive Committee become vacant, the Chair of the Group may appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy.
  2. Should a vacancy be unfilled, either because of inadequacy of these Bylaws or because of a dispute or for any other reason, the SIG Board may fill it (as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM).
  3. All appointments expire automatically when the Chair's term of office expires. Appointees, however, will continue to serve until a successor is appointed by the new Chair.
  4. With the advice of the other officers, the Chair will appoint an Information Director, who will maintain the SIGARCH web pages, mailing list, and other on-line information pertinent to the SIGARCH membership. The Information Director will not be a part of the executive committee.

Article 7. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges

  1. SIGARCH is an open SIG as defined in Section 6 of Bylaw 6. Anyone may join the Group.
  2. A person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for the Group are determined by the Group's Executive Committee with the approval of the Chair of the SIG Board. In addition to Group dues, non ACM members of the Group will be assessed annually a surcharge equal to one third of the dues set for membership in the ACM, rounded to the next highest dollar.
  3. All members of the Group may vote in any ballot conducted within the Group. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of the Group will, if necessary, be prorated downward so that their effective total cannot exceed 50 percent of the eligible voters; when it applies, the proration will be specified on the ballot.

Article 8. Reports and Records

The Group's Chair is responsible for filing reports about the Group required by the SIG Board. These include:

  1. An annual report, due in February of each year, on the activities of the Group during the previous calendar year;
  2. All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM; and
  3. Closing reports on conferences and symposia (co)-sponsored by the Group as required by the ACM.

The membership records of the Group will be maintained by ACM Headquarters.

Article 9. Elections

  1. By September 30 of each even-numbered year, the Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee, will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of the Group. The slate of candidates elected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the Group's members by the following January 31.
  2. A petition from one percent of the voting members of the Group will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Group no later than March 15.
  3. The election will be conducted among eligible voters by ACM headquarters by June 1, following the election procedures of the ACM, unless different procedures have been approved by the SIG Board. Of all the ballots returned in an election, the candidates receiving the largest numbers of effective votes win. The SIG Board will resolve ties.

Article 10. Amendments

  1. These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of the Group's members as provided below.
    1. A resolution of the majority of the Executive Committee of the Group shall be sufficient to cause a Bylaw amendment to be voted on by the Group members.
    2. Any member of the Group may submit an amendment to the Group Chair; the Group Secretary shall determine whether a majority of the Executive Committee of the Group are in favor of proposing the amendment and shall announce this determination.
    3. A petition by one percent of the Group members shall be sufficient to cause a Bylaw amendment to be voted on by the Group members. The right to petition shall be independent of any decisions taken with respect to the procedures provided in Article ll(b), i and ii.
  2. The proposed amendment shall be reviewed, prior to the distribution of ballots referred to in Article ll(d) below, by the Chairs of both the SIG Board and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of ACM.
  3. The ballot on the proposed amendment(s) will be conducted among the eligible voters by ACM Headquarters following the procedures of the ACM for voting Bylaw amendments, unless a different procedure has been approved by the SIG Board. The proposal is adopted only if at least two-thirds of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, provided at least 25% of the ballots are returned. The Secretary-Treasurer will send a clean copy of the amended Bylaws to the Executive Director of ACM and to the Chair of the SIG Board.

Article 11. Dissolution

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

Article 12. Meetings

The Group will conduct at least one business meeting each year. All meetings sponsored by the Group must be open to all members of the ACM. The Group may hold meetings only in places that are open to all classes of members of the ACM.

Article 13. Consistency

The Constitution, Bylaws, and policies of the ACM and of the SIG Board take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or internal policies of the Group.