1. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine
2. Signal Processing Digital Library*
3. Inside Signal Processing Newsletter
4. SPS Resource Center
5. Career advancement & recognition
6. Discounts on conferences and publications
7. Professional networking
8. Communities for students, young professionals, and women
9. Volunteer opportunities
10. Coming soon! PDH/CEU credits
Click here to learn more.
IEEE members of any grade will become members of the Society upon application and payment of the Society membership fee. Special categories of members may be designated in accordance with IEEE rules and procedures.
(amended 26 September 2019)
Each application for admission to membership or for transfer to a different grade of membership, shall include sufficient evidence of eligibility, in addition to meeting the requirements for admission or upgrade as provided in the IEEE bylaws.
The Officers of the Signal Processing Society shall be: the President, the President-Elect, and the Vice Presidents.
The President also shall represent the views of the Society’s leadership as a voting member of the IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB) or other IEEE major boards, and shall serve on committees of TAB or other IEEE major boards, as elected or appointed. In the event the President shall not be able to attend a meeting of an IEEE entity to which the President has been appointed, the Society may send an alternate provided that the IEEE Bylaws permit an alternate. If the IEEE Bylaws do not specifically state who shall be permitted to serve as alternate on behalf of the SPS President, each year the President will select and inform TAB who shall serve as the President's alternate for that year. The alternate will be an Officer of the Executive Committee.
The President is the only Society Officer empowered on behalf of the Board of Governors, to engage other IEEE Societies or organizations in discussions regarding partnerships that affect the Society and/or its products and services.
(amended 28 July 2020) The Society shall be governed by an administrative committee which shall be referred to as the Board of Governors, and which shall consist of 23 members who shall be the seven officers of the Society elected by the Board of Governors, the nine Members-at-Large elected by the voting members of the Society (See Sections 302, 303), and six non-voting, ex-officio members, who are the Awards Board Chair, the four Regional Directors-at-Large (see Sections 305), and the Young Professionals Committee Chair. The Executive Director shall serve ex-officio, without vote. In the conduct of the Society’s business, all volunteer leaders are accountable to the Board of Governors.
At the discretion of the Board, when it is not practical to meet in conjunction with one of the Society's technical meetings, and for any special meetings of the Board, a location central to the majority of the Members of the Board then serving shall be employed.
In order to maximize travel convenience for members of the Board, and minimize travel expense, Board meetings shall be scheduled as follows:
The Board may also conduct business by conference call meeting. A quorum of the Board must participate in the call and must be present at the start of the meeting. Conference call meetings may be employed to resolve a single issue in an emergency on matters that the Board has specifically reserved for its own consideration or on matters of policy. In all other cases, the Executive Committee is empowered to act on behalf of the Board between face-to-face meetings. A notice of at least 24 hours is necessary for a conference call meeting of the Board with such need established by the President and at least two other voting members of the Board.
The Executive Committee shall make rules and regulations that may be deemed proper to its own governance and for the transaction of business of the Society. At all times between meetings of the Board of Governors, the Executive Committee shall have the powers and duties of the Board except for those matters not permitted to be delegated by the Constitution or these Bylaws, or for matters the Board of Governors has expressly reserved to itself. The Executive Committee also shall have operational responsibility for the Society’s finances. The exercise of the powers and duties of the Board by the Executive Committee may:
President: | Executive Committee; Awards Board; Nominations and Appointments Committee; Staff Activities, IEEE TAB Activities |
President-Elect: | Long-Range and Strategic Planning Activities; TC Review Committee; Oversight of Board and Executive Committee Minutes. |
Vice President-Education | Education Board |
Vice President-Membership: | Membership Board and its Committees |
Vice President-Conferences: | Conferences Board |
Vice President-Publications: | Publications Board |
Vice President-Technical Directions: | Technical Directions Board. |
Society liaisons to other entities shall report through the appropriate Vice President (e.g., representatives to joint publications would report via the Vice President-Publications).
(IEEE Must Have) The Society leadership will create an ad hoc committee to handle each matter requiring conflict resolution.
Decisions need not be unanimous; final outcomes may be determined by majority vote of the membership of the ad hoc committee. Dissenting members may include their dissenting opinion as part of the report; the length of such dissent will be determined as part of the committee’s operational rules.
After the ad hoc committee has determined its final ruling, the ad hoc committee chair shall be responsible for preparing a short report documenting the committee’s findings. The report shall be provided to the individual who brought the conflict matter forward.
