Section 1. The organization shall be known as the Photonics Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE).
Section 2. Its objectives shall be scientific, literary, and educational in character. The Society shall advance the theory and practice of electrical and electronics engineering and of the allied arts and sciences. It shall promote a high level of technical excellence among its members, in consonance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the IEEE and with special attention to such aims within the field of interest of the Society as are hereinafter defined.
Section 3. The Society shall aid in promoting close cooperation and exchange of technical information among its members and Affiliates, and to this end shall hold meetings for the presentation of papers and their discussion, shall sponsor periodicals and special publications, and through its committees shall study and provide for the needs of its members and Affiliates.
Section 1. The Society’s Field of Interest is lasers, optical and photonic devices, optical fibers, and associated lightwave technology and their systems and applications. The Society is concerned with transforming the science of materials, optical phenomena, and quantum electronic devices into the design, development, and manufacture of photonic technologies. The Society promotes and cooperates in the educational and technical activities which contribute to the useful expansion of the field of quantum electronics and photonic applications.
Section 2. The Society shall aid in promoting close cooperation with other IEEE Groups and Societies in the form of joint publications, sponsorship of meetings, and other forms of information exchange. Appropriate cooperative efforts will also be undertaken with non-IEEE societies.
Section 3. All revisions to the field of interest of the Society shall be done in compliance with the process outlined in the TAB Operations Manual.
Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be available only to members of the IEEE in any grade, including Students, having a professional interest in any phase of the field of interest of the Society.
Section 2. Affiliates, though not members of the Institute, may participate in Society activities, as provided by the IEEE Bylaws and subject to pertinent IEEE rules and regulations and any additional limitations imposed by the Society Constitution and Bylaws.
Support Section 1. The Society shall collect from its members and Affiliates an annual dues in accordance with the IEEE Bylaws and applicable rules and regulations.
Section 2. The Society may make registration charges at Society meetings, symposia, conferences, and conventions. For IEEE-sponsored conferences, there shall be a member/nonmember individual registration fee differential, whether paid in advance or at the door. These registration charges should be higher for non-members of IEEE than for members.
Section 3. The Society may raise revenues by other means, such as advertising, shows, requests for contributions, etc., provided such means are consistent with applicable IEEE rules and regulations. Any new means of generating revenue not explicitly covered by IEEE rules and regulations must be approved by the Executive Director of the IEEE before being employed by the Society.
Section 1. The Society shall be managed by an administrative committee known as the Board of Governors of up to 21 voting members, twelve of whom are elected by the members of the Society, the President, the President-Elect (when the office is filled), the Past President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Vice Presidents (ex officio members of the Board of Governors whose voting privileges are specified in the Bylaws).
Section 2. The terms of office for elected members of the Board of Governors shall be for three years, four members to be elected each year. The term of office for appointed Editors of archival publications shall be for three years. Only two consecutive full terms are permitted for either an elected member or Editor, but eligibility is restored after the lapse of one year. The same limitations shall apply for ex officio members, unless shorter terms are designated in the Bylaws.
Section 3. The officers of the Board of Governors shall be a President, a President-Elect (normally only in alternate years), a Past President, and a Secretary-Treasurer. Not later than one year prior to the date on which the President’s term of office is complete, the Board of Governors shall elect a President-Elect, whose term of office as such shall be for one year and who shall thereafter hold the office of President for the two subsequent years and the office of Past President the subsequent two years. The person elected to this office must be of at least IEEE Senior Member grade, and be a present or past elected member of the Administrative Committee or Board of Governors.
Section 4. The newly elected and appointed officers of the Board of Governors shall assume office on the first of January of each year, following their election or appointment, unless a different time is provided in the Bylaws.
Section 5. The duties and responsibilities of the officers shall be as defined hereunder in the Bylaws and as delineated by the Board of Governors.
Section 6. The President, under direction of the Board of Governors, shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society. The President shall preside at meetings of the Board of Governors, including meetings of the Society as a whole, and have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be provided for in the Society Bylaws, or as may be delineated by vote of the Board of Governors. The President-Elect (when the office is filled) or the Past President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the latter.
Section 7. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Society. As a member of the IEEE Technical Activities Board, the President shall represent the Society at TAB meetings. When the President is unable to attend and represent the Society at any TAB meeting, the designated TAB Alternate shall perform this duty, in accordance with the process outlines in the TAB Operations Manual.
Section 8. The Board of Governors may establish Standing and Technical Committees to cover specific functions and areas of the field of interest, as prescribed in the Bylaws. All appointments or reappointments to committees and similar posts will be for a term of one year, or until their successors are appointed, or the committee is dissolved, except where other specifically designated terms of office are established. The Society President may establish ad hoc committees to fulfill specific needs of finite duration.
Section 9. Other groups may be formed as provided in the IEEE rules and regulations, and the supervision of their affairs shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 10. The Board of Governors may utilize the services of the IEEE Headquarters as bursar, for all or part of the Society funds, as provided by the IEEE Bylaws and rules and regulations. If any part of the Society funds is received and deposited separately, the terms and conditions shall be in accordance with IEEE policies, the Society Bylaws, and any special limitations imposed by the Board of Governors.
