ACM chapters are charged with meeting the needs of their members, members of the Association, and members of the larger community in which they operate. ACM chapters are responsible for maintaining the frequency and quality of activity in the area they serve, and for identifying and promoting those activities of specific interest to their members.

ACM chapters also have responsibilities to the Association. ACM chapters must communicate with the Association; submit annual financial and activity reports; report changes in officers and contact information; and adhere to ACM policies concerning chapter membership, meeting sponsorship, and management of funds.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHAPTER OFFICERS

Most chapters have an executive council, which includes elected chapter officers, the past Chairperson and, in many cases, the chairpersons of the standing committees. The chapter's executive council is generally responsible for managing the chapter's affairs (with the exception of electing officers and amending bylaws). It is essential for the executive council to be open to the suggestions and feedback of the chapter membership, and should always be open to offers of help.

Upon assuming the office, all chapter officers should contact ACM Local Activities Coordinator to introduce him/herself, review chapter bylaws and policies and procedures, and review the events of the past year with his/her predecessors.

The Chapter Chairperson

The chapter Chairperson has the overall responsibility for developing chapter programs, for ensuring that plans and assignments are carried out, and for seeing that the chapter fulfills its obligations to the Association. The Chairperson should be familiar with the policies and procedures of the Association, with the chapter's bylaws, and with the duties of all the other chapter officers and committee chairpersons.

The newly-elected Chairperson should schedule an executive committee meeting which includes the outgoing officers as well. At that time, the Chairperson may want to schedule executive council meetings for the entire year. Keep in mind the advantages of scheduling the meeting at the same time each month.

Before getting too far along in the chapter's year, the Chairperson should do the following: appoint or establish nominating committee according to bylaws for next year's elections; communicate activities of the chapter to the local membership (many chapter chairpersons write a column in the chapter newsletter); set audit procedures in motion at year end for financial records turnover; and plan a budget with the chapter Treasurer, to be reviewed and approved by the entire executive council.

If the chapter's area includes other local ACM groups, the Chairperson should contact the appropriate chairpersons and suggest a meeting. At the meeting, the chairpersons should discuss the possibilities for cooperative efforts, such as joint meetings, reciprocal advertising agreements, the sharing of membership lists, and planning of lecture tours. They should also discuss meeting times to ensure that one group's meetings do not conflict with meetings of other ACM chapters in the area.

One of the most important duties of the chapter Chairperson is finding enthusiastic and qualified members to serve as committee chairpersons. The Chairperson should strive to bring new people into the committee structure to provide training for future chapter leaders. The job of chapter chairperson will be much more enjoyable and (much less exhausting) once responsible and reliable volunteers are found to take on various duties. It is strongly recommended that the chapter chairperson take the time at general meetings to acknowledge those chapter volunteers whose help has been valuable. This positive feedback and public recognition of good works is often just the encouragement an active volunteer needs to commit to a longer-term leadership position in the chapter in future years.

The Chapter Vice Chairperson

The chapter Vice Chairperson should be prepared to assume the office of Chairperson or temporarily act in that position at any time. The Vice Chairperson should be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson, and of the other elected officers and committee chairpersons.

The Vice Chairperson can be an integral component of the chapter's operation. In most cases, the Vice Chairperson is responsible for overseeing the activities and progress of the various committee and chapter programs.

The Chapter Secretary
(This position may be combined with the chapter treasurer's responsibilities)

The ongoing responsibilities of the Chapter Secretary include:
1. Informing ACM Headquarters of the names and contact information of new officers and providing headquarters with updated membership lists;
2. Sending agenda to board members for executive board meetings and recording the minutes of such meetings;
3. Handling all chapter correspondence on a timely basis;
4. Maintaining chapter files for historical purposes;
5. Corresponding with headquarters regarding changes to the chapter's bylaws.

The Chapter Treasurer
(This position may be combined with the chapter secretary's responsibilities)

The chapter's financial management and operation are of great importance to the Association. The chapter Treasurer is responsible for the fiscal operation and reporting of the chapter, and of all committees and programs established by the chapter.

Upon assuming office, it is recommended that the Treasurer notify banks of signature change on accounts and verify that the ACM Chief Operating Officer has signature authority on all bank accounts.

The ongoing responsibilities of the chapter treasurer include:
1. Maintaining all chapter financial records and chapter checkbook;
2. Collecting money at meetings if applicable;
3. Filing mandatory annual financial report with headquarters;
4. Supplying appropriate budget report to the executive board of the chapter;
5. Reporting financial status to chapter;
6. Coordinating membership procedure and fee with membership chairperson.

The Chapter Program Chairperson

The program chairperson directs the activities of the program committee and oversees the management of chapter programs. This includes setting program dates, finding program leaders, chairing committee meetings for program planning, and assuring that all activities are executed properly. The program chairperson should find responsible chapter volunteers to serve on the program committee, and should direct and oversee the committee functions rather than perform them, whenever possible.

