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Bylaws of the IEEE Photonics Society

1. Bylaws These Bylaws provide detailed guidance for the supervision and management of the affairs of the IEEE Photonics Society in accordance with Article IX, Section 2 of the Society Constitution.

2. Membership The Society membership categories are Member, Student Member, Honorary Life Member, and Society Affiliate. Membership in the Society shall be available to all members of the IEEE and those eligible to be Society Affiliates by paying the appropriate annual membership dues described in Bylaw 8.1.

2.1. Members Full Membership in the Society shall be available to the following classes of members of the IEEE by paying the annual membership dues described in Bylaw 8.1.: Graduate Student Member, Associate, Member, Senior Member, and Fellow.

2.2. Student Members Any student who is a Student Member of the IEEE may become a Student Member of the Society, with all the privileges of membership except that Student Members may not vote in elections or serve on the Board of Governors.

2.3. Honorary Life Members Honorary Life Membership in the Society may be bestowed upon an outstanding member of the profession who fulfills the following minimum requirements: 

A.  Shall have made significant technical contributions in the Field of Interest of the Society;
B. Shall have performed outstanding services to the profession, to the IEEE, and to the Society;
C. Shall have been a member of the Society or a Society of its predecessor Council for a total of at least ten years;
D. Shall have been an Elected Member of the Society Administrative Committee, Board of Governors, or the Administrative Committee of its predecessor Council.

2.3.1. Honorary Life Members are exempt from the payment of the annual Society dues.

2.4. Society Affiliates Members of certain non-IEEE societies with which the Society has agreements may become Affiliates of the Society, subject to the policies and Bylaws of the IEEE. Affiliates of the Society may vote in Society elections and may hold any office in the Society except that of President, which is an IEEE office by nature of its position on the IEEE Technical Activities Board. (Note that Affiliates are not eligible for many of the benefits associated with IEEE membership.)

2.5. Special Provisions Reduction of the Society dues shall be made for Students, Life Members, unemployed members, retired members, and such other special categories as may be provided in IEEE rules and regulations.

3. Board of Governors Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution provides that the Board of Governors shall consist of up to 21 voting members. There may be fewer than 21 voting members if a voting member holds more than one of the following positions With Vote, and/or in the event that the position of President-Elect is vacant.

3.1. Members Twelve Members of the Board of Governors shall be known as Elected Members and shall be elected by the voting members of the Society. The President, the President-Elect (when the office is filled), the Past President, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall also be Members of the Board of Governors.

3.2. Ex-Officio Members Ex-Officio Members may or may not be voting members, as prescribed below. All Ex‐Officio Members shall be members of the Society.

3.2.1. Ex-Officio Members With Vote The Vice Presidents shall be Ex-Officio Members With Vote of the Board of Governors with voting privileges on all matters except for adopting or amending Bylaws.

3.2.2. Ex-Officio Members Without Vote The following shall be Ex-Officio Members Without Vote of the Board of Governors, except where they may otherwise qualify as voting members: Standing and Ad Hoc Committee Chairs, Editors and Editors-in-Chief of Society publications, Associate Vice Presidents, Chapter Chairs, Technical Committee Chairs, duly appointed Representatives to IEEE Councils, Steering Committees, and other intersociety committees, the General Chair of the Annual Meeting, and the Executive Director.

3.2.3. The President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors, may appoint additional Ex-Officio Members Without Vote.

3.3. Participation In order to ensure a continuously active Board of Governors, any Elected Member or Ex-Officio Member with vote who misses two consecutive meetings shall be dropped from membership on the Board. This provision may be waived at the discretion of the President, or by a vote of the Board of Governors, in the event of extenuating circumstances.

3.4. Vacancies Vacancies shall be filled by appointments by the President for the unexpired terms, with the consent of the Board of Governors.

3.5 Action of the Board of Governors and committees thereof.

A. The vote of a majority of the votes of the members present and entitled to vote, at the time of vote, provided a quorum is present, shall be the act of the Board of Governors or any committee thereof.
B. The Board of Governors or any committee thereof may meet and act upon the vote of its members by any means of telecommunication. The normal voting requirements shall apply when action is taken by means of telecommunications equipment allowing all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time.
C. The Board of Governors or any committee thereof may take action on a pressing issue without a meeting if deemed appropriate by the President or committee chair (e.g., email voting). A final vote count is to be carried out no sooner than 7 days after the balloting date in order to allow time for exchange of information. An affirmative vote of a majority of all the voting members of the Board of Governors or any committee thereof shall be required to approve the action. The results of the vote shall be confirmed promptly in writing or by electronic transmission. The writings and/or electronic transmissions shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Governors or any committee thereof. “Electronic transmission” means any form of electronic communication, such as e- mail, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient.
D. Voting. Individuals holding more than one position on the Board of Governors or any committee thereof shall be limited to one vote on each matter being considered by the Board of Governors or committee.
E. Proxy voting is not allowed.