(amended 18 May 2019) The conduct of Society activities, wherever possible, shall be through voluntarily associated groups of Society members. The Board of Governors may also establish boards and committees to assist the conduct of Society activities.
The following Boards and Standing Committees shall be established by and be responsible to the Board of Governors:
Awards Board
Conferences Board
Education Board
Membership Board
Publications Board
Technical Directions Board
Executive Committee
Long-Range Planning and Implementation Committee
Nominations and Appointments Committee
TC Review Committee .
In addition, the Board of Governors may create such ad hoc committees as may be necessary to assist the Board with short-term projects. Ad hoc committees shall have a life of one calendar year or less. Any extension beyond the end of the calendar year shall require specific action by the Board of Governors.
Unless specified, appointments shall normally be distributed to avoid termination of more than approximately one-third of the membership of any board or standing committee at the end of any calendar year.
(approved 21 April 2018) Awards Board members sitting on Technical Committees must ensure that they do not participate in the Technical Committee award nomination or selection process and are ineligible for awards under the purview of the Awards Board during their term on the Awards Board.
(approved 11 October 2018) The Awards Board shall vet the nominations for the major awards, so all nominations meet the specified policies, that there are no perceived conflicts-of-interest and the nominations meet the quality requirement. The vetting process also includes reducing the number of nominations, if necessary, submitted to the Board of Governors, so only a maximum of three nominations for each award presented comes forward to the Board of Governors for voting. For example, the Technical Achievement Award normally selects two recipients each year, so there should be no more than six candidates brought forward to the Board of Governors ballot for the Technical Achievement Award. The nomination list brought forward to the Board of Governors should not be reduced to the point that the Awards Board has essentially selected the awards recipients. The Awards Board will be responsible for conducting the Board of Governors balloting and managing the voting process, which is defined in the Board of Governors Awards Voting Procedures document. The Awards Board shall also be responsible for reviewing and finalizing award citations.
Nominations and endorsements for awards and recognitions on behalf of the IEEE Signal Processing Society shall be the sole purview of the IEEE Signal Processing Society Awards Board on behalf of the IEEE Signal Processing Society Board of Governors, and no other technical, administrative, ad hoc, editorial, standing, or other committee or board of the Society shall participate in such nominations and endorsements processes, except as expressly written elsewhere in these bylaws or delegated on a case by case basis by the Awards Board.
Cluster 1: Speech, Audio, Language, Industry
Speech and Language Processing
Audio and Acoustic Signal Processing
Applied Signal Processing Systems
Cluster 2: Imaging, Video, Multimedia, Forensics
Bio Imaging and Signal Processing Technical Committee
Computational Imaging
Image, Video, and Multidimensional Signal Processing
Multimedia Signal Processing
Information Forensics and Security
Cluster 3: ML, SAM, COM, SPTM
Machine Learning for Signal Processing
Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing for Communications and Networking
Signal Processing Theory and Methods
Each year an open call for nominations for the Awards Board member-at-large positions will be held. Current members of the Board of Governors are ineligible to serve on the Awards Board. The Nominations and Appointment Committee will be responsible for vetting the candidates and the Board of Governors will elect the members-at-large. A maximum of three candidates can appear on the ballot for each member-at-large position becoming vacant.
To ensure the technical diversity of the Fellow Evaluation Committee, the overall composition of the committee shall reflect the three technical clusters below, with each cluster accounting for approximately one-third of the committee’s composition. The Executive Committee shall review the cluster structure every three years to keep pace with the natural evolution of the technical areas within the Society.
Cluster 1: Speech, Audio, Language, Industry
Speech and Language Processing
Audio and Acoustic Signal Processing
Applied Signal Processing Systems
Cluster 2: Imaging, Video, Multimedia, Forensics
Bio Imaging and Signal Processing Technical Committee
Computational Imaging
Image, Video, and Multidimensional Signal Processing
Multimedia Signal Processing
Information Forensics and Security
Cluster 3: ML, SAM, COM, SPTM
Machine Learning for Signal Processing
Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing for Communications and Networking
Signal Processing Theory and Methods
The selection and appointment of the members-at-large/Evaluators is done by the Chair with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee ensuring the appropriate cluster representation. If the Committee does not have the necessary expertise to assess the full list of nominees in a particular year, then with proper justification, up to two additional Committee members can be nominated by the Chair with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee for that evaluation cycle alone. The Chair may not serve as evaluator.
