SSCS Constitution
CONSTITUTION of the IEEE SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS SOCIETY
DRAFT Version - March 2, 2024
Version -- November 7, 2021
2011 Changes - Ratified 2/20/2011
2019 Changes - Ratified August 2019
2021 Changes - Ratified September 2021
Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
- Article I / Name and Object
- Article II / Field of Interest
- Article III / Membership
- Article IV / Financial Support
- Article V / Organization
- Article VI / Nomination and Election of Administrative Committee
- Article VII / Meetings
- Article VIII / Publications
- Article IX / Amendments
Section 1. This organization shall be known as the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society.
Section 2. Its objects shall be scientific, literary and educational in character. The Society shall advance the theory and practice of electrical and electronics engineering and of the allied arts and sciences. It shall promote a high level of technical excellence among its members, consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the IEEE and with special attention to such aims within the field of interest of the Society as are hereinafter defined.
Section 3. The Society shall aid in promoting close cooperation and exchange of technical information among its members and affiliates, and to this end shall publish technical papers, hold meetings for the presentation and discussion of technical papers, and through its committees shall study and provide for the needs of its members and affiliates.
Article II - Field of Interest
Section 1. The field of interest for the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society is the design, implementation and application of solid-state integrated circuits.
Section 2. The field of interest of the Society may be changed or shifted moderately as needed and appropriate, with the provision that such revisions shall meet with the approval of the Society Administrative Committee (as defined in Article V) and the IEEE Technical Activities Board, and shall be published in one of the Society's publications which goes to all members. Any substantial revisions, as determined by the Society Administrative Committee, shall be processed as an amendment to this Constitution.
Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be available to members of the IEEE in any grade, having a professional interest in any phase of the field of interest of the Society.
Section 2. Affiliates may participate in Society activities, as provided by the IEEE Bylaws and subject to pertinent IEEE rules and regulations and any additional limitations imposed by the Society Constitution and Bylaws.
Article IV - Financial Support
Section 1. The Society shall collect from its members an annual fee, in accordance with the IEEE Bylaws and applicable rules and regulations.
Section 2. The Society may charge fees for attending Society sponsored or co-sponsored meetings, symposia, conferences, workshops and conventions. The registration fee for non-members of the IEEE shall be higher than for IEEE members.
Section 3. The Society may raise revenues by other means, such as charges for publishing, printing, and distributing Society publications or distribution of non-Society publications, advertising, shows, requests for contributions, etc., provided such means are consistent with applicable IEEE rules and regulations. Any new means of generating revenue not explicitly covered by IEEE rules and regulations must be approved by the IEEE before being employed by the Society.
Section 1. The Society shall be managed by an Administrative Committee consisting of 15 elected members-at-large, the officers of the Society, and other members ex-officio with vote and ex-officio without vote as specified in the Bylaws. The officers shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Past President. Elected members-at-large, the officers and ex-officio members shall have voting privileges as defined in Section 7.
Section 2. The terms of the 15 members-at-large of the Administrative Committee shall be for three years, with five members to be elected each year. Only two consecutive full terms are permitted, but eligibility is restored after a lapse of one year.
Section 3. The Administrative Committee shall elect every two years a President and Vice-President. The President and Vice-President may not serve two consecutive terms, and must be past or sitting members of the Administrative Committee.
Section 4. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Administrative Committee. Terms of the Secretary and Treasurer are one year, without limitation to reappointment.
Section 5. The newly elected President, Vice-President and members-at-large of the Administrative Committee shall assume office on the first of January following their election unless a different time is provided in the Bylaws. The terms of office of the Secretary and Treasurer shall normally start on the first of January of each year.
Section 6. The duties and responsibilities of the officers shall be as defined hereunder in the Bylaws and as delineated by the Administrative Committee.
Section 7. Ex-officio members with vote are entitled to vote on all administrative matters except with respect to changes in the Constitution and Bylaws, the election of the Society President and Vice President, and filling in-term vacancies. Elected members-at-large, and the officers, shall have full voting privileges except the President shall have no vote on the AdCom except if the vote is by secret ballot or unless his or her vote can change the outcome of the vote. Full voting privileges include the allowance to vote for administrative matters of the Society, Constitution and Bylaw changes, the election of the Society President and Vice-President, and filling in-term vacancies.
Section 8. The President, under direction of the Administrative Committee, shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society. The President shall preside at meetings of the Administrative Committee and at meetings of the Society as a whole, and have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be provided in the Society Bylaws, or as may be delegated to the President by vote of the Administrative Committee. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the latter.