3.6 Rules Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) shall govern the conduct of Board of Governors meetings on all matters not otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Constitution.

3.7. Vote of the Presiding Officer The presiding officer of the Board of Governors shall have no vote on the Board of Governors except if the vote is by secret ballot or unless the Chair’s vote can change the outcome of the vote.

4. Nominations and Appointments Committee
The President will present a five member N&A committee slate to the BoG for their approval at the fall meeting each year. The committee will serve a one-year term beginning January 1 of the following year. N&A committee members may not be considered as candidates for any position nominated or recommended by the N&A committee during their term of service. The Chair of the N&A committee shall be the most recent available Past-President. N&A Committee Members shall be the Chair, the most recent available past N&A Chair, and three Society members nominated by the President to serve. The Society Executive Director shall sit on the N&A Committee as a non-voting member.

4.1 BoG Candidate Selection (every year)
In accordance with the Society Bylaws, the N&A committee shall solicit recommendations for nominations to fill four Board of Governors vacancies each year and shall finalize a slate at an Executive Session consisting of the voting members of the BoG just prior to the first BoG meeting of the year.

At that Executive Session the Chair (or representative) of the Nominating Committee shall present a list of at least eight candidates and eight alternate candidates for the four Board of Governors vacancies. The Executive Session members will receive material from the Nominating Committee to support their recommendation and then shall vote to determine the order of preference. Subsequent to this meeting, the Nominating Committee shall start at the top of the list, in order of preference, and solicit each nominee to determine whether or not the individual wishes to stand for election. After eight candidates have agreed to stand for election, the Chair of the Nominating Committee shall instruct the preparation and mailing of a ballot containing the eight Board of Governors candidates and those nominated by petition. The ballot shall include photographs and biographies emphasizing IEEE/IEEE Photonics Society activities. Further, the ballot shall include provision for write-in votes, and shall clearly state the deadline for ballots to be returned.

4.2 President-Elect Selection (even years only)
In years when a President-Elect is to be selected, the N&A committee shall begin early in the year to attempt to contact available Past-Presidents, current voting members of the board, and available past voting members of the board from the previous six years to solicit nominations for President-Elect. All current and past voting members of the board, excluding those serving on the N&A committee in that year, shall be considered eligible candidates.

At a closed meeting of the N&A committee held within 8 weeks of the first BoG meeting of the year, a slate of candidates for President-Elect will be prepared from among the preliminary list of candidates collected. Candidates will be contacted sequentially to determine their willingness to serve until a final slate of one or more candidate(s) is determined. The final candidate(s) will be given the opportunity to provide, and guidelines for preparing, written biographical information and a statement of purpose. The final slate, together with materials provided by the candidate(s), will be made available to voting members of BoG at least 8 weeks before the fall BoG meeting. The President-Elect will be selected/appointed at that meeting by a majority vote of the BoG.

4.2.1. Petition signature requirements
For each elective office of the Society, individual voting members eligible to vote in such election may nominate candidates either by a written petition or by majority vote at a nomination meeting of the organizational unit, provided such nominations are made at least 28 days before the date of election. The number of signatures required on a petition shall be determined in accordance with IEEE Bylaws as follows. For all positions where the electorate is less than 30,000 voting members, signatures shall be required from 2% of the eligible voters. For all positions where the electorate is more than 30,000 voting members, 600 signatures of eligible voters plus 1% of the difference between the number of eligible voters and 30,000 shall be required.

Members shall be notified of all duly made nominations prior to the election. Prior to submission of a nomination petition, the petitioner shall have determined that the nominee named in the petition is willing to serve, if elected; evidence of such willingness to serve shall be submitted with the petition.

Signatures can be submitted electronically through the official IEEE society annual election website, orby signing and mailing a paper petition. The name of each member signing the paper petition shall be clearly printed or typed. For identification purposes of signatures on paper petitions, membership numbers or addresses as listed in the official IEEE membership records shall be included. Only signatures submitted electronically through the IEEE society annual elections website or original signatures on paper petitions shall be accepted. Facsimiles, or other copies of the original signature, shall not be accepted.

The number of signatures required on a petition shall depend on the number of eligible society voters, as listed in the official IEEE membership records at the end of the calendar year preceding the election.

4.3. IEEE Committees In accordance with IEEE Bylaws, the duties of the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall include the submission of nominations for office of Division Director and the annual solicitation of names of candidates to be considered for service on IEEE and Division-level committees and boards.