The Conferences Board shall be responsible for the coordination of all the Society’s technical meeting activities and for overseeing the activities of the technical meeting organizing committees.
It shall be the role of the Executive Subcommittee to review and make recommendations to the Conferences Board on any matters of interest arising from actions of the Society’s Executive Committee or Board of Governors, or from the IEEE, that may affect the Society’s technical meetings.
The Executive Subcommittee shall also communicate to the Society’s Executive Committee or Board of Governors matters arising from the Conferences Board that are deemed of concern to the health of the Society’s technical meetings. Finally, the Executive Subcommittee shall prepare, for consideration and appropriate action by the Conferences Board, policy, procedures, and plans concerning technical meetings involving the Society.
The Regional Directors-at-Large on the Regional Activities Committee shall oversee the implementation of the Distinguished Lecturer and Distinguished Industry Programs. The Committee shall ensure the program’s sustainability and geographical diversity. The Regional Directors-at-Large shall review and approve the non-appointed Distinguished Lecturers and Distinguished Industry Speakers requests in their regional area, as well as organize and chair the Chapter Chair’s Luncheon.
The Editorial Board shall be responsible for insuring that the publication maintains the highest quality while adhering to the publication rules and procedures of both the Society and the IEEE. Its membership shall comprise the associate editors whose terms are active. Terms of service of associate editors shall be as detailed in the "Guide for Associate Editors."
(approved 18 May 2019)
Cluster 1: Speech, Audio, Language, Industry
Speech and Language Processing
Audio and Acoustic Signal Processing
Applied Signal Processing Systems
Cluster 2: Imaging, Video, Multimedia, Forensics
Bio Imaging and Signal Processing Technical Committee
Computational Imaging
Image, Video, and Multidimensional Signal Processing
Multimedia Signal Processing
Information Forensics and Security
Cluster 3: ML, SAM, COM, SPTM
Machine Learning for Signal Processing
Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing for Communications and Networking
Signal Processing Theory and Methods
It shall be the responsibility of the SPS Education Center Editorial Board to ensure that the Resource Center maintains the highest quality while adhering to the rules and procedures of both the Society and the IEEE, consonant with these bylaws and the Policy and Procedures Manual..
It shall be the responsibility of the SigPort Chief Editor to ensure that SigPort becomes and remains the premier pre-publication repository for Signal Processing members, while adhering to the rules and procedures of both the Society and the IEEE, consonant with these bylaws and the Policy and Procedures Manual.
Cluster 1: Speech, Audio, Language, Industry
Speech and Language Processing
Audio and Acoustic Signal Processing
Applied Signal Processing Systems
Cluster 2: Imaging, Video, Multimedia, Forensics
Bio Imaging and Signal Processing Technical Committee
Computational Imaging
Image, Video, and Multidimensional Signal Processing
Multimedia Signal Processing
Information Forensics and Security
Cluster 3: ML, SAM, COM, SPTM
Machine Learning for Signal Processing
Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing for Communications and Networking
Signal Processing Theory and Methods
(IEEE Must Have) Five of the voting members of the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall be elected or appointed by the Board of Governors ensuring the appropriate cluster representation, while the Chair can appoint two members with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee by considering the balance of regional, technical, industry/academia, and gender diversity.
If a Committee member resigns from the Nominations and Appointments Committee, the vacated committee position will be filled by the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes in the Nominations and Appointments Committee election. If the position was Chair appointed, then the Chair will fill the vacancy with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.
(IEEE Must Have) A member of the Nominations and Appointments Committee may be nominated and run for a position for which such member’s respective Nominations and Appointments Committee is responsible for making nominations only on the following conditions: (i) the nomination is not made by a member of the same Nominations and Appointments Committee and (ii) the member resigns from the Nominations and Appointments Committee prior to its first meeting of the year in which the nomination shall be made.
(IEEE Must Have) The Chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall not be eligible to be elected to the Board of Governors during the Chair's term of service. In the event of the incapacity or conflict of interest of the Chair, the most recent Past Chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee available shall be the Chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee. With extenuating circumstances, a different individual may be appointed to this position. If a committee member has a conflict of interest (see IEEE Bylaw 300.2) in any of the election races, the committee member should disclose the conflict of interest. Due to the small size of the committee, the committee will establish a process to manage the conflict of interest.
