POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DEVELOPMENT & ACTIVITIES OF CIES SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGS)
Revised March 2005
I. Philosophy underlying CIES Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide a forum within CIES for the involvement of individuals drawn together by common interest in a field of study. The goal of SIGs is to enhance the comprehensiveness and diversity of CIES by promoting new research and mentoring novice educational researchers. Likewise, SIGs provide a platform for continuing, long-term research interests. The uniqueness of SIGs allows more members an active role in CIES.
CIES and the SIGs are mutually interdependent and supportive. SIGs provide an avenue for expanding CIES membership, enhancing communication, disseminating research, and giving new members opportunities for national exposure. CIES provides SIGs program time, publicity, scheduling, staff support, viability, and the prestige of CIES affiliation. CIES encourages the growth of SIGs and supports this development as ultimately advantageous to all members and the Society.
These Policies and Procedures provide standard guidelines for forming, operating and terminating SIGs. They are designed to facilitate communication of CIES policies and procedures to SIG officers and members, thereby reducing uncertainties and ambiguities in the formation and operation of SIGs. The Society’s Board of Directors is the governing body of CIES, and all SIGs will be directed by the Board as well as governed by and conform with the By-Laws and Constitution of the Society.
The primary responsibility of a SIG to the Society is to maintain a professional support system for its membership consistent with the purpose of the Society as a whole.
Each SIG is required to conform to the Constitution and by-laws of CIES, and that its activities do not conflict with these documents. The Board has the authority to determine whether such conflicts exist.
All responsibilities, including financial, placed on SIGs by the Society are meant to avoid potential conflicts with existing structure and to partially reimburse the Society for expenditures incurred in the support of the SIGs.
A. Membership
To remain an active CIES SIG, a minimum of 15 active CIES members must be paid members of the SIG as of July 1st each year.
B. Annual Report
Each active SIG will submit an annual report to the CIES Board of Directors reflecting SIG operations for the previous year. The report is due annually to the CIES Secretariat no later than February 1st. The information in this report is required for three reasons: (1) to assist the Board in assessing the quality of all operations within the Society; (2) to protect SIGs from unsubstantiated or ambiguous external criticism; and (3) to provide a convenient format for SIG reports to their membership. To the latter point, the report is specifically designed to provide a clear and simple means for SIG officers to distribute information to SIG members. The report should be completed by the outgoing or continuing SIG Chairperson.
Although the Annual SIG Report to the Board is due by February 1st of each year, the CIES Board of Directors encourages SIGs to distribute copies of their Annual Report or report the information contained therein, to all SIG members during or immediately after the annual SIG Business Meeting. It is also recommended that a separate SIG schedule be sent to the SIG membership before the Annual Meeting, including the time and place of the SIG Business meeting and SIG-sponsored sessions.
C. SIG Dues to CIES
The amount of SIG dues is established by the Board with periodic review and is required to be submitted to the CIES Secretariat by August 31st of each year. SIGs will be assessed dues to the Association of $150 annual dues to partially defray Society costs for supporting the SIGs.
D. Membership Records and Renewal
SIG members are able to renew their SIG memberships when they receive their CIES membership renewal notices, or upon joining CIES for the first time. SIGs need to maintain and submit membership rosters annually to CIES. The membership year in the SIG will be coterminous with the CIES membership year. Thus, SIG dues payments received at various times during the year will be credited in their entirety for the period to expire with the CIES membership year.
E. SIG Member Dues
The Society requires that each SIG assess from each of its members minimum annual dues of $10.00. This requirement is intended to assure that the SIGs have at least minimally sufficient operating funds, and that the SIG membership list is current.
F. CIES Election Regulations
SIG Chairs are requested to inform their membership and to abide by the Society’s policy on elections, to insure an equal and fair opportunity for all candidates standing for elections. (See CIES By-Laws). Chairpersons of SIGs must be CIES members. A Chairperson must be elected by the group. It is also recommended that the SIG either appoint or elect a Program Chair and/or Program Committee and a Secretary. No elected SIG officer can serve more than three years in succession in the same office. Upon failure to comply with the foregoing Society requirements, the Board will consider withdrawal of CIES recognition of a SIG.
