TCVLSI Charter

Our Charter

IEEE COMPUTER SOCIETY

CHARTER STATEMENT FOR TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON VLSI

Established August 1996

Article I – Organization and Affiliation

1.1 This organization is the Technical Committee on Very Large Scale Integration, also known as “TCVLSI”. It is a constituent part of the IEEE Computer Society and operates under the rules and policies of that society. The IEEE Computer Society (“IEEE-CS”) is a constituent society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (“IEEE”).

1.2 The TC will act in all matters within the parameters of IEEE-CS rules and policies, and with due regard for the tax exempt status of IEEE-CS.

Article II – Purpose

2.1 Provide a forum for exchange of ideas among interested practitioners, researchers, developers, maintainers, users and students in the technical field.

2.2 Promote and facilitate the sharing of ideas, techniques, standards, and experiences between TC members for more effective use of technology.

2.3 Conduct workshops, conferences, and other meetings to advance both the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice in the technical area.

2.4 Publish and distribute among its members, and other IEEE-CS parties, newsletters, proceedings, standards proposals, and other appropriate material on a non-profit basis.

2.5 Provide professional development opportunities for members in the technical area and related technologies.

2.6 Foster other activities for the advancement of the field and the interests of the TC membership within the scope of the TC’s charge under the rules of the IEEE-CS, including cooperating with other groups in joint activities and projects.

Article III – Membership

3.1 Any individual who files an application for membership which is forwarded to the IEEE-CS headquarters for inclusion in the database is eligible for membership in the TC.

3.2 Membership in the IEEE or the IEEE-CS is not required for membership in the TC, but is encouraged.

3.3 Members are required to maintain a current mailing address with the IEEE-CS headquarters. Members who cannot be located may be dropped from membership.

3.4 If the TC at any time establishes membership dues, the payment of such dues for the current period (or within an established administrative grace period) is required to establish and/or maintain membership in the TC.

3.5 Members of the TC who are Computer Society members will receive benefits that non-Computer Society members will not receive, such as the right to vote in elections, hold elected office, or receive free copies of TC newsletters.

Article IV – Officers and Executive Committee

4.1 The officers of the TC are the Chair, Executive Vice Chair, Past Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chair for Conferences, Newsletter Editor, and other vice Chairs as is necessary.

4.2 The Vice Chairs are appointed by the TC Chair for a term equal to that of the Chair. Vice Chairs are eligible for reappointment.

4.3 The Executive Committee (“ExComm”) of the TC is chaired by the TC Chair, directs the operations of the TC and determines the budget and nature of TC activities. The ExComm serves as a source of guidance on policy, a resource for special projects, and for contact with the membership at large. The ExComm consists of all the officers of the TC listed in 4.1.

4.4 The quorum for transaction of ExComm business is 50% of its membership or 5 members, whichever is less. Unless otherwise specified, all actions before the TC ExComm require a majority vote of a quorum of the TC ExComm.

4.5 A minimum of one TC ExComm meeting will be held each year. Other meetings may be called by the Chair, or a majority of the ExComm members. The ExComm may meet and transact business by telephone conference call or email, provided members without email are informed of the business being addressed. ExComm members unable to attend TC ExComm meetings may submit a proxy to the TC Secretary, in writing, by mail, fax, or electronic mail.

4.6 Inactive ExComm members may be removed by the TC Chair. Vacancies in the ExComm arising in any way are filled by appointment of the TC Chair.

4.7 Officer Responsibilities

4.7.1 The duties and responsibilities of the TC Chair are specified by the rules and procedures of the IEEE-CS Technical Activities Board. In addition to those duties, the TC Chair appoints the TC officers, subcommittee chairs, and the members of the Executive Committee. The Chair submits an annual report and budget request to TAB, attends at least two TAB meetings per year, and assists with the transition to a new Chair at the end of the term, providing orientation to the newly elected Chair before becoming Past Chair.

4.7.2 The Executive Vice Chair assumes the duties of Chair in the absence of the Chair. The individual designated as Executive Vice Chair may simultaneously serve in another officer capacity.

4.7.3 The Past Chair is responsible for advising and assisting the Chair in execution of the business of the TC as requested by the Chair. The Past Chair may simultaneously serve in another officer capacity.

