By-Laws of the Arkansas State University
Chapter of the Association for
Computing Machinery 

(approved by the Student Affairs Committee 12/11/85)

Article I: Name  

1) This organization shall be called the Arkansas State University Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery. The Association is also referred to as ACM.

Article II: Purpose  

1) The chapter is organized and will be operated exclusively for educational and scientific purposes and, in furtherance thereof, specific objectives are:
 

a) To promote an increased knowledge of the science, design, development, construction, language, and applications of modern computing machinery;

b) To promote a greater interest in computing machinery and its applications; and

c) To provide a means of communication between persons having interest in computing machinery.

Article III: Membership  

1) A full time student at Arkansas State University who is a member in good standing of the ACM, may upon request and payment of dues become a voting member of this chapter.

2) A member in good standing of the ACM who is a faculty member or other employee of Arkansas State University, may upon request and payment of dues become a voting member of this chapter, provided that the number of such non-student voting members shall not exceed one half of the entire voting membership of this chapter.

3) A full or part time student at Arkansas State University who is not a member in good standing of the ACM, may upon request and payment of dues become a non-voting affiliate member of this chapter. No such person may be a non-voting affiliate member for more than one year.

4) A member of the Arkansas State University community who is not a member in good standing of the ACM, may upon request and payment of a fee that is at least equal to the voting member dues, receive the chapter meeting notices and attend non-business meetings of this chapter.

5) Membership and participation shall be free from discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, disability, age or sex.

Article IV: Officers  

1) The officers of this chapter shall be Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary-Treasurer. Each officer must be a member in good standing of the ACM, a voting member of this chapter, and a full time student at Arkansas State University. A chapter officer must also have at least a 2.0 grade point average.

2) The officers shall be elected at the annual Election Meeting. They shall take office immediately after the Election Meeting and serve until their successors take office at the end of the next Election Meeting.

3) Any member who has served in either of the offices of Chairman or Vice Chairman in each of two consecutive years may not hold either office in the immediately following year.

4) Vacancies in any office other than Chairman caused by resignation, removal or disability shall be filled by majority vote of the Executive Committee. If the office of Chairman is so vacated, the Vice Chairman shall immediately assume that office, and the Executive Committee shall then fill the vacant office of Vice Chairman.

Article V: Duties of Officers  

1) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of this chapter and of its Executive Committee. The Chairman shall represent this chapter at all meetings with the ACM Regional Representative. The Chairman shall also appoint all committees of this chapter and committee chairmen, except the Chairman of the Program Committee.

2) The Vice Chairman shall assume the duties of the Chairman in the event of the Chairman's absence. The Vice Chairman shall assume those duties of the Chairman that are delegated by the Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall also be Chairman of the Program Committee.

3) The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of all chapter meetings and Executive Committee meetings. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare the annual chapter report for presentation to this chapter at the annual Election Meeting and prepare the report to the Chairman of the ACM Student Membership and Chapters Committee after each meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send two copies of official notification to the Chairman of the ACM Student membership and Chapters Committee of changes in the elected officers or in the Faculty Advisor of this chapter. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send three copies of official notification to the Executive Director of the ACM of any proposed changes in this chapter's bylaws for approval prior to their distribution to the membership. The Secretary-Treasurer shall similarly notify the Executive Director promptly of the final action on the proposed changes.

4) The Secretary-Treasurer shall collect dues and maintain financial and membership records. The Secretary-Treasurer shall make the annual report of this chapter's finances required by the Treasurer of the ACM.

Article VI: Faculty Advisor  

1) The Faculty Advisor shall be nominated by the Executive Committee immediately following the annual Election Meeting and the nomination submitted to the President of the ACM via the Chairman of the Student Membership and Chapters Committee. The Faculty Advisor shall be appointed chapter sponsor by the President of ACM to serve until a successor is appointed.

2) The Faculty Advisor shall be generally responsible for the activities of this chapter.

3) The Faculty Advisor shall:
 

a) Help provide continuity from year to year as student leadership and personnel change;

b) Promote good student-faculty relationships;

c) Help maintain university standards in all activities of the organization;

d) Exercise financial supervision if necessary by promoting prompt payment of bills and collection of dues, and, in the event of dissolution of this chapter, overseeing the settlement of all accounts; and

e) Represent the student chapter interests to the faculty and administration.