4.4. Election of Board of Governors Members The election of four Board of Governors members shall be by vote of the Society membership other than Students. The election shall be conducted by postal or electronic ballot at the discretion of the Board of Governors, provided that any ballot shall be conducted in accordance with procedures adopted by the IEEE. The names of those elected will be reported to the Society President, Executive Director, and the Managing Director of Technical Activities at IEEE Headquarters. If a tie(s) occurs, ballot by the Elected Members of the Board of Governors shall resolve the tie(s). The Society President shall then notify all candidates of the results.

4.5. Secretary-Treasurer The Past President, not later than December 1, shall submit the name of a proposed Secretary-Treasurer for the following year to the Board of Governors for approval. The nominee shall be a current or past Elected Member of the Board of Governors. Preference shall be given to selection of a currently Elected Member of the Board of Governors.

4.6. Honorary Life Members Nominations for Honorary Life Member of the Society may be made by any member of the Board of Governors, or by a petition signed by at least 50 voting members of the Society. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the members of the Board of Governors, excluding abstentions, will be required to elect an Honorary Life Member.

5. Officers The officers of the Society shall be the President, President-Elect (when the office is filled), Past President, Secretary-Treasurer, and the Vice Presidents.

5.1. Term of Officers The term of the President and the Past President is for two years from January 1 through December 31 of the following year. The term of all other officers is for one year from January 1 through December 31. However, the President-Elect becomes President the following year serving for a period of two years, and continues to serve as a Member of the Board of Governors for two subsequent years as Past President. A President-Elect is only elected in every second year. Vice-Presidents and the Secretary-Treasurer may serve no more than three consecutive years in their respective positions.

5.2. Continuity of Terms Section 5.1 notwithstanding, all Officers with the exception of the President-Elect shall continue to serve until their successors take office. The President-Elect will continue to serve until taking office as President. If the post of President becomes vacant during the period of office, the President-Elect will succeed with immediate effect. If the post of President-Elect is unfilled, the Past President will assume the duties of President until such time as the Board of Governors elects a successor on the advice of the Nominating Committee. A successor will normally be elected at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Governors immediately following the time at which the post of President becomes vacant, failing which the successor must be elected at the next scheduled meeting of the Board of Governors. A President elected part-way through a calendar year will serve until the end of the year (December 31) and then for a further two years.

5.3. Duties of the President In addition to the duties specified in the Constitution, the President shall oversee the affairs of the Society, and shall speak for the Society on all matters not specifically delegated to others.

5.4. Duties of the President-Elect The President-Elect shall fulfill the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the latter and shall perform such other functions as the President of the Society shall direct. The President-Elect will normally accompany the President or the substitute of the President to meetings of Technical Activities Board.

5.5. Duties of the Past President The Past President serves as an advisor to the President and may be assigned specific duties by the President. At times when the post of President-Elect is unfilled, the Past President shall fulfill the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the latter. As noted elsewhere in these Bylaws, the Past President shall chair the Nominating Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. The Past President may, at the President’s request, substitute for the President as the representative of the Society in Technical Activities Board meetings.

5.6. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for oversight of the records of the Board of Governors in the areas commonly ascribable to that function. The responsibilities of the Secretary-Treasurer will be to:

A. Ensure that the Executive Office keeps records and minutes; conduct voting by the Board of Governors in meetings or by mail ballot; keep appropriate copies of all Board of Governors meeting notices, minutes of meetings, and other material of an archival nature in the Executive Office; submit records and reports to the Secretary of the IEEE Technical Activities Board as necessary; and prepare and distribute reports, notices, or such documents as may be required by the President and the Board of governors.
B. Request and maintain records of all committees including membership rosters.
C. Collect and disburse Society funds under the direction of the Board of Governors.
D. Prepare the annual Society budget and report the financial condition of the Society to the Board of Governors at each meeting.

5.7. Vice Presidents The President shall appoint, subject to consent of the Board of Governors, the following Vice Presidents: Conferences; Membership and Regional Activities, Professional and Technical Development, and Publications. Normally, candidates for appointment as Vice Presidents shall have had experience in the field for which nominated.

5.8. Executive Director Subject to compliance with all applicable IEEE Bylaws and Policies, the Society may create an Executive Office supported by IEEE staff. The Society’s Executive Office functions to coordinate and carry-out the day-to-day operations, policies and procedures concerning all aspects of the Society’s business. The Office also maintains corporate memory and provides ongoing and ad hoc management reports/documents. In addition, the Society’s Executive Office serves as one of the Society’s primary points of contact for both members and IEEE staff. Subject to compliance with all applicable IEEE Bylaws and Policies, the Society may determine the budget for the Executive Office. The staff is hired by the IEEE and all conditions of employment will be based upon IEEE Bylaws, staff policies and practices and all applicable laws and regulations. Office organization, job descriptions, IEEE staff policies and employment practices are available from the IEEE Human Resources Department.

