ACM SIG Bylaws: SIGSOFT

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on SOFTWARE ENGINEERING of the Association for Computing Machinery

  • Adopted: 12/1/79

  • Amended: 7/31/80

  • Amended: 12/23/08

  • Amended: 6/30/09

Article 1. Name and Scope.

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Software Engineering ("SIGSOFT") 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 software engineering methods which are related to the design and construction of high-quality software systems. Topics of interest include programming techniques, methodologies for system design and implementation, debugging and testing, validation and verification, program portability, management of software development and specification techniques.

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 the ACM;
  2. Sponsoring conferences, symposia, and workshops;
  3. Organizing working groups for education, research, and development;
  4. Serving as a source of technical information for the Council of the ACM and subunits of the ACM;
  5. Serving as an external technical representative of the ACM when authorized by the Council or the Executive Committee of the ACM; and
  6. Working with subunits of the ACM on technical activities such as lectureships or professional development seminars.

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. Elected Officers

  1. The Group's elected officers are the Chair and the Vice-Chair. The officers are elected for three-year terms beginning July 1 after the completion of the terms of previously elected officers.
  2. The Chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading the Group and managing its activities. The primary 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.
  3. The primary duties of the Vice-Chair are:
    1. Assisting the Chair in leading and managing the Group;
    2. Presiding at meetings when the Chair is absent;and
    3. Managing the process of approving and scheduling conferences that involve the Group.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee comprises the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Past-Chair, the Editor of the Group's newsletter, four members at large elected from the Group membership, and any additional liaisons appointed by the Chair and approved by the elected members of the Executive Committee. No person may hold two positions on the Executive Committee.
  2. The voting members of the Executive Committee are the Chair, Vice-Chair, members elected at-large, and the Past Chair.
  3. The general duties of the Executive Committee will be 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 major management policy decisions of the Group must be approved by the Executive Committee.
  4. The Chair will appoint one of the at large members of the Executive Committee as Secretary-Treasurer. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer include:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of the Group:
    2. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of the Group; and
    3. 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.
  5. The liaisons are intended to represent constituencies of the Group that may not be effectively represented by the elective process.
  6. All members of, or candidates for, the Executive Committee must be voting members of ACM and of the Group.

Article 6. 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; the Executive Committee shall designate one of its elected members as the new Vice-Chair. Should any other elected member leave office before his or her term expires, the Chair of the SGB may, on nomination of the Chair of the Group, fill the vacancy. The Chair may fill vacancies in appointed officers according to the procedures for making the original appointments.
  2. Should a vacancy be unfilled, either because of inadequacy of these bylaws or because of a dispute or for any other reason, the SGB 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 7. The Newsletter

  1. The Group will publish a print and/or electronic newsletter at regular intervals as determined by the Executive Committee. The newsletter will be distributed to all the Group'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 the Group's Executive Committee.

Article 8. Conferences

  1. The Group will maintain an active conference schedule to ensure that its mission is properly achieved.
  2. Unless otherwise designated by the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall have primary responsibility for managing conference schedules, application for sponsorship and in-cooperation status, etc.
  3. Every ongoing conference sponsored or cosponsored by the Group shall have its own steering committee, which is responsible for ensuring that the conference is effectively run over time and for ensuring that the goals of the conference are consistent with those of the Group.
  4. A member of the Group’s Executive Committee must serve in an ex-officio role in every such steering committee.

Article 9. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges.

  1. SIGSOFT is a SIG as defined by ACM Bylaw 6.
  2. An eligible 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 SGB. All dues, and any fees for activities and services of the Group must not be higher for members of the ACM.
  3. All members of the Group may vote in any ballot conducted with the Group. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of the Group 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.

The Group's Chair is responsible for filing reports about the Group as required by the SGB. These include:

  1. An annual report on the activities of the Group;
  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 11. Elections.

  1. By September 30 of each year preceding an election, if the SIG Governing Board has not exercised its option to extend the term of the SIG's current officers for an additional three years, the Chair will appoint a nominating committee that will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of the Group, and at least six candidates for the members at large positions. The slate of candidates elected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the Group's members by January 31 of the election year.
  2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of the Group will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of the Group no later than March 15 of the election year.
  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 SGB. Of all the ballots returned in an election, the candidates receiving the largest numbers of effective votes win. For the members at large positions, the four candidates with the most votes win. The SGB will resolve ties.
  4. Elected officers and at large members may be re-elected to a second three-year term.
  5. No person shall be elected to a specific position (i.e., Chair, Vice-Chair, or at large) for more than two consecutive terms.
  6. No person shall serve in any elected position for more than four consecutive three-year terms.

Article 12. Amendments.

  1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Council, or by a vote of the Group's members as provided below. With the approval of the Group's Executive Committee and of the Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all the 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 Group's Executive Committee, the SGB, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of the Group. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chairs of both the SGB and the Constitution & Bylaws Committee of ACM after the Executive Director of ACM has provided his or her 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. 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 ACM and to the Chair of the SGB.

Article 13. Dissolution.

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

Article 14. Meetings.

The Group will conduct at least one business meeting each year, normally in conjunction with a conference sponsored or cosponsored by the Group. 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 SGB take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or internal policies of the Group.