Policies & Procedures - 5.4 Sister & Related Societies Board

- approved 03/1999, updated 05/2010 -

Purpose

Sister Societies are national or international professional/learned communications (or equivalent) associations with status/charter similar to ComSoc, and similar in technical scope. (Examples of Sister Societies are IEICE, Popov).  Related Societies are national or international professional/learned associations with status/charter similar to ComSoc, but complementary in technical scope. (Examples of Related Society are IEEE Computer Society, ISOC)

The Sister & Related Societies Board is responsible for the oversight of Society relations with professional societies internationally, and includes agreements with professional societies as well as promoting and coordinating Society/professional-society activities.

Organizational Structure (Refer to Bylaws Article 6)

• Director - Sister and Related Societies
  
  
• Vice President – Members Relations
  
  
• Additional members (as needed for international representation) .

Activities

Actions and Objectives

• The Board helps in defining strategies and directions for new professional-society agreements, proposes revision to existing agreements, and proposes renewal agreements for those that will expire.
  
  
• Approaches to a professional society are normally made by the Sister and Related Societies Director through a local Communications Society officer, such as a member of the Board of Governors or a local ComSoc Chapter Chair.

Concerns and Initiatives

• A standard agreement form and a standard side-agreement form have been created and are used as starting points for new agreements and renewals. Where different forms of agreement arise, anomalies and inconsistencies must be identified.
  
  
• Agreements will be publicized within the Society to insure that all commitments that have been entered into will be honored.

How to Make it Happen

• Proposed amendments to agreements as well as agreements under discussion will be forwarded to the President and Vice President - Members Relations for review.
  
  
• Regular contact will be maintained with each professional society.
  
  
• Reciprocal publicity is a key feature in each agreement. Advertisements and articles from (and for) professional societies will normally be handled by the Vice President s– Publications and Conferences working with the Director - Magazines, and Headquarters staff.

Whenever possible, target dates will be set, and the responsible individual will prepare periodic 'update reports' to the Vice President. As needed, progress will be reported at BoG or OpCom meetings. (Reports will be submitted to the Members Relation Vice President prior to these)