The Society Executive Director is the most senior position on the IEEE staff that supports the Society, and as such, he/she manages and develops, personally and through subordinate management staff, the paid IEEE staff members that support the Society’s operations and activities. The Society Executive Director supports the Society President, officers, and volunteer leadership to achieve the Society goals. This Society Executive Director reports through the Managing Director, Technical Activities, to the IEEE Executive Director.

6. Chapters Chapters are technical groups of Members and Affiliates of the Society organized on a geographical basis. They are organized and operated as specified in the IEEE Bylaws.

7. Publications The Society shall sponsor such publications as are approved by the Board of Governors, including a Newsletter and a Society website. The Vice President (Publications), with the advice of the Publications Council and the consent of the Board of Governors, shall appoint an Editor or Editor-in-Chief for each publication other than the Newsletter. The Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities) with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors shall appoint an Editor for the Newsletter.

7.1. Duties of Editors The Editors shall be responsible for implementing the publication program defined by the Board of Governors and in accordance with IEEE rules and regulations. The Editors shall designate Associate Editors, Guest Editors, and manuscript reviewers as necessary.

7.2. Terms of Editors The Editors shall serve three-year term and may be reappointed for a second three-year term. The Editors shall not serve more than six consecutive years.

7.2.1. Associate Editors The Editors may appoint Associate Editors as required, with the approval of the Vice President (Publications) and the Publications Council. The Associate Editors shall serve for either one- or three-year terms and may be reappointed for additional terms, not to exceed a total of six years. The terms of the Associate Editors shall be staggered to provide continuity.

7.3. Publications Budgets Financial and page budgets for each publication shall be subject to review and approval of the Board of Governors. Each Editor is explicitly responsible for adherence to the annual publication page budget.

7.4. Joint Publications The Society may enter into agreements to sponsor publications jointly with other IEEE entities and/or non-IEEE entities. For each such publication, a committee shall be established as Trustees for the publication. The President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors and review and approval by IEEE, shall execute agreements to implement Society publication policy as necessary. Society representatives to such committees shall be appointed by the Vice President (Publications). These committees for such publications may propose their own makeup and rules, with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors.

7.5. Newsletter A Newsletter shall be published at least quarterly. The Editor, with the approval of the Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities) and the Membership Council, shall appoint Associate Editors as necessary to assure continuity and high-quality information for each issue. The Executive Office shall coordinate the composition, printing, and mailing of the Newsletter. It shall be provided to all members at no additional cost.

7.6 Society Website – The Society shall maintain a website as a primary means of communicating with the Membership, the profession, and the public at large. The Executive Office shall coordinate the composition and maintenance of the website. Access to the website shall be provided at no cost, but there may be areas with restricted access for Members, Society Officers, Editorial Boards, Conference Committees, and other groups approved by the Board of Governors.

8. Society Funds The Society may raise funds as specified in Article IV of the Constitution and in accordance with the IEEE Bylaws and Policy and Procedures Manual.

8.1. Dues The Board of Governors shall set the Dues for Society Membership annually, taking into account guidelines from IEEE. The Dues may be different for different classes of IEEE or Society member. This shall be done prior to June 30 of each year for the following year.

8.2. Funds IEEE Headquarters shall act as bursar for all Society funds except as specified hereunder. Billing and receipt of the annual dues shall be via the IEEE Membership and Fiscal Departments. All other fiscal affairs shall be handled through the Executive Office.

8.2.1. The budget of the Society and all its (co)sponsored technical conferences and topical meetings shall be submitted to the Board of Governors and to IEEE for approval.

8.3. Other Accounts The Vice President (Conferences) may, with the approval of the President and Secretary-Treasurer and subject to IEEE policy, authorize a conference treasurer or the Society Executive Director to open an account to be used for the deposit and disbursement of funds related to the conference. In each case, the Secretary-Treasurer shall be informed concerning the financial planning and fiscal summary. Conferences jointly sponsored with other technical societies are permitted when approved by the Board of Governors, and all IEEE requirements are met.

8.4. Cosponsored Conferences For other special circumstances, such as co-sponsorship of conferences, the Board of Governors shall make prudent arrangements to safeguard Society funds that may be involved.

8.5. Voluntary Page Charges A voluntary page charge, set annually by the IEEE, and shall be assessed against authors of papers accepted by archival journals. The Board of Governors shall make such arrangements to ensure that their payment or nonpayment will in no way influence the editorial practices of the Society.

