IEEE CIS > About CIS

Constitution

ARTICLE I - NAME, PURPOSE, AND FIELD OF INTEREST

Section 1.

The name of this organization is IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, hereinafter and in all other regulating documents referred to as CIS or "the Society."

Section 2.

The Society is established and organized within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., hereinafter called IEEE or "the IEEE."
The Society will comply with the IEEE purposes, regulations, governance, and activities.

Section 3.

The Society aims to bring together the community of scientists, engineers, professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, government persons, educators, and whoever is interested or involved in the field of interest hereinafter defined, from all over the world. The Society is scientific, technical, literary and educational in character to provide a forum for the discussion and the exchange of information to advance the theory and the practice in such a field of interest. The Society also supports the advancement of the professional standing of its members and their continuous education and encourages compliance with the standards of ethical and professional conduct as set forth by the IEEE.

Section 4.

The Society promotes close cooperation and exchange of technical information among its members and with other professional societies and individuals who share common interests in its field of interest from all over the world, by means of technical committees, public meetings, publications, educational activities, standards, and any other activities which are necessary, suitable, and proper for the fulfillment of these objectives.

Section 5.

The Field of Interest of the Society is the theory, design, application, and development of biologically and linguistically motivated computational paradigms emphasizing neural networks, connectionist systems, genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, fuzzy systems, and hybrid intelligent systems in which these paradigms are contained.

ARTICLE II - BYLAWS AND OPERATIONS MANUAL

Section 1.

Society Bylaws shall be established for the purposes of governing the operation and the administration of the Society, by detailing the general principles defined in this Constitution.

Section 2.

A Society Operations Manual shall be established for the purposes of providing the detailed procedures according to which the Society operates, is administered, and realizes its activities, by implementing the principles defined in this Constitution and the guidelines described in the Society's Bylaws.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

The membership of the Society is available to all members of the IEEE, of any grade, who are interested in the field of interest of the Society and pay the appropriate Society membership dues.

Section 2.

Individuals who are not IEEE members and are interested in the field of interest of the Society are accepted as CIS Affiliates if they pay the appropriate Society membership dues.

Section 3.

Voting privileges in the Society are held only by Society members in all IEEE grades of membership higher than Student.

Section 4.

Individuals who are not Society members, IEEE members or CIS Affiliates will not be admitted to any rights and privileges of Society activities other than publishing papers, participating in Society technical meetings, educational activities and dissemination events, and receiving technical awards, unless differently stated in the Society's Bylaws or the Society's Operations Manual.

ARTICLE IV - FINANCES

Section 1.

The Society may collect annual dues and fees from its members and Affiliates.

Section 2.

The Society may charge fees for attending its meetings, educational activities, and dissemination events, for publishing manuscripts accepted in its journals and conference proceedings, for using its services, and for its cooperation in activities and events.

Section 3.

The Society may raise revenues by other means (such as advertising, exhibitions, shows, publication sales, requests for contributions, donations).

ARTICLE V - TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES

Section 1.

The Society may sponsor and/or organize technical activities (such as research on theoretical and application issues, technical forums), either alone or in cooperation with other Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or other technical organizations.

Section 2.

Technical activities will be directed to foster the advancement of the theory and practice in the field of interest of the Society, the interaction among scientists and professionals, and the development of the Society.

Section 3.

The Society will be responsible for defining the scope of the material for technical activities, either alone or, in the case of in-cooperation activities, with other cooperating Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

The Society will be responsible for the financial aspects of technical activities that are sponsored by the Society, either alone or, in the case of co-sponsored activities, with other co-sponsoring Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

ARTICLE VI - TECHNICAL MEETINGS

Section 1.

The Society may sponsor and/or hold technical meetings (such as congresses, conferences, symposia, workshops, lecture series, tutorials, conventions), either alone or in cooperation with other Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or other technical organizations.

Section 2.