4.7.4 The TC Secretary keeps and publishes the minutes of ExComm meetings, and handles such other correspondence and duties as are assigned by the TC Chair. The Secretary handles mailing and tabulation of ballots when mail votes are held.

4.7.5 The Treasurer prepares an annual operating budget, collects and maintains account of funds received and expended, and coordinates financial matters with the IEEE-CS.

4.7.6 The Vice Chair for Conferences reviews and approves all requests for TC sponsorship, co-sponsorship, or cooperation on conferences, symposia, and other technical meetings, in coordination with the IEEE-CS.

4.7.7 The Newsletter Editor is responsible for editing and publishing the TC newsletter, and coordinating communication of TC news and information.

4.7.8 The TC Chair may from time to time appoint additional Vice Chairs with specified portfolios, such as Publicity, Education, Awards, Activities, Future Trends, and Standards.

4.7.9 The TAB Handbook specifies the roles and responsibilities of the TC Chair.

Article V – Subcommittees

5.1 The TC Chair, in consultation with the ExComm, may from time to time charter additional subcommittees with specified scopes of interest within the technical field. The chartered subcommittee will conduct business according to their charter and the subcommittee chair will report to the TC the results of the activities of the subcommittee. The subcommittee chair will be appointed by the TC Chair based on the nomination from the subcommittee. When establishing the subcommittee or in absence of a nomination from the subcommittee, the TC Chair will appoint a Subcommittee Chair.

5.2 Any charter statement or operating rules of a subcommittee are subject to the approval of the TC ExComm.

5.3 Subcommittees must operate within the rules and policies of the TC and the IEEE-CS.

Article VI – TC Elections

6.1 The technical committee shall hold an election for the position of Chair. The TC Chair is elected for a two (2) year term. The term of office begins January 1. The TC Chair must be an IEEE-CS member, and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

6.2 To vote in elections, a TC member must be both a member of the TC and a member of the Computer Society.

6.3 In the event of a tie, the TC ExComm will vote to break the tie and select the new Chair. Any issue or dispute with any part of the election process is decided by the TAB Vice President.

6.4 Election Procedure

6.4.1 The TC forms a Nominations Committee to handle nominations for the TC Chair and any other elected positions. It is suggested, though not required, that at least one of the members be the current or a former TC Chair. No one who is serving on the Nominations Committee may be selected as a nominee.

6.4.2 The Nominations Committee solicits nominations from TC members and the ExComm for the office of TC Chair. Additional petition candidates will be accepted and must be endorsed by at least 50 signatures to be considered. A petition begins by the candidate notifying the Nominations Committee of an intent to run. Recognizing the distributed nature of the TC membership, members may join a petition for nomination individually before the deadline by signed letter, facsimile transmission, or electronic mail message that can be validated.

6.4.3 Upon closure of nominations, the Nominations Committee by majority vote submits to the Secretary a list of at least two (2) candidates. The slate of candidates must be approved by the TC ExComm. If there are less than two (2) candidates, the slate must be approved by the TAB Vice President.

6.4.4 The ExComm Secretary or the Nominations Committee will prepare the ballot, and arrange for mailing to the membership, and return of the ballots by a determined date. The ballot should contain candidate names alphabetical by family name, biographical information, and position statements including involvement in the TC. No distinction will be made on the ballot between candidates nominated by committee or petition. The ballot mailing should allow for at least two months from mailing to election deadline.

6.4.5 The ballot and candidate information may be mailed as part of the TC newsletter or as a special mailing to members. All eligible TC members must be given the opportunity to vote. Ballots are returned to the TC Secretary or other designee. Ballots will contain sufficient identification of the TC member to enable validation of the member’s right to vote. However, the TC Secretary will protect the confidentiality of all member votes.

6.4.6 The Secretary or designee will arrange for collection and counting of ballots. The chair of the nominations committee will announce the election results within 30 days of the close of the election and prepare an election report, per TAB guidelines, for the TC membership and TAB Vice President.

6.4.7 The candidate receiving the most valid votes will be elected. No intermediate counts will be revealed. Final numeric vote totals will be released only to the candidates and the TAB Vice President.

Article VII – Amendment of Charter Statement

7.1 This Charter Statement may be amended by approval of a quorum of the ExComm. Any amendment is subject to the approval of the IEEE-CS through its Vice President for Technical Activities.