8.6. Disbursements Disbursement of funds against previously budgeted and approved accounts may be made by the Secretary-Treasurer or the Society Executive Director without further Society approvals, provided that the total approved expenditures in any budget category are not exceeded by more than 5%. Disbursements exceeding previously budgeted or approved accounts by more than 5% but less than 10% require the approval of the Secretary-Treasurer, Society Executive Director, and the President. Disbursements that exceed previously budgeted or approved accounts by greater than 10% require approval by the Board of Governors. Any disbursements of funds must be consistent with approval requirements of IEEE Technical Activities.

9. Society Business The President and Officers shall conduct Society affairs within policy and guidance established by the Board of Governors and the IEEE, except where other additional authorization is required.

9.1. Board of Governors Meetings Under Article VIII Section 2 of the Constitution, the Board of Governors is required to meet at least two times each calendar year. Normally the Board of Governors will meet twice in each calendar year on a date within 10 days either side of, or during, the following conferences or their successors as recognized by the Board of Governors: Conference on Lasers and Electro‐Optics (CLEO) or the Optical Networking and Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), and the IEEE Photonics Society Annual Meeting. The meeting of the Board of Governors associated with the IEEE Photonics Society Annual Meeting shall be the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors specified in Article VIII Section 2 of the Constitution and shall be held not later than December 1. The Secretary-Treasurer for the following year will be elected and the Vice-Presidents for the following year will be confirmed at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.

9.2. Notwithstanding the provisions of 9.1, no Board of Governors meeting shall be held for the purpose of transacting business unless each Board of Governors member shall have been given notice of the time and place of such meeting at least twenty days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting.

9.3. Executive Coordinating Committee The Executive Committee (ExCom) shall consist of the President as the Chair of the ExCom, and the following members: the President-Elect, the Past-President, all the Vice Presidents, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Society Executive Director (non-voting). The Executive Committee at a minimum shall meet quarterly to review and conduct society business. The Executive Committee’s role is to oversee the implementation of the Society’s strategic plans including establishing priorities and guidelines for execution as approved by the Board of Governors (BoG). The ExCom shall also present any new strategies or tactics to the BoG for approval prior to implementation. The ExCom shall have operational responsibility for the Society’s finances.

9.4. Strategic Planning Committee The Strategic Planning Committee shall meet at a minimum twice per year. The Committee shall coordinate the development of the Society’s strategic plan for two to five years in the future. The Past President shall Chair the Committee. Standing members shall be the President, President-Elect (when the office is filled), the Vice Presidents, the Secretary-Treasurer, the twelve elected members of the Board of Governors, and the Society Executive Director. Other individuals may be invited as necessary to conduct the business of the Strategic Planning Committee.

9.5. Constitution and Bylaws Committee The Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall be the immediate past President of the Society. In the event of the incapacity or conflict of interest of the Chair, the Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall be the past Past President, or failing whom the most recent available Past Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Standing members shall be the President, the Secretary/Treasurer, and the Executive Director. The Committee shall meet at least once a year to consider and if necessary, propose revisions to the Bylaws and Constitution deemed necessary for the proper and efficient functioning of the Society.

9.6. Standing Committees The responsible Vice President shall appoint the Chair of each Standing Committee and request the Chair to appoint additional Committee members. Chairs of Standing Committees shall be Ex-Officio Members of the Board of Governors without vote. The terms of office of Standing Committee Chairs and members shall be for one year or until successors are appointed. The terms shall run from January 1 through December 31 each year, except for the Chair of the Fellows Evaluation Committee, which shall run from October 1 through September 30. No more than three consecutive years may be served as a Chair of a Standing Committee. The Standing Committees are Executive Committee, N & A Committee, Membership Council, Conference Council, Publications Council, Professional and Technical Development Council, Awards Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Diversity Oversight Committee, IPC Steering Committee, Board Of Editors, Standards Committee, Fellows Evaluation Committee, Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Globalization Committee, Industry Engagement, Committee, Humanitarian & Public Imperative Committee, Education Committee, Young Professionals Advisory Committee, Professional Advancement Committee and any others deemed necessary by the President and approved by the Board of Governors.

10. Vice President (Professional and Technical Development (PTD)
The Vice President (Professional and Technical Development) shall be responsible for professional and technical activities that contribute to advance the professional development of the members of the society. The Vice President leads in identifying opportunities for professionals to engage with the Society volunteering efforts. The Vice President will also lead in identifying emerging areas to create new programs around them. This position is supported by a Council formed by the chairs of the Industry Engagement, Advancement, Standards, Emerging Technologies Committees, and up to 3 additional members.

10.1. Councils Where it will further the interests of IEEE Photonics Society members, the Society may join with other IEEE Societies or entities to form a Council or similar entity, for the purpose of administering conferences.

10.1.1. When such action is contemplated, a specific description of the proposed Council and its Bylaws shall be circulated to all Board of Governors Members at least 20 days prior to the Board of Governors meeting at which the proposal will come up for approval. In all cases, the financial and appointive responsibility of member societies shall be completely delineated in the Bylaws of the Council.

