5.14 Standards Board   - approved 12/2004 -

1. Purpose, Scope, Sponsorship, and Objective
   
   
   1. ComSoc shall, as a member society of the IEEE, technically sponsor contributions to standards development as required to meet the needs of its membership, the IEEE at large, and the worldwide communications industry. The standards development activity shall ordinarily fall under the IEEE Standards Board, with appropriate liaison and contributions to other standards bodies. Contributions may be made to other standards organizations under rules given below.
      
      
   2. ComSoc standards activities shall be restricted to the field of communications as defined in the scope of the Society and the charters of its Technical Committees.
      
      
   3. The objective of ComSoc standards activities shall be the development of technically excellent and widely adopted standards. To this end, the Society will provide procedural guidelines, discussion forums, and support services for approved standards activities.
      
      
   4. ComSoc standards activities shall be optional and at the initiative of members and/or organizations within the Society. The Society itself shall commit only modest coordination, information, and financial resources.
      
      
   5. The ComSoc Standards Chair, reporting to the VP-Technical Activities, shall chair the ComSoc Standards Committee which shall be constituted as a standing committee of the Technical Activities Council. The Standards Chair and the Standards Committee shall stimulate and guide standards initiatives, support Working Groups, and encourage maximum exposure and influence of ComSoc standards activities.
      
      A standards initiative is defined as official application to the IEEE Standards Board or another standards organization for recognition as a Working Group to either revise an existing standard or create a new one.
      
      
   6. ComSoc technical sponsorship of IEEE standards initiatives and working groups shall be carried out in compliance with the bylaws and operating procedures prescribed by the IEEE Standards Board. ComSoc technical sponsorship of working groups of other standards organizations shall be carried out in compliance with the bylaws and operating procedures prescribed by those organizations.
      
      
   7. Both "top down" and "grass roots" standards initiatives shall be admitted. A "Top down" initiative is an organizational initiative in the Board of Governors, OpCom, the Standards Committee, a Technical Committee or any ComSoc organization. A "Grass Roots" initiative is one originating from any group of ComSoc members.
      
      
      
2. Technical Sponsorship of Standards Initiatives and Working Groups
   
   
   1. A ComSoc standards initiative must obtain the written support of one or more Technical Committees. This support, registered with the ComSoc Standards Committee, shall constitute ComSoc technical sponsorship. Technical sponsorship of a standards initiative shall continue as technical sponsorship of a Working Group resulting from the initiative. The supporting Technical Committees shall delegate organization of the Ballotting Group to the Working Group.
      
      ComSoc technical sponsorship is distinct from operational sponsorship by the standards organization to which the Working Group is affiliated.
      
      
   2. A Working Group may be jointly technically sponsored by ComSoc and any other professional society.
      
      
   3. Support of a Working Group by a Technical Committee must be renewed or terminated at three year intervals. Loss of all Technical Committee support shall automatically terminate ComSoc technical sponsorship. The IEEE Standards Board, or other sponsoring standards body, will be so informed.
      
      
   4. The Board of Governors may vote to terminate any ComSoc technically sponsored standards initiative or Working Group, thereby withdrawing from that initiative or Working Group the privilege of calling itself a ComSoc activity.
      
      
      
3. Operations of a Comsoc Technically Sponsored Standards Working Group (referred to henceforth as a "Standards Working Group")
   
   
   1. A Standards Working Group shall be open to all IEEE members, and all members of cosponsoring societies, as individuals. Additional corporate memberships may be allowed as authorized in the bylaws and procedures of the IEEE Standards Board or other sponsoring standards organization.
      
      
   2. A Standards Working Group shall operate in conformance with the bylaws and operating procedures of the IEEE Standards Board or other sponsoring standards organization. Members of an IEEE Working Group shall be encouraged to join the IEEE Standards Association. All members of an IEEE standards balloting group must be members of the IEEE Standards Association.
      
      
   3. A Standards Working Group technically sponsored by ComSoc may be organizationally sponsored by a standards body other than the IEEE Standards Board only by petitioning the ComSoc Standards Committee receiving approval for such affiliation from the Standards Committee.
      
      
   4. A Standards Working Group shall be financially self sufficient and may levy reasonable meeting attendance fees to cover expenses. It may apply to the ComSoc Standards Committee for startup or emergency assistance loans.
      
      
   5. A Standards Working Group, while not reporting to the ComSoc Standards Committee shall be expected to maintain close liaison with the Standards Committee and to rely on the Standards Committee for advice and operational assistance. A Standards Working Group shall submit an activities report to the ComSoc Standards Committee at least twice each year.
      
      
   6. Each Standards Working Group shall maintain a Web site, accessible through the ComSoc Web Site, that provides current content accurately reflecting its activities.
      
      
   7. A Standards Working Group shall work collaboratively with the ComSoc Standards Committee, the IEEE Standards Board (or other sponsoring standards body), and its sponsoring Technical Committees to compose balanced Ballotting Groups for voting on standards.
      
      
      
4. Operations of the Comsoc Standards Committee
   
   
   1. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall encourage, nurture, and guide ComSoc standards initiatives and the resulting Working Groups, and shall proactively advance the visibility and influence of ComSoc standards activities.
      
      
   2. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall be an activity under the Technical Activities Council. Its budget, if any, shall be represented in the budget of the VP-Technical Activities.
      
      
   3. The Standards Chair shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the VP-Technical Activities, for a two-year term, renewable at most one time. The Standards Chair shall appoint five additional members of the ComSoc Standards Committee for two-year terms, renewable at most one time.
      
      
   4. The Standards Chair shall serve as ComSoc representative to the IEEE Standards Board and foster beneficial contacts and interaction between ComSoc standards activities and the IEEE Standards Board and Standards Association.
      
      
   5. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall maintain appropriate liaison with other relevant accredited standards organizations.
      
      
   6. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall actively assist Working Groups in forming Balloting Groups, satisfying requirements of ComSoc and of the IEEE Standards Board, and accomplishing their goals. A mechanism shall be provided for start-up and emergency loans to standards initiatives and Working Groups.
      
      
   7. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall track and log activities of Working Groups and the status of Technical Committee sponsorship.
      
      
   8. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall stimulate interest in standards activities by Technical Committees, and shall provide information and guidance to Technical Committees.
      
      
   9. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall stimulate specific standards initiatives if and when it deems such initiatives to be needed.
      
      
   10. The ComSoc Standards Committee shall maintain a section on the ComSoc Web Site that describes ComSoc standards activities, provides information on how to undertake a standards initiative, and provides links to the Web pages of Working Groups.
       
       
   11. The Standards Chair shall deliver to the VP-Technical Activities at least two reports each year on the status of ComSoc standards activities and recommendations for enhancements to those activities.