Technical meetings will be directed to foster the advancement of the theory and practice in the field of interest of the Society, its awareness, the dissemination of related knowledge, the interaction among attendees, and the development of the Society.

Section 3.

The Society will be responsible for defining the scope of the material to be presented at technical meetings, either alone or, in the case of in-cooperation technical meetings, with other cooperating Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

The Society will be responsible for the financial aspects of technical meetings that are sponsored by the Society, either alone or, in the case of co-sponsored technical meetings, with other cosponsoring Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

Section 4.

Technical meetings shall be open to all IEEE members on an equal basis, regardless of their possible membership in the Society.

ARTICLE VII - PUBLICATIONS

Section 1.

The Society may sponsor publications (such as Transactions, Journals, Magazines, or other products) through any publication media, either alone or in cooperation with other Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or other technical organizations.

Section 2.

The Society publications will be directed to foster advancement and awareness of the theory and practice in the field of interest of the Society, to disseminate the related knowledge, and to aid in development of the Society.

Section 3.

The Society will be responsible for defining the scope of a publication, either alone or, in the case of in-cooperation publications, with other cooperating Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

The Society will be responsible for the financial aspects of publications that are sponsored by the Society, either alone or, in the case of co-sponsored publications, with other co-sponsoring Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

ARTICLE VIII - EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Section 1.

The Society may promote and/or hold educational activities (such as tutorials, courses) through any dissemination media, either alone or jointly with other Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or other technical organizations.

Section 2.

Educational activities will foster the awareness about the field of interest of the Society, disseminate the related knowledge, promote the professional standing of persons in such a field, and aid in development of the Society.

Section 3.

The Society will be responsible for defining the scope of the material to be presented in educational activities, either alone or, in the case of in-cooperation activities, with other cooperating Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

The Society will be responsible for the financial aspects of educational activities that are sponsored by the Society, either alone or, in the case of co-sponsored activities, with other cosponsoring Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

ARTICLE IX - MEMBERS ACTIVITIES

Section 1.

The Society may promote and/or organize activities and services for members other than technical meetings, publications, educational activities, through any media, either alone or jointly with other Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or other technical organizations.

Section 2.

The activities and services for members referred above will be directed to promote the professional standing of members of the Society, the networking among them and with persons involved in the field of interest of the Society, and the development of the Society.

Section 3.

The Society will be responsible for defining the scope of the material to be presented in these activities and services for members, either alone or, in the case of in-cooperation activities, with other cooperating Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

The Society will be responsible for the financial aspects of activities and services that are sponsored by the Society, either alone or, in the case of co-sponsored activities, with other cosponsoring Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or technical organizations.

ARTICLE X - STANDARDS

Section 1.

The Society may promote standards, either alone or jointly with other Organizational Units of the IEEE and/or other technical organizations.

Section 2.

The standardization activities will be promoted to foster the advancement of the practice in the field of interest of the Society, and the development of the Society.

ARTICLE XI - GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Section 1.

The Administrative Committee (hereinafter called also ADCOM) is established to govern and administer the Society. The ADCOM defines the strategies and policies to manage the Society and realize the societal purpose, monitors the Society's activities, and evaluates the outcomes.

Section 2.

The Executive Committee (hereinafter called also EXCOM) is established as a Standing Committee of the ADCOM to implement the ADCOM strategies, policies, and decisions, and to coordinate the Society operations. The EXCOM is concerned with the day-to-day affairs of the Society.

Section 3.

The ADCOM is composed of:
(a) the Officers of the Society, as defined hereinafter,
(b) fifteen ADCOM Members-at-Large, as defined hereinafter.

Section 4.

The Officers of the Society are:
(a) the President,
(b) the Immediate Past President,
(c) the President-Elect,
(d) the Vice President for Conferences,
(e) the Vice President for Education,
(f) the Vice President for Finances,
(g) the Vice President for Members Activities,
(h) the Vice President for Publications,
(i) the Vice President for Technical Activities.

Section 5.

The ADCOM Members-at-Large are the representatives of the Society members.