Section 11. Neither the IEEE Photonics Society nor any officer or representative thereof shall have any authority to contract debts for, pledge the credit of, or in any way bind the IEEE, except within prior approved Society budgets or plans. Approval for the disbursement of previously budgeted funds shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 1. The nomination procedure shall include provision for petition by Society members to place names on the ballot as specified in the Bylaws.
Section 2. The method of election of the twelve elected members of the Board of Governors and the President-Elect shall be as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 3. Vacancies on the Board of Governors shall be filled by appointments for the unexpired terms by the President with the consent of the Board of Governors.
Section 1. A Chapter may be formed in a Section and operated on any plan consistent with the powers of the Board of Governors of this Society and with IEEE Bylaws and Policies. A Chapter may assist the Society in the management of meetings, conferences, lectures, symposia or conventions promoted by the Society in the Section where the Chapter is located. The Chapter shall assist in coordinating with the Section on such major meetings. A Chapter must promote meetings within the Section in the field of interest of this Society under the control and supervision of the officers of the Section in which the Chapter is located.
Section 1. The Society may hold meetings, conferences, symposia, or conventions either alone or in cooperation with IEEE Societies, Sections, or Regions, or other technical organizations, subject to IEEE rules and regulations. The Society shall sponsor at least one technical conference each year, which may be held in conjunction with some other IEEE meetings, or as a separate conference. The Society may hold research conferences for those actively engaged in research and development in the particular field or area to be covered by the conference.
Section 2. The Board of Governors shall hold at least two meetings separated by at least three months in each calendar year, one the Annual Meeting at a time specified in the Bylaws. Other meetings of the Board of Governors shall be held at such times as are found necessary and convenient. Special meetings of the Board of Governors may be called at the discretion of the President or upon request of three other members of the Board of Governors, with at least twenty days’ notice to all Board of Governors members.
Section 3. A two-thirds vote of the elected members of the Board of Governors shall constitute a quorum, except as provided otherwise. All voting members shall have an equal vote. Ex officio members will not have a vote except as provided herein or in the Bylaws.
Section 4. A majority of the voting members of the Board of Governors attending a meeting shall be necessary for the approval of actions except as otherwise provided in this Constitution.
Section 5. The business of the Board of Governors may be handled by postal or e-mail correspondence, or telecommunications such as telephone, where, in the opinion of the President, matters requiring action can be adequately handled in that manner. Any matter handled in any of the above methods, however, must be confirmed by written notice, sent either by post or e-mail. A majority vote of the voting members is necessary for approval of actions handled in this manner, except as otherwise provided.
Section 6. The Society may not sponsor classified meetings. However, a classified meeting sponsored by another organization may be held in conjunction with a Society technical meeting, and publicity on such a meeting may be included in Society mailings, provided it is made perfectly clear that the classified meeting is not sponsored by the IEEE or the Society.
Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by the Board of Governors or by petition submitted to the Board of Governors by 25 or more voting members of the Society. In either case, the proposed amendment shall be considered by the Board of Governors. The proposal may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of the Board of Governors present in an assembled meeting, provided that there are present and voting on such constitutional amendment no fewer than nine such members and provided that notice of the proposed constitutional amendment has been sent to each member of the Board of Governors at least three weeks prior to such meeting; or an amendment may be adopted as a result of a postal or e-mail vote, with six weeks’ notice, upon approval by two-thirds of the elected members of the Board of Governors. The amendment will then be submitted to the IEEE Vice President, Technical Activities for all necessary approvals. After such approvals, the proposed amendment shall be publicized in one of the Society’s publications, or by direct mailing to the voting members with notice that it goes into effect unless five percent or more of the members object within 30 days. If such objections are received, the proposed amendment shall be submitted by a mail ballot to all voting members of the Society. Ballots shall carry a statement of the closing date for their return to the IEEE headquarters. When a mail ballot of all voting members is made necessary, approval of the amendment by at least two-thirds of the ballots returned shall be necessary for its enactment.
Section 2. Suitable Bylaws and amendments thereto may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of the Board of Governors present in an assembled meeting, provided that there are present and voting on such Bylaw or amendment no fewer than nine such members and provided that notice of the proposed Bylaw or amendment has been sent to each member of the Board of Governors at least three weeks prior to such meeting; or a Bylaw or amendment may be adopted as a result of a mail vote, with six weeks’ notice, upon approval by two-thirds of the elected members of the Board of Governors. No Bylaw amendment shall take effect until it has been approved by the Vice President, Technical Activities, and published in one of the Society’s publications, or otherwise publicized by direct mailing to the voting members.
Section 1. Publications undertaken by the Society shall conform to IEEE Policies and to any further guidance or controls prescribed by the Board of Governors or its duly appointed committees. The Society shall be responsible for the financial aspects of its publications programs.
Approved October 2014
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