ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGCAS

BYLAWS of SIGCAS, the Special Interest Group on Computers and Society of the Association for Computing Machinery

  • Adopted January 6, 2005

Article 1. Name and Scope.

  • (a) This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Computers and Society ("SIGCAS") of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM").
  • (b) The scope of SIGCAS's specialty is to bring together computer professionals, specialists in other fields, and the public at large to address concerns and raise awareness about the ethical and societal impact of computers.

Article 2. Purpose.

SIGCAS is organized and will be operated exclusively for educational, scientific, and technical purposes in its specialty. Its services will include:

  • (a) Collecting and disseminating information in the specialty, through the online publication Computers and Society, as approved by the Publications Board of the ACM;
  • (b) As resources permit, organizing sessions at conferences of the ACM;
  • (c) As resources permit, sponsoring or cooperating in conferences, symposia, and workshops;
  • (d) As resources permit, organizing working groups for education, research, and development;
  • (e) Serving as a source of technical information for the Council and other units of the ACM;
  • (f) Serving as an external technical representative of the ACM when authorized by the Council or the Executive Committee of the ACM; and
  • (g) Working with other units of the ACM on technical activities such as lectureships or professional development seminars.

Article 3. Charter.

SIGCAS will exist until dissolved as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.

Article 4. Officers.

  • (a) SIGCAS's officers are the Chair, the Vice-Chair, and an elected member-at-large of the Executive Committee. The officers are elected for three-year terms beginning July 1 of election years.
  • (b) The Chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading SIGCAS and managing its activities. The duties of the Chair are:
    1. Calling and presiding at SIGCAS's Executive Committee and business meetings;
    2. Conducting SIGCAS's activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM and serving as the SIGCAS representative to the ACM SIG Governing Board; and
    3. Making appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein; and
    4. Managing SIGCAS's finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring disbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.
  • (c) The duties of the Vice-Chair are: (d) The duties of the member-at-large are:
    1. Assisting the Chair in leading and managing SIGCAS; and
    2. Presiding at meetings when the Chair is absent.
  • (d) The duties of the member-at-large are:
    1. Assisting the Chair and Vice-Chair; and
    2. Performing other administrative duties as determined by the Executive Committee.

Article 5. The Executive Committee.

  • (a) The SIGCAS Executive Committee comprises the officers, the immediate Past Chair, and the Editor-in-Chief of Computers and Society. No person may hold two positions on the SIGCAS Executive Committee.
  • (b) The general duties of the SIGCAS Executive Committee will be to advise the Chair on all matters of interest to the SIGCAS. Specific duties or responsibilities may be specified in these Bylaws or assigned by the Chair. All the major management policy decisions of the SIGCAS must be approved by the SIGCAS Executive Committee.
  • (c) All members of, or candidates for, the SIGCAS Executive Committee must be voting Members of ACM and of SIGCAS.

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments.

  • (a) Should the Chair leave office before his/her term expires, the Vice-Chair will assume the duties of Chair. Should any other office or the position on the SIGCAS Executive Committee reserved for the Past Chair become vacant, the Chair of the SIG Governing Board may, on nomination of the SIGCAS Chair, fill the vacancy. Vacancies in positions appointed by the SIGCAS Chair may be filled according to the procedures for making the original appointments as provided herein.
  • (b) Should a vacancy be unfilled, either because of inadequacy of these bylaws or because of a dispute or for any other reason, the SIG Governing Board Chair may fill it.
  • (c) 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.

Article 7. Publications.

  • (a) SIGCAS will publish Computers and Society online at regular intervals as determined by its Executive Committee. All SIGCAS members will have access to both current and archived online content. Subscriptions to archived content and other publications may be sold to non-members.
  • (b) With the advice of the other officers, the Chair will appoint the Editor-in-Chief, who will become a member of the SIGCAS Executive Committee.
  • (c) The Editor-in-Chief is appointed for a three-year term beginning at the time of appointment.
  • (d) As resources permit, SIGCAS may publish other materials relevant to its purpose and scope, in online, digital, or printed format.

Article 8. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges.

  • (a) An eligible person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGCAS are determined by the SIGCAS Executive Committee with the approval of the Chair of the SIG Board.
  • (b) All members of SIGCAS may vote in any ballot conducted with SIGCAS. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of SIGCAS will, if necessary, be prorated downward so that their effective total cannot exceed 50% of the eligible vote.

Article 9. Reports and Records.

The SIGCAS Chair is responsible for filing reports about SIGCAS as required by the SIG Governing Board. These include:

  1. An annual report, due as specified by the SIG Governing Board, on the activities of SIGCAS during the previous year;
  2. All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM; and
  3. Closing reports on conferences and symposia (co)sponsored by SIGCAS as required by the ACM.

The membership records of SIGCAS will be maintained by ACM Headquarters.

Article 10. Elections.

  • (a) By September 30 the year preceeding each election year, if the SIG Governing Board has not exercised its option to extend the term of the SIG's current officers for an additional three years, the Chair will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least four consenting candidates for the three SIGCAS elected Executive Committee positions. The slate of candidates selected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the SIGCAS members by the following January 31.
  • (b) A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGCAS will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the nominating comittee Chair no later than March 15.
  • (c) 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 three candidates receiving the largest numbers of effective votes win membership on the SIGCAS Executive Committee. Once elected, the EC will chose the Chair and Vice-Chair from among its own members. The SIG Governing Board Executive Committee will resolve ties.

Article 11. Amendments.

  • (a) These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the ACM Executive Committee, or by a vote of the SIGCAS members as provided below. With the approval of the SIGCAS Executive Committee and of the Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all members of the SIG Board may amend these bylaws without a referendum of the members.
  • (b) Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the SIGCAS Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGCAS. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chair of the SIG Board and by the Constitution & 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 procedures of the ACM for voting bylaw amendments, unless a different procedure has been approved by the SIG Governing Board Executive Committee. The proposal is adopted only if at least 2/3 of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, and only if at least 10% of the ballots are returned. The Secretary-Treasurer will send a clean copy of the amended bylaws to the Executive Director of the ACM and to the Chairman of the SIG Board.

Article 12. Dissolution.

Should SIGCAS be dissolved, its assets will be supervised by the SIG Board.

Article 13. Meetings.

SIGCAS will conduct at least one business meeting each year, which may be conducted in person, by telephone, or online. All meetings sponsored by SIGCAS must be open to all members of the ACM. SIGCAS may hold meetings only in places that are open to all classes of members of the ACM.

Article 14. 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 SIGCAS.