Policy and Procedures, Part 1

SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP

1.1. Termination.

Members who become delinquent in the payment of dues and fees shall be treated in accordance with IEEE rules and procedures. In addition, members who breach the IEEE Code of Ethics shall be subject to sanctions as provided in the IEEE bylaws.

1.2. Resignation.

A member in good standing may resign by submitting a written resignation to the IEEE Secretary.

Subject to the rules and procedures of the IEEE, a resigned member may resume membership upon payment of the current dues, assessments, and fees, as appropriate. Continuity of membership may be obtained by payment of the dues and any assessments or fees pertaining to the lapsed period.

1.3. Dues and Fees. (amended 15 September 2011)

  1. Annual dues for Members and Student Members shall be set each year as part of the budget cycle. Any change in dues will require approval by two-thirds of all voting members of the Board of Governors.
  2. Annual dues for Affiliates shall be equal to those of Society Members, plus the Affiliate surcharge as set by the IEEE.
  3. Annual dues for special categories of members shall be the fees established by the IEEE for all special memberships in groups and societies.
  4. All other fees or assessments shall be set according to IEEE rules and procedures.

1.4. Member Discipline. (amended 15 September 2011)

A member of the Society is subject to the rules and procedures of the IEEE for any action that is determined to constitute a material violation of the Constitution, Bylaws, Policies, Operational Manual or Code of Ethics of the IEEE, or other conduct which is seriously prejudicial to the IEEE. Such discipline may take the form of expulsion, suspension, or censure for cause by the IEEE.

Persons under expulsion, or for the period of suspension by the IEEE, shall be denied the rights and privileges of membership in this Society.

SECTION 2. ORGANIZATION

2.1. Officer Position Descriptions. (approved 20 May 2006)

2.1.1. President. (amended 15 September 2011)

The duties of the President include the oversight of all activities of the Signal Processing Society, including but not limited to, awards, conferences, membership, publications, technical directions, strategic and long-range planning, etc.  The President is responsible for the TAB Five-Year Society Review and Publications Review with the assistance of the Vice Presidents. The President is responsible for enforcing the Society’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies, and ensuring that the Society is compliant with IEEE’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies.  The President is a member of the IEEE Technical Activities Board and represents the Society’s point of view.  The President is responsible for bringing IEEE and TAB issues that affect the Society’s operations to the Board of Governors’ attention.  The President acts as an ambassador for the Society at IEEE meetings or meetings of other organizations, representing the Society’s message as determined by its Board of Governors.

The President chairs the Society’s Board of Governors and Executive Committee. The President only votes on the Board if the vote is by secret ballot or unless the Chair’s vote can change the outcome of the vote . The President is an ex-officio, voting member on all Society Boards and Committees.

The President is responsible for making all nominations and appointments with the advice and consent of the cognizant Vice President or Technical Committee Chair for all liaison and joint Society, IEEE or non-IEEE activities.

2.1.2. President-Elect. (approved 20 May 2006)

The duties of the President-Elect include the oversight of strategic and long-range planning activities for the Society, by means of conference calls and in-person meetings of the Long-Range Planning and Implementation Committee; chairing the Board of Governors Long-Range Planning Retreat and chairing the annual Executive Committee Strategic Planning meeting;  preparing agendas and documentation for the retreats and tracking action items; assisting in the creation of the TAB Five-Year Society Review document; and representing the Society at IEEE meetings or meetings of other organizations on strategic and long-range planning activities or on other Society activities as requested by the President or by the Society’s Board of Governors.

The President-Elect chairs the TC Review Committee and acts as a liaison to the Board of Governors regarding all activities of this committee.

The President-Elect chairs the Long-Range Planning and Implementation Committee and acts as a liaison to the Board of Governors for all strategic and long-range planning activities; he/she serves on, and is a voting member of, the Society's Board of Governors and Executive Committee.

2.1.3. Vice President-Awards and Membership. (approved 20 May 2006)

The duties of the Vice President-Awards and Membership include the oversight of Society award activities and Distinguished Lecturer nominations; presentation of Society awards at the Society’s annual Awards Ceremony usually held in conjunction with the ICASSP conference; solicitation of nominations for IEEE Technical Field Awards, Best Paper Awards, Major Medals, or other awards given by IEEE or any of its organizational units in the areas of signal processing; solicitation of nominations for awards in the area of signal processing given by non-IEEE entities; solicitation of SPS Senior Members as candidates for nomination to IEEE Fellow grade; tracking membership trends; drafting strategic and long-term plans regarding the Society’s awards and membership activities for recommendation to the Board of Governors; overseeing the activities of the Society’s Chapter activities; assisting in the creation of the TAB Five-Year Society Review document; and representing the Society at IEEE meetings or meetings of other organizations on award and membership matters or as requested by the Society’s President or Board.

The Vice President-Awards and Membership chairs the Awards Board and acts as liaison to the Board of Governors for all award, chapter, fellow, distinguished lecturer, and membership activities; and serves on and is a voting member of the Society's Board of Governors and Executive Committee.

2.1.4. Vice President-Conferences. (approved 20 May 2006)

The duties of the Vice President-Conferences include management responsibility for all Society conference and workshop teams; identification of locations to propose future ICASSP, ICIP, and any other SPS-sponsored major conference locations; recommend policy to the Board of Governors in the area of management of the Society’s technical meetings and apply such policy on behalf of the Board of Governors; enforce IEEE policy as it applies to the Society’s technical meetings; creation of strategic and long-term plans for the Society’s technical meeting activities; assist in the creation of the TAB Five-Year Society Review document; and represent the Society at IEEE meetings or meetings of other organizations on conference matters or as requested by the Society’s President or Board.

The Vice President-Conferences chairs the Conference Board and acts as liaison to the Board of Governors for all technical meeting activity; he/she also serves on, and is a voting member of, the Society's Board of Governors and Executive Committee.  He/she also represents the Society to IEEE or to other organizations, on behalf of the Society, on matters concerned with the Society’s technical meetings.

2.1.5. Vice President-Finance. (approved 20 May 2006)

The duties of the Vice President-Finance include the preparation and forecasting of Society budgets as well as monitoring of the Society's expenses, surpluses, and investments.  The Vice President-Finance provides guidance to the Conference Board. Membership Board and Publications Board on matters concerning finances, including the Society’s membership fee; technical meeting registration prices, publication fees, page budgets, etc.