Responsibilities of the Program Chairperson include:

1. Setting tentative dates for monthly meetings, being careful not to schedule meetings on national or religious holidays, or in conflict with meetings of other groups (i.e., DPMA, ACM, IEEE/CS, etc.);

2. Identifying potential special meeting themes, such as spouse night, manager's night, joint meetings with other ACM chapters or professional organizations;

3. Compiling a list of topics of interest to the chapter, and finding available speakers to those topics;

4. Following appropriate steps when working with a speaker/lecturer:
a) Ask the speaker to send a brief synopsis of the topic and a personal biographical sketch for publicity purposes.
b) Find out what audio-visual aids are required.
c) Make overnight accommodations and arrange local transportation
d) Write a follow-up letter confirming arrangements.
e) After the meeting, send a letter thanking the speaker for his presentation. Follow up on speaker expenses to make sure they are paid in a reasonable period of time.

5. Keeping records of all speakers who address the chapter, and the chapter's reaction to the speaker and topic;

The Chapter Activities Chairperson

The Activities Chairperson is responsible for most chapter activities not directly related to chapter meeting programs. In many chapters, these responsibilities are combined with those of the education chairperson.

The duties of an Activities Chairperson will vary dramatically from chapter to chapter, depending on the chapter's size, budget, and interests. The Activities Chairperson is generally responsible for serving as liaison to other ACM chapters in the area, to local college and university computer-related departments, to high school computer clubs, and to non-ACM computer related organizations.

In addition, the Activities Chairperson can be instrumental in encouraging the formation of technical focus groups within the chapter, many of which may evolve into officially recognized ACM Local SIGs. These groups help the chapter, the Association, and the community by providing educational and professional development opportunities of a specific technical scope.

The Activities Chairperson may also be responsible for a number of other activities, including, but not limited to:

1. Coordinating an award's program, with Chapter awards for outstanding contributions to the chapter, student paper competitions, or other criteria of special significance to your chapter's area (the chairperson should contact the ACM awards committee of the External Activities Board before initiating any awards program);
2. Planning community service activities, including assistance to local scout groups, career guidance counseling for high school or college students, and donation of ACM publications to local libraries;
3. Organizing a local speaker's bureau, seminars or programming contests for local high school and college students;
4. Administering a scholarship fund for computer science students at local colleges and universities. (A complete list of those colleges and universities with ACM Student Chapters is available here).

The Chapter Arrangements Chairperson

The Arrangements Chairperson will work closely with the Program Chairperson, and is generally responsible for the smooth operation of chapter meetings and activities. An uncanny ability for troubleshooting and a keen sense of follow-through are essential for this position.

Responsibilities of the chapter Arrangements Chairperson include:

1. Arranging facility requirements for events such as monthly meetings, executive board meetings, and professional development seminars;
2. Compiling a list of area schools, corporations, and restaurants which have meeting facilities available;
3. Selecting menus, and arrange social hour; and
4. Arranging for video equipment, screen, and extension cord, and checking sound arrangements, room layout and seating.

Facilities arrangements should be coordinated with the Chairpersons of the Program and Education Committees. Chapter members can enlist the help of their employers in obtaining audio-visual equipment, clerical service, printing, and other assistance.

The Chapter Publications Chair

The chapter Publications Chair is normally responsible for printed and online publication of chapter information, announcements, brochures, event posters, and the newsletter. A publications committee is typically composed of a volunteer editor, business manager, and webmaster. The editor is responsible for the format, content and layout of each copy of the newsletter and other publications and for getting the copy in a draft for the printer. The business manager is responsible for obtaining the necessary finances for publishing each issue. The webmaster is responsible for the online version of chapter information.

Responsibilities of the Publications Chair include:

1. Distributing any printed publication and meeting announcements;
2. Composing write-up of last month's speaker;
3. Maintaining contact with other local professional organizations by exchanging newsletters;
4. Compiling printing estimates and post office account information; and
5. Working with publicity to contact potential sponsors;

The Chapter Publicity Chairperson

Publicity is one of the most important ingredients of a successful chapter and should focus on educating chapter members and the local community about chapter activities and the greater ACM. The publicity efforts of many chapters can be subdivided into the following areas:

1. Monthly mailings to chapter members and friends;
2. Liaison with other computer societies;
3. Major publicity efforts for the Professional Development Seminars;
4. Publicity booths at local conferences; and
5. Publicity in local newspapers.

The Chapter Membership Chairperson

The Membership Chairperson is responsible for:

1. Coordinating membership procedures and fee with Treasurer;
2. Recruiting new members to ACM and contacting headquarters for promotional materials;
3. Maintaining chapter membership records and database, including member name, email, phone, fax number, address, company, dues payment, and ACM membership number;
4. Establishing a membership campaign, especially at renewal time; and
5. Working to set up corporate membership and institutional sponsorship programs when possible; and communicating with the Local Activities Coordinator about renewal trends.

The Chapter Education Chairperson

The duties of the Education Chairperson involve the promotion of education activities, like Professional Development Seminars and lecturers at universities and schools.

The Education Chairperson should read carefully the ACM Professional Development Seminar Handbook. Professional development seminars (PDS) are an excellent means of providing educational benefits to a local geographical area. While they are not the only educational activity conducted by chapter, they are some of the most visible activities. The Education Chairperson should work closely with the Program Chairperson to incorporate professional development into the monthly meeting schedule.

Some chapters, in addition to their monthly meetings, sponsor monthly lectures on advanced computing topics where in-depth technical presentations are held on an informal basis. Other chapters offer semester long classes on special topics.