Section 9. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Society. As a member of the IEEE Technical Activities Board, the President shall represent the Society at such meetings or appoint an alternate for this purpose in accordance with IEEE policies.
Section 10. The Administrative Committee may establish standing and technical committees needed to cover specific functions and areas of the field of interest, as prescribed in the Bylaws. All appointments or reappointments to committees and similar posts will be for a renewable term of two years except where other specifically designated terms of office are established by the Administrative Committee or are defined in the Bylaws. Standing and Technical Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the Society President with the advice and consent of the Administrative Committee. Standing Committee Chairs shall be ex-officio members of AdCom with vote. The Society President, with the advice and consent of the Administrative Committee, may establish ad hoc committees to fulfill specific needs of finite duration. Technical committee and ad hoc committee Chairs shall be ex-officio members of the Administrative Committee without vote.
Section 11. The Administrative Committee may establish at its discretion an Executive Office including an Executive Director to assist with and carry-out the day-to-day operations, policies and procedures concerning all aspects of the Society's business, as further delineated in the Society Bylaws.
Section 12. Chapters may be formed as provided in the IEEE rules and regulations, and the supervision of chapter affairs shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 13. The Administrative Committee may utilize the services of the IEEE as bursar, for all or part of the Society funds, as provided by the IEEE Bylaws and rules and regulations. If any part of the Society funds is received and deposited separately, the terms and conditions shall be in accordance with IEEE policies, the Society Bylaws and any special limitations imposed by the Administrative Committee.
Section 14. Neither the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society, nor any officer or representative thereof, shall have any authority to contract debts for, pledge the credit of, or in any way bind the IEEE, except within prior IEEE approved Society budgets or plans. Approval for the disbursement of previously budgeted funds shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Article VI - Nomination and Election of Administrative Committee
Section 1. The nomination procedure shall include a provision for Society members to place names on the ballot as specified in the Bylaws.
Section 2. Election of the 15 members-at-large of the Administrative Committee and the Society Officers shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 3. Within-term vacancies on the Administrative Committee shall be filled by a ballot of Administrative Committee members with full voting privileges. At its discretion, the Administrative Committee may determine either to fill the unexpired portion of the vacant term, or to fill the position until an election can be held for the remainder of the term (such as in the case of a vacancy for an elected Administrative Committee member-at-large). Filling an in-term vacancy shall be counted as a full term for the purpose of determining eligibility for reelection if for more than one-half of the full term of the position being filled.
Section 1. The Society may sponsor or conduct meetings, workshops, conferences, symposia, tutorials or conventions either alone or in cooperation with other IEEE entities or other technical organizations, subject to IEEE rules and regulations, and under the guidance and control of the Administrative Committee or its Standing Committee on Meetings. The Society shall sponsor at least one technical conference each year. The Society shall be responsible for the financial aspects of its meetings program.
Section 2. Meetings, workshops, etc, of the Society shall be open on an equal basis to all members of the IEEE.
Section 1. Publications undertaken by the Society shall conform to IEEE policies and to any further guidance or controls prescribed by the Administrative Committee or its duly appointed committees. The Society shall be responsible for the financial aspects of its publications program.
Section 2. The President, with the advice and consent of the Administrative Committee, shall appoint such Editors-in-chief as may be required to implement the publications program. The duties of an editor-in-chief, and allocation of funds thereto for the carrying out of his or her duties, shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Administrative Committee having full voting privileges, providing that notice of such proposed changes has been circulated to all voting Administrative Committee members at least 30 days prior to such vote, or by petition submitted to the Administrative Committee by at least 1% of the members of the Society. After such approval, the proposed amendment shall be publicized in one of the Society's publications that reach all members or by a direct mailing to the membership with notice that it goes into effect unless five percent or more of the members object within 60 days. If such objections are received, the proposed amendment shall be submitted by a mail ballot to all members of the Society. Ballots shall be mailed to Society members at least 60 days before the date appointed for the return of the ballots and the ballots shall carry a statement of the time limit for their return to the IEEE office. When a mail vote of the entire membership is necessary, approval of the amendment by at least two-thirds of the ballots returned shall be necessary for its enactment. Amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted to the Vice President, Technical Activities for approval before they take effect.
Section 2. Suitable bylaws, and amendments thereto, may be adopted as the result of a vote of approval by two-thirds of the members of the Administrative Committee having full voting privileges. At least 30 days’ notice prior to the vote shall be required. No bylaw, or amendment, shall take effect until it has been approved by the Vice President, Technical Activities and published in one of the Society's publications or otherwise publicized by direct mailing to the membership