The Past President who is the chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall contact all organizational units of the Society each year inviting the submission of suitable names to be considered by the Nominations and Appointments Committee for the various elective and appointive offices. Each year an open call for nominations under the purview of the Nominations and Appointments Committee positions will be held.
(amended 16 September 2022) The results of the Annual General Election balloting shall be transmitted to the Society President prior to the date of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.
Nominations. (amended 21 April 2018) Annually, the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall provide a slate of at least two nominees for each of the forthcoming Member-at-Large vacancies. Current-serving members of the Society’s Executive Committee are excluded from being nominated for the Member-at-Large election until they have concluded their Officer term. The Nominations and Appointments Committee should also take into consideration any anticipated vacancies caused by a Member-at-Large becoming an Officer and include the vacancy on the upcoming Member-at-Large election ballot, so the replacement for the vacant Member-at-Large position would be member-elected. Recommendations for such nominees shall be solicited from members of the Board of Governors and from the chairs of all other organizational entities of the Society. Additionally, the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall publish a call for nomination in a publication normally reaching all Society members.
Terms of Service. Members-at-Large shall each serve three years on the Board of Governors. Members-at-Large may serve more than one term on the Board of Governors; however, such terms shall not be consecutive. Members-at-Large who are elected to fill a vacancy will only fill the remainder of the vacated Member-at-Large term, but can seek re-election for a full, three year term as Member-at-Large without a gap in service.
Petitions. (amended 20 October 2022) In the event that a nominee’s name is not selected for a position on the Annual General Election ballot, and the nominee is a member in good standing and of the proper member grade to seek election, the nominee may seek to be added to the ballot by filing, prior to the date specified in the nominations calendar, a petition.
(IEEE Must Have) For each elective office of the Society, individual voting members eligible to vote in such election may nominate candidates either by a written petition as detailed below, or by majority vote at a Board of Governors candidate slate approval meeting, provided such nominations are made at least 28 days before the date of 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. Self-nominations with a petition are allowed. 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.
(IEEE Must Have) Signatures can be submitted electronically through the official IEEE society annual election website, or by 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 though the IEEE society annual election 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 year preceding the election.
Petition and write-in candidates must conform to all Society requirements and prerequisites of the position. The Nominations and Appointments Committee shall ensure that all such candidates are properly qualified, as stated in the Constitution, before they are placed on the ballot. The Technical Activities Election staff shall oversee the collection of petition signatures and shall further ensure that the petition signatories are Members in good standing and that the signatures coincide with the dates of petition collection established in the call for nominations.
Write-in Candidates. (amended 20 October 2022) Ballots shall provide for write-in candidates. If a write-in candidate receives the highest number of votes, the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall vet the candidate to determine if the candidate meets all Society requirements and prerequisites of the position. Any concerns regarding disqualification of the write-in candidate shall be reported to the Board of Governors for a final decision. See Section 215.2 for vetting details.
Ballots. (amended 25 April 2015) The Society’s Annual Election shall follow the same balloting schedule as the IEEE Annual Election. As per IEEE bylaw, ballots shall be mailed no later than the first working day following 14 August. The Society shall submit to eligible voting members on record as of 30 June, a ballot listing all nominees for the positions to be filled by election by the membership.
The result of the balloting shall be transmitted to the Society President prior to the date of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.
President-Elect Nomination Process. (amended 16 September 2022) The Nominations and Appointments Committee shall make an open solicitation for nominations for the office of President-Elect, who shall serve on the Board of Governors for the succeeding term. If the need for a special election arises, it may be handled out of cycle provided that such solicitation shall occur no later than sixteen weeks prior to the Fall meeting of the Board of Governors. Special elections shall follow the same guidelines as the President-Elect election.
Nominations for President-Elect shall be restricted to individuals who have served as a Vice President of the Society. A current-serving Vice President, whose term is expiring at year-end, is also eligible to be nominated for the Society President-Elect election. Any candidate under consideration should not be present in the meeting room/on the conference call or participate in the candidates’ discussion for the noted position but is entitled to vote on the candidate state.
All President-Elect candidates must receive two nominations from Society members, but one nomination must be from a member of the Board of Governors. Individuals may self-nominate for the President-Elect position. In the case of self-nomination, the nomination must be seconded by an additional two Society members who are not the nominee, including one member from the Board of Governors.
