ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGEVO

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

  • Adopted: June 15, 2006

Article 1. Name and Scope

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation ("SIGEVO") 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 genetic and evolutionary computation, including all aspects of its 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 genetic and evolutionary computation and in furtherance thereof.
  2. The organization 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 this group at national and regional meetings of the ACM and at other special meetings organized by this Group.
    3. Providing guidance to the ACM Council on matters of importance to the Group.
    4. 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 Executive Committee

  1. The Group is governed by an eighteen-member Executive Committee elected directly by the membership.  The general duties of the Executive Committee are 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. Each Member of the Executive Committee serves a six-year term, with one third of the Executive Committee elected in odd-numbered years. 
  2. The Group's officers are the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.  The officers are elected for two-year terms by the Executive Committee from among its Members. 
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. The duties of the Secretary are:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of the Group;
    2. Notifying the Executive Committee of the time, place and agenda of its meetings and likewise notifying Group members of business meetings; and
    3. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of the Group.
  6. The duties of the Treasurer are:
    1. 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.

Article 5. Vacancies and Appointments

  1. Should the Chair leave office before his or her term expires, the Vice-Chair will assume the duties of the Chair. Should any other Officer or Executive Committee position become vacant, the Chair of the Group may appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the original term.
  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 Governing 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.

Article 6. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges

  1. 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 Governing Board.
  2. All members of the Group may vote in any ballot conducted with the Group.

Article 7. Reports and Records

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

  1. An annual report, due as specified by the SIG Governing Board, on the activities of SIGEVO 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 the Group as required by the ACM.

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

Article 8. 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 a slate of at least nine consenting candidates for the six open positions on the Executive Committee.  Nominees must be members of SIGEVO and members of the ACM. 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 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 Governing Board Executive Committee will resolve ties.

Article 9. Operation of Conferences and Workshops

  1. The Group shall operate an annual conference in accordance with a set of procedures set forth in "GECCO Conference Operations."  Modifications to those procedures may be made at any time by two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee. 
  2. The Group shall operate a biennial workshop. Proposals for the Chair of the workshop, the place, and the dates will be invited by the Executive Committee, and the workshop will be held as long as acceptable proposals are received.  The workshop Chair is responsible for organizing and operating the workshop within the ACM SIG guidelines.

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 two 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 10(b), i and ii.
  2. The proposed amendment shall be reviewed, prior to the distribution of ballots referred to in Article 11(d) below, by the Chairs of both the SIG Governing 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 Governing Board. The proposal is adopted only if at least two-thirds of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, provided at least 10% of the ballots are returned. The Secretary will send a clean copy of the amended Bylaws to the Executive Director of ACM and to the Chair of the SIG Governing 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 ACM members.

Article 13. Consistency

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