ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGKDD

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery in Data of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

  • Adopted: June 10, 1998

  • Amended: December 23, 2008

Article 1. Name and Scope

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery in Data ("SIGKDD") of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM").
  2. The scope of SIGKDD's specialty is knowledge discovery in data.

Article 2. Purpose

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

  1. Collecting and disseminating information in the specialty, through a newsletter and other publications approved by the Publications Board of the ACM;
  2. Organizing sessions at conferences of the ACM;
  3. Sponsoring conferences, symposia, and workshops;
  4. Organizing working groups for education, research, and development;
  5. Serving as a source of technical information for the Council and other units of the ACM;
  6. Serving as an external technical representative of the ACM when authorized by the Council or the Executive Committee of the ACM; and
  7. Working with other units of the ACM on technical activities such as lectureships or professional development seminars.

Article 3. Charter

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

Article 4. Officers

  1. SIGKDD's officers are the Chair, the Secretary-Treasurer/Director and Directors. The officers 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 SIGKDD and managing its activities. The duties of the Chair are:
    1. Calling and presiding at SIGKDD's Executive Committee and business meetings;
    2. Conducting SIGKDD'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 Secretary-Treasurer are:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGKDD;
    2. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of SIGKDD; and
    3. Managing SIGKDD's finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring reimbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

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

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments

  1. Should the Chair leave office before his/her term expires, the Principal Director whom the Chair appoints will assume the duties of Chair. Should any other office become vacant, the Chair of the SIG Board may, on nomination of the SIGKDD Chair, fill the vacancy. Vacancies in positions appointed by the SIGKDD Chair may be filled according to the procedures for making the original appointments as provided herein.
  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 Chairman may fill it.
  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 7. The Newsletter

  1. SIGKDD will publish a newsletter at regular intervals as determined by its Executive Committee. The newsletter will be distributed to all SIGKDD 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.

Article 8. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges

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

Article 9. Reports and Records

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

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

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

Article 10. Elections

  1. By September 30 of each even-numbered year, if the SIG Board has not exercised its option to extend the term of the SIG's current officers for an additional two years, the Chair will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for the offices of Chair and Secretary-Treasurer and at least seven candidates for the six Board of Director positions. The six candidates receiving the most votes will constitute the Board of Directors. The slate of candidates selected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the SIGKDD members by the following January 31.
  2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGKDD will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Chair of the Nominating Committee no later than March 15.
  3. Upon expiration of his/her term, the past chair automatically becomes a voting member of the SIG executive committee until the next election, unless at least 66% of the newly elected EC vote against it.
  4. 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 11. Amendments

  1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the ACM Executive Committee, or by a vote of the SIGKDD members as provided below. With the approval of the SIGKDD Executive Committee and of the Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all members of the SIG Board may amend Article 1 of these bylaws without a referendum of the members.
  2. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the SIGKDD Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGKDD. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chairman of the SIG Board and by the Constitution & Bylaws Committee of ACM, after the Executive Director of ACM has provided 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 SIG Board. 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 SIGKDD be dissolved, its assets will be supervised by the SIG Board.

Article 13. Meetings

SIGKDD will conduct at least one business meeting each year. All meetings sponsored by SIGKDD must be open to all members of the ACM. SIGKDD 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 SIGKDD.