Annually, the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall provide a slate of three nominees to the Board of Governors for the forthcoming President-Elect vacancy. Submission of two nominees to the Board of Governors for the forthcoming President-Elect vacancy may be accepted if only two nominations are received. The Board of Governors will review and finalize the President-Elect slate of two nominees that will move to the Annual General Election ballot. The election ballot may also include candidates from the petition process, and write-in candidates will be allowed. The President-Elect will be elected by the Society’s membership.
The detailed procedures to be followed when selecting the President-Elect candidates shall be specified in the Society Policies.
Vice President Nomination Process. (amended 20 October 2022) The Nominations and Appointments Committee shall make an open solicitation for nominations for the offices of the various Vice President positions, who shall serve on the Board of Governors for the succeeding term. If the need for a special election arises, it may be handled out of cycle provided that such solicitation shall occur no later than sixteen weeks prior to the Fall meeting of the Board of Governors. Special elections will follow the same guidelines as the Vice President elections.
All Vice President candidates must receive two nominations from Society members, but one nomination must be from a member of the Board of Governors. Individuals may self-nominate for the Vice President position. In the case of self-nomination, the nomination must be seconded by an additional two Society members who are not the nominee, including one member from the Board of Governors.
For the Vice President elections, a current-serving Vice President may not be nominated for another Vice President position until the Vice President's term has officially concluded. If elected, a candidate must resign before the start of the Vice Presidency term if the candidate is serving in any of the following positions: Awards Board Chair, Editor-in-Chief, Regional Director-at-Large, or Chair of a Committee under one of the major Boards.
A current-serving Member-at-Large of the Board of Governors may be nominated and run for a Vice President position. The Board member under consideration should not be present in the meeting room/on the conference call or participate in the candidates’ discussion for the noted position but is entitled to vote on the candidate state.
Annually, the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall provide a slate of at least two nominees for each of the forthcoming Vice President vacancies. A maximum of three candidates can appear on the ballot for each Vice President position becoming vacant. The Board of Governors shall review and finalize each Vice President slate before it is considered for formal vote. The Vice Presidents are elected by the Board of Governors.
The detailed procedures to be followed when selecting the Vice President candidates shall be specified in the Society Policies.
Terms of Service. (amended 24 December 2018)
Willingness to Serve. (amended 20 October 2022) The Nominations and Appointments Committee shall obtain, in writing, from each nominated individual who has received two or more nominations for a President-Elect or a Vice President position, an agreement to serve if elected. If an individual has been nominated for two or more positions under the purview of the Nominations and Appointments being held during the same election cycle, the nominated individual must select just one position for their candidacy. Candidates cannot run for multiple positions within the same election cycle.
All President-Elect and Vice President candidates who so agree to serve may be placed on the ballot, after the Nominations and Appointments Committee's deliberations. The Board of Governors votes to determine the next Vice President and final slate of President-Elect candidates. All President-Elect and Vice President candidates are required to supply a brief biography, photo, and candidate statement of interest up to 500 words stating the nominee’s vision for the position, which shall accompany the ballot.
The President-Elect process is defined under the Presentation of Candidates section and is specified in the Society Policies.
Any IEEE Signal Processing Society volunteer serving as an Officer or serving in a SPS leadership position, identified as Awards Board Chair, Editors-in-Chief, Regional Directors-at-Large, Members-at-Large, or Chair of a Committee under one of the SPS major Boards, shall not have an overlapping term with another SPS, IEEE Society or Affinity Group volunteer leadership role, specifically President, President-Elect, Vice President, Chair-Elect, or Chair. This information must be disclosed at the time of nomination or when the potential situation might arise. If the individual decides to accept another leadership position, they must step down from their current SPS leadership position.
Candidature Withdrawal. (amended 20 October 2022) Each proposed nominee named by the Board of Governors shall be consulted and, if the nominee so requests, their name shall be withdrawn.
Board and Individual Petitions. (amended 20 October 2022) In the event that a nominee’s name is not selected for a President-Elect position on the annual election ballot, and the nominee is a member in good standing and of the proper member grade to seek election, and has served as a Vice President for the Society, the nominee may seek to have their name added to the ballot by filing, prior to the date specified in the nominations calendar, a petition.
For each elective office of the Society, individual voting members eligible to vote in such election may nominate candidates either by a written petition as detailed below, or by the Board of Governors by majority vote at a candidate slate approval meeting, provided such nominations are made at least 28 days before the date of the election. 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.