10.1.2. Duly appointed Society Representatives to each Council, as designated by the Vice President (Professional and Technical Development), will serve as Ex-Officio Members of the Board of Governors Without Vote. The Society Representatives to Councils are limited to terms of three years unless otherwise provided.

11. Vice President (Publications) The Vice President (Publications) has responsibility for the following Society elements: archival journals, magazines, and Representatives to jointly sponsored publications.

11.1 Publications Council The Publications Council shall be chaired by the Vice President (Publications). The Chair with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors will appoint five voting members to the Council which will include at least one former Editor in Chief and at least one former or current elected member of the Board of Governors. In addition, the Publications Manager in the Executive Office will be an Ex-Officio Member of the Council Without Vote.

The Council has the following duties and responsibilities:

A. To assess and maintain guidance over the Society’s publications as a whole and recommend to the Board of Editors and the Board of Governors actions appropriate for the maintenance of high quality, timeliness, and coverage of the Field of Interest of the Society.
B. To review candidates and advise the Vice President (Publications) on the appointment of new Editors and Editors in Chief.
C. To review the performance of Editors in Chief, Editors and Associate Editors and where necessary recommend appropriate action, including replacement, to the Board of Governors
D. To review the need for new publications and the discontinuance of existing publications and make appropriate recommendations to the Board of Governors.

11.2 Board of Editors The Vice President (Publications), acting jointly with the Editors or Editors- in-Chief of Society publications and Representatives to jointly sponsored publications shall constitute a Board of Editors with duties and responsibilities to:

A. Review the Society’s publications in respect of quality, timeliness, and coverage of the scope of each journal and recommend good practice and corrective actions to the Editors and the Board of Governors.
B. Assist the Editors in the selection and recruitment of editorial personnel. Appointment of AssociateEditors shall require approval of the Vice President (Publications) and the Board of Governors.

12. Vice President (Conferences) The Vice President (Conferences) has responsibility for the following Society elements: Conferences Council, Conference Steering Committee Representatives, Society-sponsored and cosponsored conferences, topical meetings and workshops, and other intersociety functions involving conference activities. The Vice President (Conferences) shall serve as the Chair of the Conferences Council, recommend appointments for conference Steering and other intersociety committees, and recommend the Program Chair for the IEEE Photonics Conference.

12.1. Conferences Council The Vice President (Conferences) shall appoint members to the Conferences Council as necessary and serve as Chair. Voting membership will include the Chair, Chair of the Topical Meetings, and three members appointed by the Vice President (Conferences) selected to reflect the breadth of technical interests of the Society. The IEEE Photonics Society Executive Director and designated staff will serve as non-voting members. The Conferences Council will meet monthly, either face to face or by teleconference at dates and times agreed at the start of each calendar year.

It is the responsibility of the Conference Council to regularly review the Society’s meetings portfolio with the aim of identifying and resolving current issues and challenges as well as to make suggestions for new meetings, incorporating input from the VPPTD when appropriate. The Conference Council will also be responsible for reviewing and approving requests for technical co-sponsorship, Chairs and Representatives for selected conferences, and location and venue selections for the IEEE Photonics Conference.

12.2. Conference Steering Committees Major conferences of which the Society is a cosponsor with other professional societies, with shared financial responsibility and liabilities, shall normally be managed by a Steering Committee. The Conference Steering Committee members representing the Society shall be designated by the Vice President (Conferences) with the concurrence of the President. The appointments shall be made with staggered designated terms of tenure to assure continuity. The delegates to Steering Committees may be reappointed, but a delegate’s service shall be limited to six years. Conference Steering Committee Members shall be Ex-Officio Members of the Board of Governors without vote unless they otherwise qualify to vote. Steering Committee Members shall, among other duties pertaining to the Steering Committee:

A. Serve as liaison between the Board of Governors and the Steering Committee, reporting regularly to the President, the Vice President (Conferences), and the Board of Governors as appropriate or requested, and representing the interests of the Society to the Steering Committee.
B. Consult the VP Conferences, and Society President prior to voting on all major Steering Committee motions.
C. Work to ensure that the technical quality of the conference is high, and that it is managed effectively.
D. Work to ensure that the financial interests of the Society are effectively and fairly preserved.
E. Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the Steering Committee.

13. Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities) The Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities) has responsibility for the following Society elements: Membership Council, Chapters Committee, Education Activities, Society Newsletter and Society Website. The Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities) with the advice and consent of the Board of Governors shall appoint the Editor of the Newsletter, and five to nine Associate Vice Presidents segmented by the Society’s strategic areas of focus. The Associate Vice Presidents shall promote and support Membership, Chapters, and local activities within their area of focus, forming regional sub-committees as appropriate and subject to the approval of the Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities). In addition, the Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities) and the Membership Council are responsible for promoting awards nominations, Fellow nominations, and Society- sponsored activities.