The Vice President-Finance also is responsible for the minutes of the Board of Governors and Executive Committee and assisting in the creation of the TAB Five-Year Society Review document.

The Vice President-Finance serves on, and is a voting member of, the Society's Board of Governors, Executive Committee, Conference Board, Membership Board and Publications Board.

2.1.6. Vice President-Publications. (amended 11 November 2009)

The duties of the Vice President-Publications include the oversight of Society publication activites; the identification and appointment (with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee) of Editors-in-Chief for the Society’s periodical journals, membership magazine, newsletter(s) or other magazines; management of the activities of the Editors-in-Chief; drafting strategic and long-term plans for the Society’s publications; oversight of financial matters pertaining to the Society’s publications such as page budgets; oversight of the Society's online maanuscripts submission interface; management of online and electronic publication initiatives; responsible for the creation of the TAB Five-Year Publications Review document and assisting in the creation of the TAB Five-Year Society Review document; assist in preparing of new periodical and publications/products proposals; represents the Society on the IEEE Panel of Editors; and represent the Society at IEEE meetings or meetings of other organizations for publication matters or as requested by the Society’s President or Board.

The Vice President-Publications chairs the Publications Board and acts as liaison to the Board of Governors for all publication matters; he/she serves on, and is a voting member of, the Society's Board of Governors and Executive Committee.

2.1.7. Vice President-Technical Directions. (approved 20 May 2006)

The duties of the Vice President-Technical Directions is to oversee the activities of the Society’s technical community, as embodied in its Technical Committees, in order to improve the Society’s technical profile within and outside IEEE; to assist the Society in identifying emerging technologies at the nexus of signal processing; assist in the creation of the TAB Five-Year Society Review document; and to proactively engage the Society’s members in strengthening the technical mission of the Society as defined in its Field of Interest.

The Vice President-Technical Directions is responsible for chairing the Technical Directions Board. He/she is an ex-officio member of all the Society’s Technical Committees and serves on, and is a voting member of the Society's Board of Governors and Executive Committee.

2.2. Member-at-Large Position Description. (approved 20 May 2006)

Members-at-Large are directly elected by the Society's membership to represent the member viewpoint in Board of Governors decision-making.  Members-at-Large typically review, discuss, and act upon a wide range of items affecting the actions, activities and health of the Society.

2.3. Regional Directors-at-Large Position Description. (approved 11 November 2009)

The duties of Regional Directors-at-Large are to:

  1. serve as non-voting members of Board of Governors;
  2. promote and foster local activities (such as conferences, meetings, social networking) and encourage new chapter development;
  3. represent their regions to the core of SPS;
  4. offer advices to improve membership relations, recruiting and service to their regions;
  5. guide and work with their corresponding chapters to serve their members; and
  6. assist Vice President-Awards and Membership in conducting chapter review.

2.4. Officer Incapacity and Vacancy

2.4.1. President.

An incapacity of the President that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the President may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the Board of Governors. During such incapacity, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President. If the President-Elect is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the President. In the event of a vacancy of the President, the President-Elect will succeed to the President position. An election will be held to nominate a new President-Elect.

2.4.2. President-Elect. (amended 15 September 2011)

An incapacity of the President-Elect that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the President-Elect may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the Past President shall assume the duties of the President-Elect. If the Past President is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the President-Elect. In the event of a vacancy of the President-Elect, the Board of Governors will hold an election to fill the vacancy.

2.4.3. Vice President-Awards and Membership.

An incapacity of the Vice President-Awards and Membership that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the Vice President-Awards and Membership may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the immediate Past Vice President-Awards and Membership shall assume the duties of the Vice President-Awards and Membership. If the immediate Past Vice President-Awards and Membership is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the Vice President-Awards and Membership. In the event of a vacancy of the Vice President-Awards and Membership, the Board of Governors will hold an election to fill the vacancy.

2.4.4. Vice President-Conferences.

An incapacity of the Vice President-Conferences that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the Vice President-Conferences may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the immediate Past Vice President-Conferences shall assume the duties of the Vice President-Conferences. If the immediate Past Vice President-Conferences is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the Vice President-Conferences. In the event of a vacancy of the Vice President-Conferences, the Board of Governors will hold an election to fill the vacancy.

2.4.5. Vice President-Finance.

An incapacity of the Vice President-Finance that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the Vice President-Finance may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the immediate Past Vice President-Finance shall assume the duties of the Vice President-Finance. If the immediate Past Vice President-Finance is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the Vice President-Finance. In the event of a vacancy of the Vice President-Finance, the Board of Governors will hold an election to fill the vacancy.

2.4.6. Vice President-Publications.

An incapacity of the Vice President-Publications that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the Vice President-Publications may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the immediate Past Vice President-Publications shall assume the duties of the Vice President-Publications. If the immediate Past Vice President-Publications is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the Vice President-Publications. In the event of a vacancy of the Vice President-Publications, the Board of Governors will hold an election to fill the vacancy.

2.4.7. Vice President-Technical Directions.

The Vice President-Technical Directions is encouraged to attend meetings of the Technical Committees, so he/she is knowledgeable of the issues/activities each group is encountering. Any support for travel to the Technical Committee meetings shall be strictly limited to that specifically detailed in the Policy and Procedures Manual. Travel approval is needed in advance by the Society President.

An incapacity of the Vice President-Technical Directions that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the Vice President-Technical Directions may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the immediate Past Vice President-Technical Directions shall assume the duties of the Vice President-Technical Directions. If the immediate Past Vice President-Technical Directions is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the Vice President-Technical Directions. In the event of a vacancy of the Vice President-Technical Directions, the Board of Governors will hold an election to fill the vacancy.

2.5. Past President.

An incapacity of the Past President that does not constitute a vacancy of office shall be determined by the Board of Governors, or by the Executive Committee, if the incapacity occurs at a time when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Board of Governors and there is a need for action. In addition, the Past President may declare a condition of incapacity and the duration thereof by written communication to the President. During such incapacity, the Senior Past President shall assume the duties of the Past President. If the Senior Past President is unavailable or incapacitated, the Board of Governors shall designate an individual to assume the duties of the Past President.

2.6. Officers-Elect.

In order to provide for orderly and informed turnover of Society business from an Officer to his/her successor, the Society shall have Officers-Elect. To accomplish this, elections for Officer positions, which terms are due to expire at the end of the Calendar Year, shall occur at the beginning of each year, by e-mail ballot, in sufficient time to be confirmed at the Spring Board of Governors meeting. The newly elected individual(s) shall then hold the position of Officer(s)-Elect for the duration of the term of the incumbent. Officers-Elect shall be informed of and welcome to attend and participate, ex-officio, without vote, in meetings of their corresponding boards, the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee.