Self-nominations with a petition are also allowed. 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.
(IEEE Must Have) Signatures can be submitted electronically through the official IEEE society annual election website, or by 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 though the IEEE society annual election 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 year preceding the election.
Petition and write-in candidates must conform to all Society requirements and prerequisites of the position. The Nominations and Appointments Committee shall ensure that all such candidates are properly qualified, as stated in the Constitution, before they are placed on the ballot. If a write-in candidate receives the highest amount of votes in the President-Elect election, the Nominations and Appointments Committee will vet the candidate to determine if the candidate meets the specified requirements of the position. The Technical Activities Election staff shall oversee the collection of petition signatures and shall further ensure that the petition signatories are Members in good standing and that the signatures coincide with the dates of petition collection established in the call for nominations.
Presentation of Candidates. (amended 20 October 2022) The chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee shall provide to the Board of Governors, via e-mail, the slate of nominated candidates for each Officer position no later than 8 weeks before the ICASSP meeting date. Each candidate will have provided, in advance, to the chair of the Nominations and Appointments Committee, written assurance of willingness and ability to serve. The Board of Governors will have two weeks to review the President–Elect and Vice President candidate slate(s) and if deemed necessary, the members of the Board of Governors can recommend additional candidates for each President–Elect and Vice President vacancy of the Society via two options; 1) by petition of at least 20% of the voting members of the Board of Governors or 2) by majority vote at a candidate slate approval meeting of the Board of Governors. During the process, the Board of Governors may re-consider and re-nominate candidates that were previously removed by the Nominations and Appointments Committee or new candidates. The nomination of additional candidates must follow the detailed procedures in the Society Policies. The Nominations and Appointments Committee will have two weeks to review the candidate(s) credential to ensure all requirements and prerequisites of the position are met and provide to the Board of Governors a revised slate of candidates for the position of President-Elect and Vice President along with its rationale for the President-Elect and each Vice President slate, which is due no later than 4 weeks before the ICASSP meeting. The revised slate of candidates will be approved by conducting an email ballot. At the ICASSP Board of Governors meeting, the Board shall vote to select the final two President-Elect candidates to move to the Annual General Election ballot and elect the Vice President(s). During this process, the Nominations and Appointments Committee may be required to reconsider candidates that were nominated earlier, but not presented to the Board of Governors.
Ballots and Voting. (amended 16 September 2022) The Society requires that there be more than one candidate for each Officer position on the ballot.
Tally. (amended amended 16 September 2022).
If the incoming President-Elect or one of the incoming Vice Presidents is an elected Member-at-Large of the Board of Governors, that Officer shall vacate the Member-at-Large position position at the beginning of their newly elected term. The Member-at-Large vacancy shall be filled by the Board of Governors by the candidate having the next highest number of votes on the current year’s Member-at-Large election
(amended 24 December 2018) The Society requires that all elections, except the Member-at-Large, Regional Director-at-Large, President-Elect and Vice President elections, be governed by the bylaw that addresses email voting, since most elections are conducted via email voting. The email voting bylaw requires that 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.
All election candidates must follow the IEEE Electioneering Policies, which are noted in the IEEE Policy 13.3.
The nomination process shall follow that of the Board of Governors Members-at-Large. The election shall take place in conjunction with the Board of Governors Members-at-Large election. Directors-at-Large are elected locally by members of the corresponding regions from regions 1-6 (US), 7/9 (Canada and Latin America), 8 (Europe/Middle East/Africa) and 10 (Asia/Pacific Rim), respectively. The Directors-at-Large shall each serve two years on the Membership Board.
(approved 26 September 2019)
The Signal Processing Society permits campaigning for President-Elect candidates whose names appear on the Society’s Annual General Election. Election campaigning will be governed by IEEE Bylaws and Policies, Section 13.3 "Elections and Electioneering" and Section 14 "IEEE Mailing Lists and Rosters.
(amended 20 October 2022)
Nomination by Society. The Society will act in accordance with the Technical Activities Board Operations Manual for the Division Delegate/Director election. The Society’s Executive Committee will assist in identifying potential Division Delegate-Elect/Director-Elect candidates in any year in which the Society participates in IEEE elections for Division-Delegate-Elect or Director-Elect. The Society may submit multiple Division Delegate-Elect/Director-Elect nominations to the Division Nominating Committee for its review and consideration. Individual Society members may also submit nominations.