Section 6.

The EXCOM is composed of the Officers of the Society.

Section 7.

The President is the presiding Officer of the Society, chairs the ADCOM and the EXCOM, and represents the Society.

The President is an ex-officio voting member of all CIS Committees, except the following Standing Committees which will be defined in the Society's Bylaws: Awards Committee, Fellows Committee, and Nominations Committee. The President cannot be nominated to be a member of the Awards Committee, Fellows Committee, and Nominations Committee.

Section 8.

At the end of the respective terms, the President-Elect becomes the President, then the Immediate Past President, and finally the Past President. The Past President is not an Officer of the Society.

Section 9.

The Vice Presidents, the Immediate Past President, the Past President, and the President-Elect assist the President in his/her duties as defined in the Society's Bylaws.

Section 10.

The ADCOM shall meet at least once per year. A majority of the voting members of the ADCOM shall constitute a quorum.

Section 11.

All ADCOM members have voting privileges in the ADCOM meetings, except the one presiding the meeting.

The ADCOM member chairing the ADCOM meeting has voting privileges if the vote is by secret ballot or if his/her vote can change the outcome of the vote.

Section 12.

All EXCOM members have voting privileges in the EXCOM meetings, except the one chairing the meeting.

The EXCOM member chairing the EXCOM meeting has voting privileges if the vote is by secret ballot or if his/her vote can change the outcome of the vote.

Section 13.

The Society's Bylaws shall establish Standing Committees to assist the ADCOM in specific areas of the Society activities.

ARTICLE XII - VACANCIES

Section 1.

The existence of a vacancy among the members of the ADCOM will be determined by the ADCOM in accordance with the Society's Bylaws.

Section 2.

Vacancies shall be filled by ADCOM in accordance with the Society's Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1.

The Nominations Committee is responsible of managing the nomination process for the ADCOM Members-at-Large and for the Officers as specified by the Society's Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIV - AMENDMENTS

Section 1.

Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, by the ADCOM, or by petition submitted by at least two percent of the total number of voting members of the Society as listed in the official membership records at the end of the previous year.

The Society President shall distribute any proposed amendment to the members of the ADCOM, at least thirty days prior to the ADCOM meeting in which the amendment will be considered.

Any proposed amendment needs to be approved by at least two-thirds of the ADCOM members. After ADCOM approval, the proposed amendment shall be submitted by the Society President to the Chairperson of the IEEE Technical Activities Board for approval.

After IEEE Technical Activities Board approval, the proposed amendment shall be publicized to the Society membership in the CIS Magazine and/or by direct mailing to all Society members, with notice that it will become effective unless at least ten percent of the voting members of the Society object in writing within thirty days after the publication or the beginning of the direct mailing.

If this number of objections is received, a copy of the proposed amendment shall be mailed with a ballot to all voting members of the Society at least thirty days before the date appointed for return of the ballots, and the ballots shall carry a statement of the time limit for their return to the IEEE office. The amendment is enacted if it is approved by at least two-thirds of the ballots that have been legally cast.

Section 2.

Amendments to the Constitution shall become effective thirty days after all necessary approvals and notifications, unless a later date has been specified at the time the vote is taken. If the amendment changes the membership of the ADCOM, the current ADCOM members shall continue to serve until their individual term expires.

Section 3.

Amendments to the Society's Bylaws may be initiated by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, by the EXCOM, by the ADCOM, or by petition submitted by at least two percent of the total number of voting members of the Society as listed in the official membership records at the end of the previous year.

The Society President shall distribute any proposed amendment to the members of the ADCOM, at least thirty days prior to the ADCOM meeting in which the amendment will be considered. Any proposed amendment needs to be approved by at least two-thirds of the ADCOM members who are present at the meeting.

Section 4.

Amendments to the Society's Bylaws shall become effective thirty days after all necessary approvals and notifications, unless a later date has been specified at the time the vote is taken.

 
18 August 2007, version 8.4