2.7. Order of Business. (amended 15 September 2011)

An appropriate order of business for the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors shall be:

  • Roll Call
  • Approval of Agenda
  • Approval of Minutes or
  • Approval of Consent Agenda (includes minutes)
  • President’s Report
  • Vice President-Finance’s Report
  • Action Items
  • Discussion Items
  • Information Items
  • Report of the Officers
  • Other Reports
  • Old Business
  • New Business
  • Selection of Next Meeting Date
  • Adjournment.

Only those items considered to be non-controversial, and that are documented in the agenda materials distributed in advance of the meeting, may appear on the Consent Agenda. A single objection by a voting member of the Board of Governors shall be sufficient to move an item from the Consent Agenda to the Action Agenda.

2.8. Director-Membership Services Position Description. (approved 11 November 2009)

The Director-Membership Services shall be appointed by the Vice President-Awards and Membership with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. The duty is to identify value/benefit/services to members and recommend policy/mechanism for recruiting members. The Director or his/her designee is a non-voting ex-officio member of both the Conference and Publications Boards. He/she shall chair the Membership Services Committee, which consists of five members appointed by the Director with the advice and consent of the Membership Board.

2.9. Director-Industrial Relations Position Description. (approved 11 November 2009)

The Director-Industrial Relations shall be appointed by the Vice President-Awards and Membership with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. The duty is to identify value/benefit/services to attract/retain industrial members. The Director or his/her designee is a non-voting ex-officio member of both the Conference and Publications Boards. He/she shall chair the Industrial Relations Committee, which consists of five members appointed by the Director with the advice and consent of the Membership Board.

2.10. Director-Student Services Position Description. (approved 28 May 2011)

The Director-Student Services shall be appointed by the Vice President-Awards and Membership with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. The duty is to identify value/benefit/services to Student members and recommend policy/mechanism for recruiting Student members. The Director or his/her designee is a non-voting ex-officio member of the Conference Board. He/she shall chair the Student Services Committee, which consists of five members appointed by the Director with the advice and consent of the Membership Board.

2.11. Editor-In-Chief Position Description. (approved 20 May 2006)

Editor-in-Chief duties include the identification of associate editors to serve across the topical scope of the periodical journal, including special issue topics and guest editors; management of the day-to-day operations in Manuscript Central with the assistance of the Signal Processing Society's publications staff; identifying areas that require strengthening the scope of the Society and working with the Society and its technical committees to achieve that goal.

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for working with the Society's Vice President-Publications to create strategic and long-term plans for the publication they oversee. The Editor-in-Chief chairs the Editorial Board for the publication they oversee and serves on and is a voting member of the Society's Publications Board.

2.12. Removal of an Editor-in-Chief, Director or Technical Committee Chair. (amended 15 September 2011)

An Editor-in-Chief or Director (Industrial Relations, Membership Services or Student Services) of the Society may be removed, with or without cause, by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Executive Committee. An Editor-in-Chief or Director so removed shall be considered to be removed from all Society duties including, but not limited to, the Publications Board or Membership Board and the editorial board or committee he/she chairs.

A Technical Committee Chair of the Society may be removed as a member of that technical committee, with or without cause, by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Executive Committee. A Technical Committee Chair so removed shall be considered to be removed from all Society duties including, but not limited to, the Technical Directions Board, and the technical committee he/she chairs.

2.13. Removal of a Committee Member.

A member of a Society major board or committee may be removed as a member of that board or committee, with or without cause, by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the appointing body.

2.14. Removal of Representatives. A Signal Processing Society representative appointed to another IEEE organization or to an organization outside IEEE may be removed, with or without cause, by the Society President.

2.15. Chapter of the Year Award. (approved 15 September 2011). The IEEE Signal Processing Society Chapter of the Year Award shall be presented annually to a Chapter that has provided their membership with the highest quality of programs, activities and services. All IEEE Signal Processing Society local chapters established more than one year are eligible. The award shall be presented annually in conjunction with the International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing to the Chapter's representative. The award shall consist of a certificate and a check in the amount of $1,000 to support local chapter activities. In the event that multiple chapters are selected, each winner shall still receive $1,000. The winning Chapter shall be invited to publish an article in the IEEE Inside Signal Processing eNewsletter.

Nominations shall be solicited from the Directors-at-Large from each region and the local Signal Processing Society Chapter Chairs through a call for nominations in the IEEE Inside Signal Processing eNewsletter. Self nominations are also welcome from the local Society Chapter Chairs.

The nominated Chapters shall be evaluated based on the following chapter activities, programs and services during the past year:

  1. Technical activities (e.g. technical meetings, workshops and conferences, tours with industry)
  2. Educational programs (e.g. courses, seminars, student workshops, tutorials, student activities)
  3. Membership development (e.g. programs to encourage students and engineers to join the society, growth in chapter’s membership, member advancement programs)
  4. Annual IEEE Chapter report submitted by the Chapter.

Selection shall be based on the nominator’s submission of the nomination form and the annual IEEE chapter report.

2.16. Signal Processing Society Awards.

The awards shall be:

  1. Society Award. The Society Award honors outstanding technical contributions in a field within the scope of the Signal Processing Society and outstanding leadership within that field. The prize shall be $2500, a plaque and a certificate, and shall be presented at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring following selection of the winner. Current officers and members of the Signal Processing Society Board of Governors are ineligible. Previous recipients of the SP Society Award are ineligible. Nominees shall be judged on the basis of outstanding technical contributions and leadership in a field within the scope of the Society as evidenced by publications, patents, books, lectures, etc. Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or technical committees of the Society and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the appropriate Society Technical Committee(s) prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Board of Governors.
  2. Technical Achievement Award. The Technical Achievement Award honors a person who, over a period of years, has made outstanding technical contributions to theory and/or practice in technical areas within the scope of the Society, as demonstrated by publications, patents, or recognized impact on the field. The prize shall be $1500, a plaque and a certificate, and shall be presented at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring following selection of the winner.

