ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGITE

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

  • Adopted: July 1, 2003

  • Amended: December 23, 2008

Article 1. Name and Scope

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group for Information Technology Education ("SIGITE") of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM").
  2. The scope of SIGITE's specialty is to provide a forum for the interaction of practitioners, educators and others in the field of Information Technology Education to exchange ideas and engage in activities that advance the knowledge of its members, the curriculum and teaching of Information Technology and the development and transfer of innovative concepts and applications in teaching and pedagogy.

Article 2. Purpose

SIGITE is organized and will operate exclusively for educational, scientific, and technical purposes in its specialty. Its services will include:

  1. Provide a forum for exchange of ideas among interested educators, practitioners and others in the field of information technology.
  2. Pursue formal or informal affiliation and cooperation with other organizations for the advancement of the SIG and its interests.
  3. Promote and facilitate the sharing of ideas, standards, curriculum and experiences between the SIG and other societies and individuals for the promotion of information technology education.
  4. Conduct workshops, conferences, and/or other meetings to advance both the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice in information technology and information technology education.
  5. Publish and distribute among its members and others communications such as newsletters, proceedings, standards proposals and/or other appropriate material approved by the Publications Board of the ACM.

Article 3. Charter

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

Article 4. Officers and Board of Directors

  1. SIGITE's officers are the Chair, Vice-Chair and the Secretary/Treasurer. The officers are elected for three-year terms beginning July 1 of 2009.
  2. The Chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading SIGITE and managing its activities. The duties of the Chair include:
    1. Calling and presiding at SIGITE's Executive Committee and business meetings;
    2. Conducting SIGITE'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 SIGITE; and
    2. Presiding at meetings when the Chair is absent.
    3. Coordinates program activities, including Group meetings and conferences
  4. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer are:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGITE and other duties as assigned by the Chair; and;
    2. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of SIGITE.
    3. Managing SIGITE's finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring SIGITE's disbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee is comprised of the officers, Past Chair, Vice-Chair for Education, three Regional representatives and an International representative. No person may hold two positions on the Executive Committee simultaneously.
    1. The Vice-Chair for Education, the three Regional representatives and the International representative are appointed to three-year terms by the Chair.
  2. The general duties of the Executive Committee will be to advise the Chair on all matters of interest to SIGITE. The Executive Committee must approve all the major management policy decisions of SIGITE.
  3. The Past Chair is the Chair of the immediately preceding term and serves in this capacity for the three-year term succeeding his/her tenure. The Past Chair serves to provide continuity of SIGITE direction by informing the Executive Committee on past policy and budgetary matters.
  4. The duties of the Vice-Chair for Education are:
    1. Coordinates education services, including model curriculum development and accreditation activities
  5. The duties of the Regional and International representatives are:
    1. Helping to develop regional initiatives.
    2. Communicating regional issues to the Executive Committee.
  6. All members of, or candidates for, the Executive Committee must be voting Members of ACM and of the SIG.
  7. The Extended Executive Committee serves to advise the Chair on matters of interest to SIGITE. Policy decisions do not require approval of the Extended Executive Committee.
    1. The Extended Executive Committee consists of:
      1. The Executive Committee
      2. The Editor of the SIGITE newsletter
      3. Chairs of the SIGITE Committees
    2. All members of the Extended Executive Committee must be members of SIGITE and ACM.

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments

  1. Should the Chair leave office before his/her term expires, the Vice-Chair will assume the duties of Chair.
  2. Should any other elected office become vacant, the Chair, with the approval of the SGB EC Chairman, may appoint an eligible individual to fill the vacancy.
  3. The SIGITE Chair may fill vacancies in appointed offices in accordance with the procedures for making the original appointments as provided herein.
  4. Should a vacancy remain unfilled, the SGB EC may fill it as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.
  5. All appointments expire when the Chair term of office expires. However, appointees continue to serve until the new Chair appoints a successor.
  6. A 2/3's majority of the Executive Committee is required to revoke an appointment.

Article 7. The Newsletter

  1. SIGITE will publish a newsletter at regular intervals as determined by the Executive Committee. The newsletter will be distributed to all SIGITE's members. Newsletter subscriptions may be sold to non-members.
  2. With the advice of the other officers, the Chair will appoint the Editor of the newsletter, who will become a member of SIGITE's Extended Executive Committee.

Article 8. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges

  1. A person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGITE are determined by SIGITE's Executive Committee with the approval of the Chair of the SGB EC. The dues shall be consistent with ACM bylaws.
  2. All members of SIGITE may vote in any ballot conducted with SIGITE. The counting of the votes and the definition of effective votes shall be consistent with Bylaw 6.

Article 9. Reports and Records

  1. The Chair is responsible for filing reports about SIGITE as required by ACM and the SGB EC.
  2. The membership records of SIGITE will be maintained by ACM Headquarters.

Article 10. Elections

  1. By September 15 of the year preceding each election, the Chair will appoint a nominating committee, which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of SIGITE. The slate of candidates selected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the SIGITE membership by the following January 31.
  2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGITE will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary of SIGITE no later than March 15.
  3. ACM Headquarters will conduct an election of the SIGITE membership in accordance with the election procedures approved by the ACM and SGB EC. Of all the ballots returned in an election, the candidates receiving the largest numbers of effective votes win. The SGB EC will resolve ties.

Article 11. Amendments

  1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the ACM Executive Committee, or by a vote of SIGITE's members as provided below. With the approval of SIGITE's Executive Committee and of the Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all members of the SGB EC may amend Article 1 of these bylaws without a referendum of the members.
  2. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by SIGITE's Executive Committee, the SGB EC, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGITE. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chair of both the SGB EC and the Constitution & Bylaws Committee of ACM after the Executive Director of ACM has provided his advice.
  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 SGB EC. 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 will send a clean copy of the amended bylaws to the Executive Director of ACM and to the Chair of the SGB EC.

Article 12. Dissolution

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

Article 13. Meetings

  1. SIGITE will conduct at least one business meeting each year.
  2. Additional national, regional or local business meetings may be convened by the Chair.
  3. All meetings sponsored by SIGITE must be open to all members of the ACM. SIGITE 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 SGB EC take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or internal policies of SIGITE.