ACM SIGMM Bylaws

Adopted: March 10, 2005

Article 1. Name and Scope

1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Multimedia (SIGMM) of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. ("the ACM").

2. The scope of SIGMM's specialty is as follows:

   SIGMM provides a forum for researchers, engineers, and practitioners in all aspects of multimedia computing, communication, storage, and applications.

3. All activities of SIGMM will be consistent with the purposes of all SIGs listed in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.

Article 2. Charter

Article 3. Officers

1. SIGMM's officers are the Chair, the Vice-Chair, and the Director of Conferences. The officers are elected for two-year terms beginning July 1 of odd-numbered years.

2. The Chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading SIGMM and managing its activities. The duties of the Chair are:

   1. Calling and presiding at SIGMM's Executive Committee and business meetings;
   2. Conducting SIGMM's activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM; and
   3. Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein; and
   4. Filing all reports as required by ACM.

3. The duties of the Vice-Chair are:

   1. Assisting the Chairman in leading and managing SIGMM;
   2. Presiding at meetings when the Chairman is absent;
   3. Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGMM;
   4. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of SIGMM; and
   5. Managing SIGMM's finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring disbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.

4. The duties of the Director of Conferences are:

   1. Develop new conferences and workshops in emerging research areas;
   2. Mentoring organizers of current conferences in all aspects of organization;
   3. Supervising and monitoring conference organization; and
   4. Obtaining conference reports for executive committee and for publication on the website

Article 4. The Executive Committee

1. The SIGMM Executive Committee comprises the officers of SIGMM. No person may hold two positions on the SIGMM Executive Committee.

2. The general duties of the SIGMM Executive Committee will be to advise the Chairman on all matters of interest to SIGMM. Specific duties or responsibilities may be specified in these Bylaws or assigned by the Chairman. All the major management policy decisions of the SIGMM must be approved by the SIGMM Executive Committee.

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

Article 5. Vacancies and Appointments

1. Should the Chairman leave office before his/her term expires, the Vice-Chairman will assume the duties of Chairman. Should any other office become vacant, the Chairman of the SIG Governing Board may, on nomination of the SIGMM Chairman, fill the vacancy. Vacancies in positions appointed by the SIGMM Chairman may be filled according to the procedures for making the original appointments as provided herein.

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 Governing Board Chairman may fill it.

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 6. Membership, Dues, and Voting Privileges

1. An eligible person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGMM are determined by the SIGMM Executive Committee with the approval of the Chairman of the SIG Board.

2. All members of SIGMM may vote in any ballot conducted with SIGMM. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of SIGMM will, if necessary, be prorated downward so that their effective total cannot exceed 50% of the eligible vote.

Article 7. Reports and Records

1. An annual report, due as specified by the SIG Governing Board, on the activities of SIGMM during the previous year;
2. All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM; and
3. Closing reports on conferences and symposia (co)sponsored by SIGMM as required by the ACM.

Article 8. Elections

1. By September 30 of each even-numbered year, if the SIG Governing Board has not exercised its option to extend the term of the SIG's current officers for an additional two years, the Chairman will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of SIGMM. The slate of candidates selected by the nominating committee must be presented to all the SIGMM members by the following January 31.

2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGMM will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of SIGMM 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. The SIG Governing Board Executive Committee will resolve ties.

Article 9. Amendments

1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the ACM Executive Committee, or by a vote of the SIGMM members as provided below. With the approval of the SIGMM Executive Committee and of the Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all 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 SIGMM Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGMM. All proposed amendments must be approved, prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership, by the Chairman of the SIG Board and by the Constitution & Bylaws Committee of ACM, after the Executive Director of ACM has provided 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 Governing Board Executive Committee. The proposal is adopted only if at least 2/3 of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, and only if at least 10% of the ballots are returned. The Secretary will send a clean copy of the amended bylaws to the Executive Director of the ACM and to the Chairman of the SIG Board

Article 10. Dissolution

Article 11. Meetings

Article 12. Consistency