4) The Faculty Advisor shall be a member in good standing of the ACM.

Article VII: Executive Committee  

1) The Executive Committee shall consist of the chapter officers, the immediate past chairman, and the Faculty Advisor. The Executive Committee shall meet and nominate the Faculty Advisor immediately following the annual Election Meeting.

2) Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, the Executive Committee shall act for this chapter in all matters except election of officers at the annual Election Meeting and the amendment of these Bylaws. Minutes of all Executive Committee meetings shall be available for inspection by any member of this chapter and shall be filed with the chapter records.

3) Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the chairman at his or her discretion or upon request of any member of the Executive Committee.

Article VIII: Committees  

1) The Standing Committees shall be:
 

a) The Program Committee, which shall plan and arrange meetings of the chapter in accordance with membership interests and the aims of this chapter as set forth in Article II; and shall prepare a calendar of regularly scheduled meetings each year.

b) The Publicity Committee, which shall maintain a mailing list, and publish and distribute all notices to the members of this chapter; and shall provide additional publicity of chapter activities as appropriate.

2) Each Standing Committee shall consist of at least three voting members of this chapter, and may have one or two additional members who are either voting or non-voting members of this chapter.

3) The Nominating Committee shall consist of three voting members of this chapter, at least two of whom shall not be members of the Executive Committee. The chapter Chairman shall appoint the Nominating Committee at least one month prior to the annual Election Meeting. At the annual Election Meeting, the Nominating Committee shall present at least one nominee for each office.

4) In addition to the Standing Committees, temporary Committees may be established by the chapter Chairman.

5) The Chairman and members of both Standing and Temporary Committees are appointed by the chapter Chairman, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws. All committee appointments shall terminate at the end of the annual Election Meeting.

Article IX: Meetings  

1) Meetings shall be held as planned by the Program Committee; this chapter may hold meetings only in places that are open to all members of the Association for Computing Machinery.

2) The annual Election Meeting shall be held during the Spring term of each year. Following the report of the Nominating Committee, additional nominations may be made from the floor by any voting member. After the nominations are closed, the voting members present shall vote. A majority of the votes cast for any office is necessary for election to that office. The Secretary-Treasurer shall present the annual chapter report.

3) Notice shall be given at least one week in advance of any meeting to all members.

4) There shall be at least six meetings each year.

5) A quorum of this chapter for the conduct of business shall consist of ten voting members or a majority of the voting members of this chapter, whichever is smaller.

Article X: Disbursements and Dues  

1) Disbursements from the treasury for chapter expenditures shall be made under authorization of the Executive Committee and be included in the minutes of that meeting.

2) Annual dues shall be established upon recommendation of the Executive Committee and approved by a majority vote of the voting members present and voting at any chapter meeting, provided that written notice of the meeting was given and included the establishment of dues as an item of business on the agenda.

Article XI: Amendments and Procedure  

1) Amendments to these Bylaws shall be made in the following manner:
 

a) An amendment may be proposed by any member. The proposed amendment shall be read at a regularly announced chapter meeting. If approved for further consideration by a majority of a quorum of the voting members at a regular meeting, and if also approved by the Arkansas State University Student Affairs Committee, then the following further steps shall be taken.

b) Three copies of the proposed amendment shall be sent to the Executive Director of the ACM, requesting the approval of the Chairman of the Student membership and Chapters Committee and the Chairman of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.

c) After approval has been received from the designated ACM authority, the proposed amendment shall be distributed to the membership in writing with notice of a subsequent meeting at which the amendment will be considered.

d) At the designated meeting the amendment shall be read again, discussed, and voted upon. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members present and voting shall be required for adoption of the amendment.

2) The rules in "Robert's Rules of Order Revised" shall govern this chapter in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are consistent with these Bylaws.

3) Ruling on any point of procedure not included in these Bylaws shall be made by the Chairman with approval of the Faculty Advisor.

Article XII: Dissolution  

1) In the event of revocation of the Charter or dissolution of this chapter, all the assets of this chapter will be transferred to the Association for Computing Machinery.