    Current officers and members of the Signal Processing Society Board of Governors are ineligible. Previous recipients of the SP Technical Achievement Award are ineligible. Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or a technical committee of the Society and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the appropriate Society Technical Committee(s) prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Board of Governors.
  3. Meritorious Service Award. The Meritorious Service Award honors contributions to the Signal Processing Society. Up to two Meritorious Service Awards may be presented annually, provided nominations meet the specific criteria. It shall consist of a plaque and a certificate. The current President of the Signal Processing Society is ineligible. Previous recipients of the Signal Processing Society Meritorious Service Award are ineligible. Current members of the Awards Board and the Board of Governors are ineligible. Judging shall be based on dedication, effort, and contributions. Presentation shall be made at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring following selection of the winner. Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or committee of the Society and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board for review and subsequent balloting of the final nominations by the Board of Governors.
  4. Best Paper Award. The Best Paper Award honors the author(s) of a paper of exceptional merit dealing with a subject related to the Society’s technical scope, and appearing in one of the Society’s solely owned periodicals, irrespective of the author’s age. The prize shall be $500 per author (up to a maximum of $1500 per award) and a certificate. In the event that there are more than three authors, the maximum prize shall be divided equally among all authors and each shall receive a certificate.

    Eligibility is based on a five-year window: for example, for the 1993 Award, the paper must have appeared in one of the Society’s Transactions between January 1, 1988 and December 31, 1992. Current members of the Signal Processing Society Awards Board are ineligible. Judging shall be based on general quality, originality, subject matter, and timeliness. Up to six Best Paper Awards may be presented annually, either at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring or at ICIP in the Fall following selection of the winner(s). Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or technical committee, editorial boards of the Society’s publications, and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the appropriate Society Technical Committee(s) prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Awards Board.

  5. Young Author Best Paper Award. The Young Author Best Paper Award honors the author(s) of an especially meritorious paper dealing with a subject related to the Society’s technical scope and appearing in one of the Society’s solely owned periodicals and who, upon the date of submission of the paper, is less than 30 years of age. The prize shall consist of $500 per author (up to a maximum of $1500 per award) and a certificate. Eligibility is based on a three-year window; for example, for the 1993 Award, the paper must have appeared in one of the Society’s Transactions between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1992. Current members of the Signal Processing Society Awards Board are ineligible. Judging shall be on the basis of general quality, originality, subject matter, and timeliness. Up to six Young Author Best Paper Awards may be presented annually, either at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring or at ICIP in the Fall following selection of the winner(s). Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or a technical committee, including editorial boards of the Society’s publications, and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the appropriate Society Technical Committee(s) prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Awards Board.
  6. Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award. The Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award shall honor the author(s) of a paper of exceptional merit and broad interest on a subject related to the Society’s technical scope and appearing in the Society’s magazine. The prize shall consist of $500 per author (up to a maximum of $1500 per award) and a certificate. In the event that there are more than three authors, the maximum prize shall be divided equally among all authors and each shall receive a certificate. To be eligible for consideration, a paper must have appeared in IEEE Signal Processing Magazine in any issue predating the Spring Awards Board meeting (typically held in conjunction with ICASSP). Presentation shall be made either at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring or at ICIP in the Fall following selection of the winner. Judging shall be on the basis of quality and effectiveness in presenting subjects of broad interest to the Society’s members. Current members of the Signal Processing Society’s Awards Board are ineligible. Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or technical committee, including readers of the Magazine, or members of the editorial board of the Magazine or the Society’s other publications, and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the appropriate Society Technical Committee(s) prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Awards Board.
  7. Signal Processing Magazine Best Column Award. The Signal Processing Magazine Best Column Award shall honor the author(s) of a column of exceptional merit and broad interest on a subject related to the Society's technical scope and appearing in the Society's magazine. The prize shall consist of $500 per author (up to a maximum of $1500 per award) and a certificate. In the event that there are more than three authors, the maximum prize shall be divided equally among all authors and each shall receive a certificate. To be eligible for consideration, an article must have appeared in the Columns and Forums Section of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine in any issue predating the Spring Awards Board meeting (typically held in conjunction with ICASSP). Presentation shall be made either at the Society's Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring or at ICIP in the Fall following selection of the winner. Judging shall be on the basis of quality and effectiveness in presenting subjects of broad interest to the Society's members. Current members of the Signal Processing Society's Awards Board are ineligible. Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or committee, and shall be submitted directly to the Society's Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the Signal Processing Magazine Editorial Board prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Awards Board.
  8. Signal Processing Society Education Award. The Signal Processing Society Education Award honors educators who have made pioneering and significant contributions to signal processing education. Nominees shall be judged by a career of meritorious achievement in signal processing education as exemplified by writing of scholarly books and texts, course materials, and papers on education; inspirational and innovative teaching; creativity in the development of new curricula and methodology. The prize shall be $1500, a plaque and a certificate, and shall be presented at the Society’s Awards Ceremonies, normally held during ICASSP in the Spring following selection of the winner. Current officers and members of the Signal Processing Society Board of Governors are ineligible. Current serving members of the Awards Board are ineligible. Self-nominations are not accepted or considered. Nominations may arise from any individual or committee and shall be submitted directly to the Society’s Awards Board. The Awards Board will insure that all nominations are vetted by the Signal Processing Education Standing Committee as well as the Technical Committee covering the technical discipline of each nominee, prior to final nomination and subsequent balloting by the Board of Governors.

2.17. (approved 28 May 2011). Details of volunteer involvement in the activities of IEEE staff assigned to the Society is guided by the IEEE Employee Handbook, specifically:

  1. Section 4.5: Job Descriptions;
  2. Section 4.07: Recruitment and Selection of Employees; and
  3. Section 10.3: Staff Performance Appraisal Process and Incentive Goal Setting.

SECTION 3. NOMINATIONS/ELECTIONS/APPOINTMENTS

3.1. Officer Nomination Criteria. (approved 20 May 2006)

All candidates for Officer positions in the Signal Processing Society must posses records of significant technical achievement and must hold the IEEE grade of Senior Member or higher.  They must be at the time of nomination, and must remain throughout the term of service, members in good standing of IEEE and of the IEEE Signal Processing Society.  Candidates’ biographies must reflect some recent management experience.

Specific criteria, by position, appears below.

3.1.1. President-Elect. (approved 20 May 2006)

The President-Elect must have previously served as a member-elected Member-at-Large on the Board of Governors.   The President-Elect shall be an IEEE Fellow.  The President-Elect position automatically succeeds to President.

3.1.2. Vice President-Awards and Membership. (approved 20 May 2006)

The Vice President-Awards and Membership must be an IEEE Fellow and must have received one or more Society awards.  The profile of the Vice President-Awards and Membership should bring positive attention to the awards program.

