ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGSIM

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on Simulation and Modeling(SIGSIM) of the Association for Computing Machinery

  • Adopted 1981

  • Amended July 22, 2009

Article 1. Name and Scope

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Simulation and Modeling (SIGSIM) of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM"); it will be referred to herein as "the Group".
  2. The scope of SIGSIM specialty is development and dissemination of theory, methodology and applications related to modeling and simulation.

Article 2. Purpose

The group 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 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 sub-units of the ACM;
  6. Serving as an external technical representative of the ACM when authorized by the Council or Executive Committee of the ACM; and
  7. Working with sub-units of the ACM on technical activities such as lectureships or professional development seminars.

Article 3. Charter

SIGSIM will exist until dissolved by the Council of the ACM as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.

Article 4. Officers

  1. SIGSIM 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 SIGSIM and managing its activities. The duties of the Chairman are:
    1. Calling and presiding at SIGSIM Executive Committee and business meetings;
    2. Conducting SIGSIM activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM;
    3. Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein;
  3. The duties of the Vice-Chairman are:
    1. Assisting the Chairman in leading and managing SIGSIM; 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 SIGSIM;
    2. Managing SIGSIM's finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring SIGSIM's disbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

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

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments

  1. Should the Chairman leave office before his term expires, the Vice-Chairman will assume the duties of Chairman. Should any other office or the position on the Executive Committee reserved for the Past Chairman of SIGSIM become vacant, the Chairman of the SIG Board may, on nomination of the Chairman of SIGSIM, fill the vacancy. The Chairman may fill vacancies in offices he has appointed 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 may fill it (as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM).
  3. All appointments expire automatically when the Chairman's term of office expires.

Article 7. The Newsletter

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

Article 8. Technical Committees.

  1. Technical Committees (TECs) are subunits of SIGSIM, established to facilitate management of activities in a subspecialty of SIGSIM. The activities of a TEC may include (but are not limited to) the following:
    1. Providing information or guidance for the official ACM (or SIGSIM) representatives to any development groups or standardization committees involved with the subspecialty.
    2. Developing tutorial papers.
    3. Holding meetings to disseminate and exchange information about the subspecialty.
  2. Membership. Membership in a TEC is open to anyone. TEC membership does not confer any form of SIG membership or any of the privileges of SIG membership.
  3. Formation. A majority of the SIG Executive Committee, including at least two of the officers, may petition the SIG Board for approval of a TEC. A proposal for a TEC must include (1) a petition from at least 50 persons, twenty-five of whom must be voting Members of ACM and also members of SIGSIM; (2) a budget for the first year's operation; (3) a set of approved by-laws (see section 8.d.i); and (4) nominations of two persons who consent to be the TEC's Chairman. The petition will include a statement of the technical scope and objectives of the proposed TEC.
  4. Structure of a Technical Committee.
    1. Bylaws.
      Each TEC shall have a set of bylaws. These bylaws and all amendments proposed thereto must be approved by the Chairman of SIGSIM, the SIG Board, and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
    2. Officers.
      A Technical Committee may have elected or appointed officers, as specified in its Bylaws. If the officers are to be appointed, the SIGSIM chairman appoints the TEC Chairman who in turn appoints the other officers subject to the approval of SIGSIM's Chairman. Only a person who is both a voting Member of ACM and a full member of SIGSIM may be a candidate for, or hold office in a TEC.
    3. Finances.
      Members of the Technical Committee will pay dues, as determined by SIGSIM's Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board. Finances of each TEC are supervised by SIGSIM in accordance with the financial accountability policy. Each TEC is required to prepare an annual budget, which must be approved by the Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of SIGSIM. This budget will be incorporated in a composite budget for the SIG. Final approval of the TEC budget is contingent upon approval of the composite SIGSIM budget by the SIG Board. Expenditures and handling of money outside the approved TEC budget must be approved by the TEC's Chairman and be approved by SIGSIM's Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer.
    4. Dissolution of a Technical Committee.
      Dissolution of a TEC is covered by Section 11 of Bylaw 6. In the case of dissolution, the assets and liabilities of the TEC are combined with those of SIGSIM.

Article 9. Membership, Dues and Voting Privileges.

  1. SIGSIM is an open SIG as defined in Section 6 of Bylaw 6 of the ACM. Anyone may join the SIG.
  2. A person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGSIM are determined by SIGSIM's Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board. In addition to the SIG dues, the non-ACM members of the SIG will be assessed annually a surcharge equal to 1/3 the dues set for membership in the ACM, rounded to the next highest dollar. All dues, and any fees for activities and services of SIGSIM must be lower for members of the ACM. TEC membership alone does not include any reduced fees or subscription rates for SIG activities or publications.
  3. All members of SIGSIM (or any TEC) may vote in any ballot conducted with SIGSIM. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of SIGSIM (TEC) will, if necessary, be prorated downward so that their effective total cannot exceed 50% of the eligible votes; when it applies, the proration factor will be specified on the ballot.

Article 10. Reports and Records

SIGSIM's Chairman is responsible for filing reports about SIGSIM and all its TECs as required by the SIG Board. These include:

  1. An annual report, due in February of each year, on the activities of SIGSIM and its TEC during the previous calendar year;
  2. All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM; and
  3. Closing reports on conferences and symposia (co)sponsored by SIGSIM or any of its TECs, as required by the ACM. The membership records of SIGSIM will be maintained by ACM Headquarters.

Article 11. Elections

  1. By September 30 of each even-numbered year, the Chairman will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of SIGSIM. The slate of candidates elected by the nominating Committee must be presented to all the SIGSIM members by the following January 31.
  2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGSIM will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of SIGSIM 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 number of effective votes win. The SIG Board will resolve ties.
  4. The chairmen of SIGSIM's Technical Committees may select one of their number to represent them on the Executive Committee.

Article 12. Amendments

  1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Council, or by vote of SIGSIM's members as provided below. With the approval of SIGSIM's Executive Committee and 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 SIGSIM's Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition of 1% of the voting members of SIGSIM. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chairman of both the SIG Board and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of the 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 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 1/4 of the ballots are returned. The Secretary-Treasurer will send a clean copy of the amended Bylaws to the Executive Director of ACM and to the Chairman of the SIG Board.

Article 13. Dissolution

If SIGSIM should be dissolved, control of its assets will revert to the ACM. Should a TEC be dissolved, its assets and liabilities will be combined with the assets and liabilities of SIGSIM.

Article 14. Meetings

SIGSIM will conduct at least one business meeting each year, normally in conjunction with the annual Conference of the ACM. 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 members of the ACM.

Article 15. 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 the Group or any of its TECs.