About Governance

A Dedicated and Agile Leadership Guides ACM

ACM encourages its members to take a direct hand in shaping the future of the association. This philosophy permeates every level of ACM, reaching to the top echelons of leadership where members fill vital positions on the councils, boards and committees that govern the organization and raise the visibility of ACM worldwide.

The association’s highest governing authority, the ACM Council, comprises 16 ACM members. Five of these members form the Executive Committee, which includes ACM’s President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, immediate Past President, and the Special Interest Group Governing Board (SGB) Chair. The President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer are elected office and each has a term of two years. The remaining spots on the Council include three SGB representatives, the Publications Board Chair, and seven at‐large members, each of whom serves a four‐year term.

Global Leadership on Critical Computing Issues

Establishment of the ACM Council put in place a leadership structure to govern the association’s internal activities. ACM has also worked tirelessly to establish its position as a leader in the greater computer science community through the creation of geographically distributed councils in India, Europe, and China. These councils strive to increase awareness of ACM and its wide range of regional activities, from high‐quality conferences to logistical support to help increase the number of professional and student chapters worldwide.

ACM has also led the way in supporting computing professionals through the creation of four boards which work together to manage ACM’s products and services. Composed of numerous volunteer committees and subgroups, these boards aim to maximize the benefit of ACM’s offerings for students, educators, and the vast number of researchers and practitioners at work around the globe. 

  • Publications Board has direct responsibility for the production and management of all ACM publications.
  • Education Board develops computer curricula for all educational levels and provides self‐assessment procedures, home study courses, and professional development TechTalks.
  • Practitioners Board focuses on products and services that support and enhance the professional and technical development of practicing computing professionals.
  • Special Interest Group (SIG) Governing Board oversees ACM’s 37 SIGs, each of which set their own dues, write and edit their own newsletters, and elect their own officers.

Exerting Influence in Public Policy and Diversity

Drawing on its six decades of experience, ACM has moved to the forefront in helping to shape public policy worldwide. In this country, the ACM U.S. Public Policy Council assists policymakers and the public in understanding information technology issues and advancing a policy framework that supports innovation in computing and related disciplines. Additionally, ACM’s councils in India, Europe, and China work toward these same goals, fostering informed policy decisions that will benefit researchers and practitioners as well as the society at large.

Working in tandem with these regional councils, The ACM Women's Committee (ACM‐W) takes an active role in advocating internationally for the full engagement of women in all aspects of computing. With chapters in each of these geographical areas, ACM‐W promotes the formation of new chapters, publicizes the ACM‐W scholarship program, and develops additional local activities.