3.1.3. Vice President-Conferences. (amended 11 November 2009)

The Vice President-Conferences preferably should have served as a General Chair, Technical Program Chair or Finance Chair for an IEEE symposium or major conference. Preferred candidates are those who have served as past General Chair or Finance Chair for ICASSP or ICIP.

3.1.4. Vice President-Finance. (amended 11 November 2009)

The Vice President-Finance must have served as a General Chair or Finance Chair of a major conference or workshop, as past Conference Board Treasurer, or in some financial capacity for another Society or for IEEE.

3.1.5. Vice President-Publications. (approved 20 May 2006)

The Vice President-Publications must have served as an Editor-in-Chief, or in an equivalent management capacity for an archival journal published by IEEE.

3.1.6. Vice President-Technical Directions. (approved 20 May 2006)

The Vice President-Technical Directions may have previously served as an elected Technical Committee Chair, and may have served in one or more of the following positions: General Chair or Technical Chair of ICASSP or ICIP; Editor-in-Chief of a Signal Processing Society sponsored publication.

3.2. Member-at-Large Criteria. (approved 20 May 2006)

Members-at-Large candidates must demonstrate that he/she is active in one or more signal processing disciplines and shall have been a member of the Society for five years or more.

3.3. Editor-in-Chief Nomination Criteria. (approved 20 May 2006)

An Editor-in-Chief candidate must have served as an associate editor, special issue editor, or in a management capacity for an archival journal published by IEEE.  Preference shall be given to candidates who have served as Associate Editors of one or more Signal Processing Society archival publication.

3.4. Distinguished Lecturers. (amended 24 March 2005)

Each year, up to ten (10) technically diverse and geographically dispersed individuals shall serve as Signal Processing Society Distinguished Lecturers (DLs). The formal term of appointment shall be two calendar years with five (5) individuals appointed each year.

3.4.1. Nomination. (amended 11 November 2009)

The Awards Board shall make an open solicitation for all distinguished lecturer nominations no later than 1 June of each year. All nominations will be considered by the Awards Board and a list of nominees and alternates, along with a list of their lecture topics, will be provided to the Board of Governors at least three weeks prior to its Fall meeting. The Board will consider this list at its Fall meeting and provide its advice and consent for the final selections, which shall be announced by the Vice President-Awards and Membership. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

The list of nominees and alternates shall comprise individuals of distinction who are members of the IEEE and of the IEEE Signal Processing Society, who are recognized experts in their fields of endeavor, and who are capable of delivering a message of importance to the technical community as well as to the Society’s members organized in chapters around the world.

Following identification of the top five (5) candidates and alternates by the Board, the Society staff, on behalf of the Awards Board Chair, will reconfirm in writing the candidates’ willingness to serve as an SPS Distinguished Lecturer/Alternate.

3.4.2. Publicity. (amended 24 March 2005)

The Executive Director shall contact each lecturer and request, by fax or e-mail, a copy of each lecturer's brief biography and a listing and brief description of the lectures/short courses each DL is prepared to present. Each DL will be requested to provide such information within ten (10) working days of contact by the Executive Director.

The Executive Director shall also provide, at the time of this contact, a current listing of Society Chapter Chairs and their contact information, as well as information on working with the Chapters regarding their engagement, negotiation and expensing of travel, and any other pertinent details.

Upon receipt of the requested biography and lecture information, the Executive Director shall prepare and transmit a message by e-mail/fax to the Society's Chapters, announcing the names of the new class of DLs, providing biographical information, contact information, and the list and description of lectures/short courses for the coming calendar year. Such correspondence by the Executive Director to the Chapters also shall contain any changes to the DL program for the coming year, as well as describe the selection, engagement, negotiation, and expensing of DLs for presentations to the Chapters.

The Executive Director shall also be responsible for causing information regarding the new class of DLs to be posted to the Society's Web page, publishing the names and lecture titles in the next issue of the Society's Directory of Volunteer Leaders and Staff, and providing in a timely way full information about the Society's program for the coming term to the IEEE for publication in the IEEE Distinguished Lecturer website.

3.5. Notification of General Election Results. (approved 25 April 1997)

3.5.1. Notification of Candidates.

The Chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall notify candidates of their success in the general election. Upon written request from a candidate for Member-at-Large, he/she may receive, on a confidential basis to the candidate, the following counts: total number of ballots mailed; total number of ballots returned; total number of votes, by candidate.

3.5.2. Vote Counts.

The results (vote counts) of the Society's elections shall not be published.

SECTION 4. GEOGRAPHICAL ACTIVITIES

4.1. Establish a Chapter. (amemded 15 September 2011) A petition to establish a Chapter must contain the following:

  1. name of the Section;
  2. name of the sponsoring Society(ies);
  3. name of the organizer (who becomes interim chair, pending election of a regular chair at a later organization meeting);
  4. signatures of at least twelve (12) IEEE members, other than Students, who are members of the Society and Section involved;
  5. information on Section members who indicate they will join the Chapter, if established.

The petition for a Chapter shall be submitted to the Section Executive Committee for written approval and forwarded with the written approval to the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board. The Chapter will be considered established after the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board has ascertained that the Regional Director and the Society President have no objection to its formation. The IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board shall so notify the IEEE Executive Committee, the Society President, and the Section Chair.

4.2. Establish a Student Branch Chapter. A petition to establish a Student Branch Chapter, on the required form supplied by the IEEE, must contain at least:

  1. name of Student Branch, signatures of its Student Branch officers, and signature of the counselor;
  2. name of the sponsoring Society;
  3. signatures of at least twelve (12) students who are members of the Student Branch and of the Society involved; the signature of the Faculty Advisor of the Student Branch Chapter selected by the petitioning students, who shall be a Member of the Society; the name of one student petitioner who will serve as interim chair until establishment of the Student Branch Chapter is authorized.

    The petition for the Student Branch Chapter shall be submitted to the Manager of Student Services at IEEE Headquarters. The Student Branch Chapter shall be considered established following approval of the petition by the Regional Student Activities Committee Chair, the Regional Director, and the Society President.

4.3. Chapter Support. (amended 18 October 2008)

The Society shall provide financial assistance to its chapters in the form of support for travel, publicity, and coffee breaks or other small social gathering expenses for invited speakers. The maximum amount of such support available to each Chapter annually shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Reimbursement to the Chapter for invited speaker travel expense, upon submission of a completed IEEE expense form and appropriate, original receipts, shall be on the basis of approval by both the Chapters Coordinator and the Vice President-Finance.

