ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGSAC

BYLAWS of SIGSAC, the Special Interest Group on Security, Audit, and Control of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

  • Adopted: January 6, 2005

Article 1. Name and Scope.

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Security, Audit, and Control ("SIGSAC") of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM").
  2. The scope of SIGSAC's specialty is information security, including security, audit, privacy, information assurance, and control of information systems.

Article 2. Purpose.

SIGSAC 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 conference proceedings;
  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.

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

Article 4. Officers.

  1. SIGSAC's officers are the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, and the Secretary-Treasurer. The officers are elected for two-year terms beginning July 1 of odd-numbered years.
  2. The Chairman is the principal officer and is responsible for leading SIGSAC and managing its activities. The duties of the Chairman are:
    1. Calling and presiding at SIGSAC's Executive Committee and business meetings;
    2. Conducting SIGSAC's activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM; and
    3. Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein.
    4. Serving as Steering Committee chair for all SIGSAC sponsored conferences, or delegating this responsibility to others.
  3. The duties of the Vice-Chairman are:
    1. Assisting the Chairman in leading and managing SIGSAC; and
    2. Presiding at meetings when the Chairman is absent.
  4. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer are:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGSAC;
    2. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of SIGSAC; and
    3. Managing SIGSAC'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.

Article 5. The Executive Committee.

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

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments.

  1. Should the Chairman leave office before his/her term expires, the Vice-Chairman will assume the duties of Chairman. Should any other office or the position on the SIGSAC Executive Committee reserved for the Past Chairman become vacant, the Chairman of the SIG Board may, on nomination of the SIGSAC Chairman, fill the vacancy. Vacancies in positions appointed by the SIGSAC Chairman 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 Chairman's term of office expires. Appointees, however, will continue to serve until a successor is appointed by the new Chairman.

Article 7. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges.

  1. An eligible person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGSAC are determined by the SIGSAC Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board.
  2. All members of SIGSAC may vote in any ballot conducted with SIGSAC.

Article 8. Reports and Records.

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

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

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

Article 9. 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 Chairman will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of SIGSAC. The slate of candidates selected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the SIGSAC members by the following January 31.
  2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGSAC will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of SIGSAC 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 majority vote of the ACM Executive Committee, or by a vote of the SIGSAC members as provided below. With the approval of the SIGSAC 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 SIGSAC Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGSAC. 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 11. Dissolution.

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

Article 12. Meetings.

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