G. Sun-setting of SIGs
A SIG will be discontinued when it has not met the minimum membership requirements (15 paid CIES members and submission of annual reports) for two consecutive years.
A. Petition
By design, SIGs are easy to form and are encouraged by the Society. The goal of SIGs is to enhance the comprehensiveness and diversity of the Society by promoting new research and mentoring novice educational researchers. Any group of 15 or more active CIES members may petition for the establishment of a SIG. Each petition should include the printed names, email or mailing address, and signatures of the CIES members as well as a rationale describing the purpose, scope, and uniqueness of the SIG and its membership (See Attachment B for the petition form). These petitions will be reviewed and accepted or rejected by the CIES Board of Directors. Petitions may be submitted at any time, but must be received by the CIES Board at least one month prior to proposal deadlines for the next scheduled CIES Annual Conference in order to be considered for inclusion in that conference. Any questions regarding SIG formation should be sent to the President of CIES at the CIES Secretariat’s Office.
B. Publicity
To assist in the establishment of a SIG, CIES will carry a brief announcement in the CIES Newsletter concerning the proposed SIG. Relevant information should be sent to the Newsletter editor. Generally, information must be received by the first of the month prior to the month of publication (e.g., October 1st for the November issue). The CIES Program Chair will also schedule an organizational meeting, upon request, at its Annual Meeting to assist SIGs in their formation efforts. The deadline to be included in the official program is the same as the deadline for proposal submissions. The Program will list the time, date, and location of SIG Business Meetings. The CIES Annual Meeting or CIES Newsletter or web-site generally provides the main vehicle for SIG reporting. SIGS have the option of maintaining their own web-site/list-serve or distributing a newsletter to their membership. Such sites and publications are to be operated and paid for by the SIG. CIES Secretariat should be placed on the mailing list for newsletters.
C. SIG Fees
Each petition to establish a SIG must be accompanied by a fee, currently $150 (1st year of a SIG) to offset the additional administrative cost to the Society. Checks should be made payable to CIES. To assist new SIGs, it is recommended that each signature on the start-up petition be accompanied by the minimum annual membership fee of $10.00. This will ensure a minimum collection of $150 at SIG start-up time, covering the CIES SIG fee.
D. SIG Membership Dues
The SIG must assess from each SIG member annual SIG dues of at least $10.00. SIG membership dues are for such expenses as newsletters, postage, operating expenses, and those incurred for the Annual Meeting, in addition to covering the cost of the SIG’s annual assessment by the Society ($150 annually).
Each SIG is allocated at least one business meeting time slot and one regular substantive session at the Annual Meeting. Additional sessions are allocated on the basis of the number of CIES members active in the SIG. A maximum of two additional sessions is allocated at the ratio of one session for every 30 members in a SIG. Some SIGs may choose to obtain extra session time by taking advantage of co-sponsoring sessions with other SIGs, and/or using the paper discussion/round table format. Questions about annual meeting sessions should be direct to the CIES Program Chair. It is important to both the Society and to the SIGs that fair, objective, and professional procedures be followed in the selection of papers, speakers, symposia and other presentations for the Annual Meeting. The SIG Program Chairperson and or the SIG Program Committee are responsible for developing and assuring the quality of their SIG’s program.
A. Program Time Allocation
The time allocation shall be voted upon by the CIES Board of Directors. The recommended ratio of one additional session for every 30 members in the SIG. A cap of 3 paper discussion sessions is recommended. SIG sessions will be given preference for preferred time slots on the annual program.
B. Program Selection Procedures
All program selection procedures must be stated in writing and disseminated to the SIG membership. Although no specific procedure is recommended for all SIGs, a variation of the standards and processes followed by the general CIES Program Committee is highly recommended. The following suggestions are made to the SIG Program Chairperson:
Open Solicitation and Selection of Proposals: The SIG has two options in planning for the Annual Meeting Program Time: (1) to solicit proposals from the CIES community at large; or (2) to have SIG personnel select and arrange their own program offerings.
Evaluation and Selection of Proposals: The SIG Program Chair should make every effort to provide feedback on submitted proposals, with particular attention to student proposals. SIGs should inform the author(s) of the acceptance or rejection of the proposal as soon as possible.