The Society shall not, as a rule, provide other financial support to its Chapters. However, in the event of a specific request, the Chapter Coordinator shall make a recommendation to the Vice President-Finance for relief.

4.4. Assistance to Needy Colleagues. (approved 25 April 1997)

The Society is aware of geographical and financial issues that may severely limit access by its members and colleagues to information about signal processing technology. For these reasons, the Society will, upon action by the Executive Committee, participate in library and other donation programs that provide service to its members and the community of peers.

SECTION 5. TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES

The authority to create, merge, or dissolve, as well as change the name or scope of a Technical Committee lies with the Board of Governors, which acts upon the recommendation of the Technical Directions Board or TC Review Committee. The TC Review Committee’s and Technical Directions Board’s recommendation should be based on the technical needs of the Society’s membership and on the existing or expected levels of activity of the Technical Committee in question. (approved 28 May 2011)

5.1. Technical Directions Board. (approved 8 December 2009)

The Technical Directions Board has oversight of the Technical Committees and sets up policies and procedures for all of them. While Technical Committees may have additional Bylaws and Policies and Procedures, the Society’s Policies and Procedures will take precedence in case of conflict.

5.1.1. Creation of New Technical Committees.

From time to time, consonant with advances to the fields of signal processing, and in order to service the many activities of the Society (publications, conferences, awards, etc.) requiring easy access to a cadre of experts in a specific technical area, it may be appropriate to create a new Technical Committee (TC).

5.1.1.1. Recommendation for a New Technical Committee.

A proposal for a new Technical Committee (TC) shall be brought to the attention of the Technical Directions Board (TDB).  The proposal shall contain as much information as possible in support of the proposal for a new TC and will include a suggested scope and a rationale as to why the TC is needed at that particular time.  The TDB will review, investigate, and discuss the proposal and then shall vote to recommend action by the Board of Governors.  The Board shall then, at its next regular meeting, consider the proposal and the TDB's recommendation, and may act to approve, in concept, the creation of the new TC.

Following the Board's approval, as noted above, for a new TC, the Vice President-Technical Directions shall empanel a working group to develop the name, scope, management, and membership of the new TC.  The efforts of the working group will be reported back to the Board by the Vice President-Technical Directions, which shall then be asked to provide final approval of the new TC.

5.1.2. Change of Technical Committee Name/Scope.

In response to changes within the technical community, it may be advisable to change the name of a technical committee.  Name changes may be recommended in order to keep current with the changing vocabulary of technology or to reflect a change in scope of an existing TC.

As technology advances, activities surrounding certain disciplines may evolve, making both a change of name and of scope of a Technical Committee appropriate.  In the event that such change is believed by a particular TC to be warranted, the Chair of that TC shall bring the suggested name change and change of scope to the Technical Directions Board for deliberation, discussion, and recommendation to the Board of Governors.  The Board of Governors will take final action on the recommendation of the TDB.

5.1.3. Merge or Dissolve a Technical Committee. (approved 28 May 2011) The TC Review Committee will use the TC Review process to identify Technical Committees that are inactive or only minimally active. The TC Review Committee will suggest to the Technical Committee appropriate and attainable goals. If the efforts of the TC Review Committee to revitalize an inactive Technical Committee are not successful after a defined period of time, the TC Review Committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Governors to merge the Technical Committee with an existing Technical Committee, dissolve or change the Technical Committee.

At the recommendation of the Vice President-Technical Directions or the TC Review Committee, the Board of Governors can approve, with a two thirds vote present at the meeting, to dissolve, merge or change a Technical Committee if it deems it is no longer serving the needs of the Society.

5.2. Technical Committee Reviews.

No later than 31 January of each year, the TC Review Committee shall provide to each Technical Committee Chair being reviewed the TC Review template. The template provides a snapshot of the TC’s membership and activities, including, but not limited to, sponsored/co-sponsored workshops; paper review for sponsored/co-sponsored major conferences; session organization for major sponsored/co-sponsored conferences; awards nominations; associate editor nominations by EDICS and journal; distinguished lecturer nominations; TC elections; TC bylaws; number of TC meetings, attendance and quorum; diversity of membership; web page address and date of last update. The TC Review Committee will individually meet with each TC Chair at ICASSP to discuss the review report. The TC Review Committee will study the reports and make formal remarks and recommendations via the review report. The TC Review Committee will submit the final report, which includes their recommendations, for every Technical Committee reviewed to the Board of Governors for formal acceptance.

5.3. Technical Committee Membership.

5.3.1. Members.

  1. All Technical Committee members must be current IEEE and SPS members of good standing. They must be willing to review papers within the area of the TC submitted to the Society’s conferences, review papers for workshops owned or co-owned by the Technical Committee, serve in the subcommittees established by the TC, and perform other duties of membership.
  2. Members will serve a term of three-years, starting 1 January. All terms run on a calendar year.
  3. Membership on the Technical Committee may be terminated by the Technical Committee Chair, with the consent of the Vice President-Technical Directions, provided that the Chair and Vice Chair concur that the member has been inactive in the sense of little or no participation in Technical Committee responsibilities.
  4. Technical Committees shall have at least 20 elected members so that they have critical mass, and may have up to 40 elected members. A TC Chair can request a larger number of elected members to the VP-Technical Directions who, in consultation with the TC Review committee, may approve an increase in the number of members for Technical Committees with a large paper reviewing load.
  5. The Vice President-Technical Directions shall be an ex-officio member, without vote, of all Technical Committees.

5.3.2. Associate Members.

  1. The TC Chair can also appoint a small number of Associate Members, who are non-voting members of the Technical Committee. These can include past chairs.
  2. Relevant Transactions Editors-in-Chief should be invited as Associate Members. Special effort should be made to coordinate with them for nomination of new members, nomination of best paper awards, EDICS alignment between the periodicals and the Society’s conferences.
  3. The TC Chair may appoint Associate Members as reviewers for one of the Society’s conferences, and may also appoint them to subcommittees.
  4. Associate Members shall receive calls for member and Vice Chair nominations, as well as any Newsletters the TC may have.