13.1. Membership Council The Membership Council consists of the Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities), the President, the President-Elect, five to nine Associate Vice Presidents segmented by the Society’s strategic area of focus, the Editor of the Newsletter, and the four Board of Governors members serving the second year of their elected term. The Chair shall be the Vice President (Membership and Regional Activities). The VP of Membership will determine the Associate Vice Presidents’ strategic areas of focus during his/her term, with the approval of the Society President.

The Council shall encourage membership in the Society and has the following responsibilities and functions:

A. Make recommendations to the Board of Governors concerning all matters pertaining to the Society membership.
B. Promote the Society’s Field of Interest and develop and disseminate publicity and information of interest to potential members, to the Chapters, and to the Society membership.
C. Plan membership recruiting and retention campaigns and help in their execution.
D. Liaise with other Society entities to ensure that the interests of members are adequately addressed.
E. Provide assistance to members in becoming active in Society affairs.
F. Promote student membership and enhance relationships with universities engaged in the Society Field of Interest.
G. Develop and promote the Society’s Educational Activities.
H. Promote and assess IEEE Photonics Society Student Awards as approved by the Board of Governors.

13.2. Chapters Committee The functions of the Chapters Committee shall be to:

A. Compile information pertaining to the organization of Society Chapters.
B. Disseminate this information to the other Chapters and to the Membership Council.
C. Create and promote interest in the formation of new Chapters of the Society.
D. Work with Chapters to provide plans and methods for promoting successful Chapter meetings. Assist in providing topics, media, or speakers for Chapter meetings.
E. Assemble Chapter Chairs at a convenient conference to exchange ideas and uncover problems requiring Society attention.
F. Assemble annual reports from chapters for nominations as Chapter of the Year, Most Innovative Chapter, Most Improved Chapter, Chapter with the Largest Membership Increase, and Senior Member Initiative. The reports and recommendations for award recipients will be provided by August 31 of each year. The selected chapters shall receive a certificate along with $500 for the Chapter of the Year and $200 for the others.
G. Administer other Chapter Awards as approved by the Board of Governors.

14. Awards Committee The Chair of the Awards Committee shall either be a past Elected Member of the Board of Governors, a Past President, or an IEEE Fellow. The Awards Chair is appointed by the President. The committee will be comprised of nine members; four who are appointed by the Awards Chair, and five who are appointed by the Vice President (Professional and Technical Development). The functions of the Awards Committee will be to:

A. Nominate candidates for external awards and prizes in accordance with the requirements, requests, and rules and regulations of the IEEE or other Societies.
B. Recommend awards and honoraria to be included in the Society awards program, and the criteria to be used for evaluating candidates.
C. Select the recipients for Society-sponsored career awards. The Awards Committee may appoint sub-committees to assist in making selections.
D. Report to the Board of Governors concerning the geographical spread of nominated candidates.

The Awards Chair is also responsible for appointing the Chairs and assisting in the formation of the evaluation committees for the Distinguished Lecturer Awards, the Laser Instrumentation Award, and the Technical Skills Educator Award.

14.1.1. The Quantum Electronics Award shall be presented annually at a major conference sponsored by the Society. The award shall consist of an appropriately worded certificate, an honorarium of $4000, and a medal. Recipient(s) need not be a member of the Society or IEEE. Recipient(s) shall not be a previous winner of a major IEEE Medal or Field Award for the same work. The Quantum Electronics Award is given to honor an individual (or group of individuals) for outstanding technical contributions to quantum electronics, either in fundamentals or applications, or both. The award may be for a single contribution or for a distinguished series of contributions over a long period of time.

14.1.2. The IEEE Photonics Society Distinguished Lecturer Awards are presented to honor interesting speakers who have made technical, industrial, or entrepreneurial contributions of high quality and to enhance the programs of the Society Chapters. The Society shall present up to six Distinguished Lecturer Awards annually. This will include the potential for a one-year extension of Distinguished Lecturers who have met the minimum requirement of speaking before at least six chapters and who demonstrate unfulfilled requests from the Chapters. The extension is limited to one extra year. Lecturers who have been extended to a second year are included in the limit of up to six Lecturers at any one time. The awards shall consist of a plaque and travel expenses, not to exceed a limit per Lecturer per term set by the Board of Governors. The Lecturers will submit reasonable expense vouchers to the Executive Office for reimbursement. The recipients need not be members of the Society or IEEE. The Chapters may invite a Lecturer based on their interest in the topic, limited by the available travel funds and the Lecturer’s time constraints. The Lecturers will be available from July 1 of the year of election through June 30 of the following year.

