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

Adopted: 12/1/79
Amended: 7/31/80

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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. 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 of the ACM and subunits 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 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. Officers

1. The Group'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 the Group and managing its activities. The duties of the Chairman 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 duties of the Vice-Chairman are:
   1. Assisting the Chairman in leading and managing the Group; 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 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.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee comprises the officers, the Past Chairman, the Editor of the Group's newsletter, and 3 members at large elected from the Group membership. 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 the Group. Specific duties or responsibilities may be specified in these Bylaws or assigned by the Chairman. All major management policy decisions of the Group must be approved by the Executive Committee.

3. All members of, or candidates for, the Executive Committee must be voting members of ACM and of the SIG.

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments.

1. Should the Chairman leave office before his term expires, the Vice-Chairman will assume the duties of the Chairman. Should any other office or the position on the Executive Committee reserved for the Past Chairman of the Group become vacant, the Chairman of the SIG Board may, on nomination of the Chairman of the Group, 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. Vacancies in the members at large positions to the Executive Committee will be filled by the SIG Board on nomination of the Chairman of the Group.

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. Appointees, however, will continue to serve until a successor is appointed by the new chairman.

Article 7. The Newsletter

1. The Group will publish a 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 Chairman will appoint the Editor of the newsletter, who will become a member of the Group's Executive Committee.

Article 8. Technical Committees

1. Technical Committees (TECs) are subunits of the Group, established to facilitate management of activities in a subspecialty of the Group. The activities of a TEC may include (but are not limited to) the following:
   1. Providing information or guidance for the official ACM (or Group) 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 the Group; (2) a budget for the first year's operation; (3) a set of approved bylaws (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 Group, 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 Group chairman appoints the TEC Chairman who in turn appoints the other officers subject to the approval of the Group's Chairman. Only a person who is both a voting member of ACM and a full member of the Group may be a candidate for, or hold office in a TEC.

   3. Finances.
      Members of the Technical Committee will pay dues, as determined by the Group's Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board. Finances of each TEC are supervised by the Group 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 the Group. This budget will be incorporated in a composite budget for the SIG. Final approval of the TEC budget is contingent on approval of the composite Group 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 the Group'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 the Group.

Article 9. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges.

1. SIGSOFT is a restricted SIG as defined in Section 6 of Bylaw 6. Membership in the Group is open to any member of the ACM, or to any person whose major professional allegiance is outside the computing field.

2. An eligible person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for the Group and its TECs are determined by the Group's Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board. All dues, and any fees for activities and services of the Group (or its TECS) must be lower for members of the ACM. TECs may likewise offer lower rates for members of the Group. TEC membership alone does not include any reduced fees or subscription rates for SIG activities or publications.

3. All members of the Group (or any TEC) may vote in any ballot conducted with the Group (TEC). On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of the Group (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.

The Group's Chairman is responsible for filing reports about the Group 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 the Group and its TECs 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 the Group or any of its TECs, as required by the ACM.

The membership records of the Group and its TECs 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 the Group, and at least 5 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 the following January 31.

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.

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. For the members at large positions, the three candidates with the most votes win. The SIG Board will resolve ties.

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 SIG Board, 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 Chairmen of both the SIG Board and the Constitution & Bylaws Committee of 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.

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

Article 14. Meetings.

The Group 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.