5.3.3. Affiliate Members.

  1. IEEE student members and all grades of IEEE SPS members interested in the scope of a given TC may freely join that TC as Affiliate Members by signing up in the Society’s website.
  2. Members of some professional organizations in interdisciplinary fields within the Society’s TCs scope, such as language processing or biological sciences, are not IEEE members. TCs may allow individuals from such professional organizations to join their TC as Affiliate Members.
  3. Affiliate Members are non-elected, unlimited in number, and non-voting members of the Technical Committee.
  4. The Chair may appoint Affiliate Members as reviewers for one of the Society’s conferences, and may also appoint them to subcommittees.
  5. Relevant Transactions Associate Editors should be invited as Affiliate Members.
  6. Affiliate Members shall receive calls for member and Vice Chair nominations, as well as any Newsletters the TC may have.

5.4. Technical Committee Management.(amended 15 September 2011)

5.4.1. Vice Chair.

  1. The Vice Chair position automatically succeeds to the position of Chair then Past Chair. The term for the Vice Chair shall be one calendar year. The Vice President-Technical Directions has the authority to grant exceptions to the one year term policy to allow a two year term based on the technical committee’s needs.
  2. The Vice Chair is a voting member of the Technical Committee.
  3. The Vice Chair is responsible for recording of minutes of all committee meetings, and assisting the Chair in paper review and session assignment process for ICASSP, maintenance of a roster of the membership, EDICS and a list of reviewers for the Society’s conferences.
  4. The Vice Chair will assist the Chair in preparing the TC Review Report and attending the TC Review meeting, if requested.

5.4.2. Chair.

  1. The term of office of the Chair shall be two calendar years. A second term as Chair is permitted but may not be consecutive. The Chair automatically succeeds to the position of Past Chair.
  2. The Chair is a voting member of the Technical Committee.
  3. The Chair is a voting member of the Technical Directions Board and must attend meetings and participate in the board’s processes.
  4. The Chair is responsible for organizing the activities of the Technical Committee and maintaining communication with the Vice President-Technical Directions, the Officers of the Society and other similar organizations.
  5. The Chair is responsible for appointing members to the TC’s subcommittees.
  6. The Chair is responsible for maintaining a roster of the membership.
  7. The Chair shall maintain the EDICS and a list of reviewers for the Society’s conferences. The Chair also oversees the paper review and session assignment process for ICASSP.
  8. The Chair is responsible for preparing the TC Review Report and attending the TC Review meeting.
  9. The Chair is responsible for preparing bi-yearly activity reports.

5.4.3. Past Chair.

  1. The term for Past Chair shall normally be one calendar year, unless the TC specifically approves a two year term.
  2. The Past Chair is a voting member of the Technical Committee.
  3. The Past Chair is responsible for providing guidance and continuity to the Technical Committee Officers and members of the Technical Committee.
  4. The Past Chair will assist the Chair in preparing the TC Review Report and attending the TC Review meeting, if requested.

5.5. Technical Committee Organization.

5.5.1. Subcommittees.

  1. Technical Committees shall normally have subcommittees to accomplish the duties of the TC.
  2. The TC Chair shall appoint TC members to the subcommittees.
  3. The TC Chair may also appoint Associate and Affiliate Members to subcommittees, unless specified otherwise. Such Associate and Affiliate members must confirm in writing their willingness to serve and perform the duties of the subcommittee, and can be removed from the subcommittee if the TC Chair and Vice Chair concur they have been inactive.
  4. The Chairs of each subcommittee must be elected members of the Technical Committee, unless specified otherwise.

The subcommittees may address the following activities:

  1. Awards Subcommittee. Members of this subcommittee preferably should include IEEE Fellows or individuals that have received an award as to bring experience to the Awards nominations process. This committee collects nominations from Technical Committee members and the community as a whole (nomination process is open) and narrows down the list, with the final names being voted on by the Technical Committee, which then passes its recommendations to the Awards Board. This procedure applies for all the SPS awards and Distinguished Lecturers. This subcommittee will also identify Senior Members that are considered qualified for elevation to Fellow and help find an individual that can nominate the candidate (neither the subcommittee nor the TC will nominate or endorse Fellow candidates). The Chair of this subcommittee would act as a liaison to the Society’s Awards Board.
  2. Nominations and Elections Subcommittee. Membership in the nominations subcommittee is restricted to elected Technical Committee members. The role of this subcommittee is to collect nominations for Technical Committee members and Vice Chair positions, and conduct the election process. The Nominations Subcommittee shall ensure that the candidate pool for new TC members represents the diversity of SPS members in the Technical Committee area, which includes: gender, geographic, academic/industry, junior/senior, etc. This subcommittee will also help nominate Associate Editor candidates to relevant Editors-in-Chief in the Society.
  3. Workshops Subcommittee. This involves soliciting proposals for workshops, helping volunteers with access to historical data regarding workshops and best practices, as well as putting in place a process to ensure there are enough proposals in time for voting and TC decision making.
  4. Industry/Government Subcommittee. This involves supporting the Membership Board in industry and government activities. Responsibilities include forwarding information to relevant members from industry and the government, who are interested in activities of the Technical Committee and keeping them involved, as appropriate. Responsibilities include liaison with the Industry DSP standing Committee.
  5. Webmaster Subcommittee. This subcommittee maintains the Technical Committee web site together with SPS staff.
  6. Newsletter Subcommittee. The newsletter shall include open calls for new Technical Committee members and TC Vice Chair-elect, plus information on SPS elections, the Society’s e-newsletter, as well as other information such as relevant Calls for Papers. The Speech and Language Processing TC newsletter is a good example.
  7. Area Chairs. A Technical Committee may have several Area Chairs within their Technical Committee. Such Area Chairs shall normally be elected Technical Committee members and shall drive the review of papers for that area submitted to the Society’s conferences and workshops. Each Area Chair will have a number of reviewers, which shall normally include elected, Associate and Affiliate Technical Committee Members. Other responsibilities may include proposal of special sessions and special issues in that area.
  8. Student Subcommittee. This subcommittee will be formed by students, either elected members or Affiliate TC members. The Chair of the Student Subcommittee will be a Student. This subcommittee may provide tutorials for students, courses, networking events, access to job postings, student grants, and other activities of interest to students.
  9. Education Subcommittee. Responsibilities of the subcommittee include liaison with the Signal Processing Education Standing Committee, and creation of content of interest to SPS members involved in the Technical Committee that is not appropriate for publication in the Society’s conferences and periodicals (such as tutorial style articles on Wikipedia or Connexions, etc).
  10. Four Regional Representatives (Regions 1-6, Regions 7/9, Region 8, and Region 10). The four regional representatives shall support the Society’s Regional Directors-at-Large in the area of expertise of the Technical Committee. The representatives shall promote and foster local activities of that Technical Committee (such as conferences and meetings) and encourage new chapter development; publicize the activities of the Technical Committee in that region and help attract members from that region to the Technical Committee.
  11. Other. The TC is free to create other subcommittees to cover areas that have not been specifically addressed in the above list.