14.1.3. The IEEE Photonics Society Award for Engineering Achievement shall be presented annually to recognize an exceptional engineering achievement which has had a significant impact on the development of photonic technology. It can be awarded to an individual, several individuals, or a team for engineering contributions first recognized in the ten years preceding the year in which the award is made. The award shall consist of an appropriately worded certificate, an honorarium of $2000, and a medal.

14.1.4. The IEEE Photonics Society William Streifer Award for Scientific Achievement shall be presented annually to recognize an exceptional scientific contribution which has had a significant impact in the field of lasers and electro-optics. It can be awarded to an individual, several individuals, or a team for engineering contributions first recognized in the ten years preceding the year in which the award is made. The award shall consist of an appropriately worded certificate, an honorarium of $2,500 and a medal.

14.1.5. The IEEE Photonics Society Aron Kressel Award shall be presented annually to recognize those individuals who have made important contributions to opto-electronic device technology. The award shall consist of an appropriately worded certificate and an honorarium of $1000.

14.1.6. The IEEE Photonics Society Distinguished Service Award shall be presented annually to recognize an exceptional individual contribution of service which has had significant recent benefit to the membership of the Society as a whole. The recipient must be a Society member. The Award shall consist of a plaque and an honorarium of $500. The selection committee for this award is chaired by the President, who will appoint members of the committee comprised of a Past-President, the Vice President Member and Regional Activities, and a current board member serving the third year of their elected term.

14.1.7 The IEEE Photonics Society Laser Instrumentation Award shall be presented annually to recognize key contributors to the field for developments of laser-based and electro-optical instruments, which lead to the development of innovative systems enabling major new measurements or process capabilities of relevance to applications in industrial, biomedical avionic and metrology fields. The field(s) to be considered are classical and Self-Mixing Laser Interferometry, Optical Coherence Tomography, Digital Holography, Diffraction and Interference-based Measuring Devices like Particle Size Analyzers, Laser Interferometers, Optical Gyroscopes, and Laser Doppler Velocimeters, Measurements of distance and kinematic quantities, realized in either bulk-optics or integrated optics technologies. Measurements for the sole characterization of optical devices or fibers are not eligible. The Award consists of an honorarium of $1000 and a Certificate.

14.1.8 The IEEE Photonics Society Technical Skills Educator Award is presented annually to recognize educators specializing in bringing technician and technical skills training within the field of interest of the Society to traditionally underserved communities. The award will recognize effective, impactful, and innovative educators who bring specialized training to communities for whom photonics is not typically viewed as a common educational and career path. Contributions to curriculum and course development, industrial and governmental education programs, textbook development, will all be considered in the award evaluation. The Awards consists of a certificate of recognition and honorarium equaling $1,500.00, with an additional $1,000.00 towards travel to attend the IEEE Photonics Conference for the presentation.

14.2 Fellows Evaluation Committee The Chair and Vice Chair of the evaluation committee is appointed by the President with the consent of the Board of Governors. Members of the Fellows Evaluation Committee are appointed by the committee chair and shall be IEEE Fellows who are also active Society members. The term of office of the Fellows Evaluation Committee shall normally begin October 1 of the year in which appointed and extend through the following September. One function of the Fellows Evaluation Committee is to respond to requests of the IEEE Fellows Committee to evaluate nominations for IEEE Fellow Awards in the technical Field of Interest of the Society in accordance with IEEE rules and regulations. Additionally, this Committee encourages the nomination of qualified Senior Members for elevation to the grade of Fellow.

14.3. Finance Committee The Finance Committee consists of the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Society Executive Director. The Committee shall coordinate the fiscal aspects of existing and proposed programs, coordinating the preparation of the annual budget, the three-year financial plan, financial projections to assist decision-making and procedural audits of sponsored conferences in accordance with IEEE policy.

14.4. Other Representatives The President may appoint Society Representatives to various IEEE committees or to other entities as deemed appropriate. The appointed Representatives shall report to the Board of Governors at least annually.

14.5. Membership Directory A Membership Directory shall be made available on the IEEE Photonics Society website and shall be updated at least annually. The Executive Office shall coordinate the production. All members will have access rights to the Membership Directory as part of the Society membership fee.

15. Ad Hoc Committees The Board of Governors or the President may create ad hoc committees. For each such case, the Board of Governors or President shall specify the number of members the committee shall have, how the members are to be selected, and the terms of the members if other than for the life of the committee. Ad hoc committees shall be dissolved after two years unless the Board of Governors sets a different expiration date. Chairs of ad hoc committees shall be Ex-Officio Members of the Board of Governors without vote.


Approved November 2021