5.5.2. Conduct of Business.

  1. The Technical Committee will hold at least one meeting per year, normally at one of the Society’s sponsored conferences.
  2. TCs are encouraged to hold meetings at their workshops too, and consider making them open to Associate and/or Affiliate Members if there is a large enough room available and an appropriate time slot in the workshop schedule.
  3. Quorum. A quorum of the TC shall be a majority of those members having voting rights.
  4. Face-to-Face Voting. The vote of a majority of the votes of the members present and entitled to vote, at the time of vote, provided a quorum is present, shall be the act of the Technical Committee.
  5. Telecommunication Voting.The TC may meet and act upon the vote of its members by any means of telecommunication. The normal Face-to-Face voting requirements shall apply when action is taken by means of telecommunications equipment allowing all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time.
  6. E-Mail Voting. The Technical Committee may take action without a meeting if applicable (e.g., e-mail voting). An affirmative vote of a majority of ALL the voting members of the Technical Committee shall be required to approve the action. The results of the vote shall be confirmed promptly in writing or by electronic transmission. The writings and/or electronic transmission shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Technical Committee. “Electronic transmission” means any form of electronic communication, such as e-mail, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient.
  7. The order of business for TC meetings shall be organized by the Chair and made available to the members prior to the meeting.
  8. Only elected-Members of the TC, including the Chair, Vice Chair and Past Chair, are allowed to vote in matters that come before the TC. Associate and Affiliate Members of the TC do not have a vote. Individuals holding more than one position on the TC shall be limited to one vote on each matter being considered by the TC. Proxy voting is not allowed.

5.6. Technical Committee Election Procedures.

5.6.1. Vice Chair.

  1. The Vice Chair election shall be organized by the Nominations Subcommittee. The Nominations Subcommittee shall bring forward one or more candidates for the position of Vice Chair. The Nominations Subcommittee is responsible for making an open call for nominations, and conducting the balloting.
  2. Nominations for Vice Chair shall be restricted to individuals who are currently serving or have previously served as elected members of the Technical Committee. Vice Chair candidates that are part of the Nominations Subcommittee shall withdraw from such subcommittee. Vice Chair nominees are not eligible to vote in Vice Chair elections.
  3. Vice Chair elections will take place every two years and results shall be finalized by 15 November, so election results will be known before the end of the year and the results can be reported to the Society’s Executive Office. All terms are on a calendar year basis (1 January-31 December).
  4. Each nominee must confirm in writing their willingness to serve and perform the duties described in the Society’s Bylaws and Policies and Procedures if elected. Each nominee must also submit a one-page position statement and/or vitae to be distributed before the election.
  5. The Vice Chair candidate shall be both approved by a majority of the Technical Committee elected-members, and most preferred by the Technical Committee members responding to the ballot, provided a quorum of the Technical Committee members responded to the ballot. In the event of a tie, the Technical Committee Chair will break the tie.
  6. The election shall be conducted by an e-mail ballot, unless another means is proposed and approved by the Technical Committee.

5.6.2. Members.

  1. The new member election shall be organized by the Nominations Subcommittee. New member elections shall be held once each year, so one-third of the TC’s membership turns over each year.
  2. The Nominations Subcommittee is responsible for making an open call for nominations in the Society’s e-Newsletters and the website. The Nominations Subcommittee shall come up with a slate of candidates representative of the diversity of SPS members in the Technical Committee area, which includes: gender, geographic, academic/industry, junior/senior, etc. The slate shall include at least as many candidates that have never served in the TC as open slots. The Nominations Subcommittee will also conduct the balloting.
  3. Candidates can be self-nominated or nominated by Technical Committee members. Each nominee must confirm in writing their willingness to serve and perform the duties described in the Society Bylaws and Policies and Procedures. Each nominee must also submit a one-page position statement and/or vitae, as determined by the TC, to be distributed before the election.
  4. Past TC members are eligible to be nominated for a second term. Current TC members may also be nominated for a second consecutive term, but are not eligible to vote in that new member election and shall not be part of Nominations Subcommittee for that election. Additional terms are allowed, but at least a 3 year gap in service is required.
  5. Technical Committee members shall be elected by the members of the Technical Committee itself based on the needs of the Technical Committee. Each year the new member election results shall be finalized by 15 November, so election results will be known before the end of the year and the results can be reported to the Society’s Executive Office. All terms are on a calendar year basis (1 January-31 December).
  6. The new members shall be both approved by a majority of the Technical Committee elected-members, and most preferred by the Technical Committee members responding to the ballot, provided a quorum of the Technical Committee members responded to the ballot. In the event of a tie, the Technical Committee Chair will break the tie.
  7. The election will be conducted by e-mail, unless another means is proposed and approved by the TC.

5.6.3. Elections Process. (approved 28 May 2011)

Please refer to Policy 5.6.1. for Vice Chair and Policy 5.6.2. for Member election procedure details.

Votes for “Vice Chair” and “Member” Technical Committee elections shall be tallied using a two-tier process. First, nominees are voted as "approved" (Yes) or "not approved" (No). Next, preference is given to "approved" votes using a ranking process. The implementation of the voting procedure is left to the discretion of the individual Technical Committees. An implementation sample is: N is equal to the number of open slots and each voting TC member casts up to N votes for his or her preferred candidates (preference votes). Each voting TC member should vote on approval for each candidate (approval votes) to indicate if he or she approves of that candidate for the TC, assuming that candidate is one of the top N vote receivers. Successful candidates (max of N) are those with both (a) the most number of preference votes, which is not necessarily greater than half TC members, and (b) approval votes from at least half of the members with voting rights. The number of approval votes will be considered in breaking ties. Any remaining ties will be broken by the Technical Committee Chair.

Technical Committee elections shall be finalized by 15 November, so election results will be known before the end of the year and the results can be reported to the Society’s Executive Office. All terms are on a calendar year basis (1 January-31 December).

Part 2, Sections 6 – 9

Policy and Procedures Manual Home

Part 1: Sections 1-5
Part 2: Sections 6-9