Participation in Division Nominating Process. The Society President and/or the Society President's designated representative shall participate on the Division Nominating Committee.
The membership of the Society shall be concentrated, geographically, according to units defined by the IEEE as Regions, Areas, Geographic Councils, Sections, Subsections, Student Branches, Chapters, and Student Branch Chapters.
A Region is a geographical unit consisting of part of one, or of one or of more than one country, established by the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities Board as the basic operating entity of the IEEE and, thus, of its societies. The membership is organized according to the following Regions:
Region 1 - Northeastern USA
Region 2 - Eastern USA
Region 3 - Southeastern USA and island of Jamaica as a part of its territory
Region 4 - Central USA
Region 5 - Southwestern USA
Region 6 - Western USA
Region 7 - Canada
Region 8 - Africa, Europe, Greenland, Iceland, the Republics of the former USSR, and the Near and Middle East, countries located West of Afghanistan and Pakistan
Region 9 - Caribbean and Bahamas Islands, South and Central America, North America (except USA, Jamaica, and Canada)
Region 10 - Asia, Australia, New Zealand and related islands.
Areas may be established as parts of a Region. An Area shall generally consist of several Sections, states, provinces, or countries which may be established by the Regional Committee as a management and administrative organizational unit of IEEE to fulfill the communication needs and management/administrative missions of the Region within the territory prescribed.
A Council may be formed by agreement of a group of contiguous Sections and it exists at their pleasure. It is formed by the Sections to do only those delegated tasks that can be best done together by the Sections rather than singly by each Section. The Sections retain their recognition as the basic operating, executive, administrative and geographic unit of the IEEE. The formation of a Council must be approved by the Regional Director and the Member and Geographic Activities Board.
A Section shall be the basic operating geographic organizational unit of IEEE and shall be constituted by a minimum of fifty (50) IEEE voting members. A Section shall be established with the approval of the Member and Geographic Activities Board by petition of those who live/work in relatively close proximity to be served by activities that further the missions of IEEE.
A Subsection shall be a part of a Section or Region, constituted by a minimum of twenty (20) IEEE voting members, and established with the approval of MGAB by petition of those who live/work in relatively close proximity to be served by the activities that further the mission of IEEE.
A Chapter shall be a technical subunit of a Region, one or more Sections or a Geographic Council. There may be single Society Chapters, joint Society Chapters, and Technical Council Chapters. A Chapter shall comprise a minimum of twelve (12) IEEE voting members of a Society, or group of Societies in the case of a joint chapter, and shall be established by petition to the parent geographical and technical organizational units concerned to fulfill the mission of IEEE. In the case of a Technical Council Chapter, a minimum of any twelve (12) IEEE voting members of Council Member Societies in the parent geographical unit shall be required to petition to the geographic unit and to the Technical Council.
A Student Branch shall be an operating organizational unit of IEEE constituted by a minimum of twelve (12) IEEE Student Members or Graduate Student Members at a particular college, university, technical institute, or, in unusual circumstances attached to a Section, and established with approval of MGAB by petition to the Region concerned to fulfill the mission of IEEE.
Student Branches may have Student Branch Chapters. A Student Branch Chapter shall be a technical subunit of a Student Branch constituted by a minimum of six (6) Student Members or Graduate Student Members of a Society or group of Societies and established by petition to the parent Student Branch and Society concerned to fulfill the mission of IEEE. A Student Branch Chapter functions in a manner similar to a committee of the Student Branch.
(amended 2 December 2021) A Technical Committee is one that functions in a specific technical area. The creation of a new prospective technical committee, changes in charters, or changes to the name of a technical committee must be approved by the Board of Governors. A Technical Committee shall operate in accordance with the bylaws and policies of the Society, in furtherance of the society’s mission.
Technical Committee Chairs are voting members of the Technical Directions Board. Each Technical Committee Chair holds one vote on the Technical Directions Board. In the event the Technical Committee Chair can not attend the Technical Directions Board meeting, an alternate may be assigned, however the alternate shall not have voting rights.
The Technical Committees of the Signal Processing Society are:
The Technical Committee Chair is responsible for maintaining a roster of the members and communicating the Technical Committee's activities to the Vice President-Technical Directions of the Society and to the staff office.
(amended 19 December 2020) Technical Working Groups connect researchers from relevant communities to work together on a well-defined goal, such as establishing an emerging area within the Society’s Field of Interest, serving a specific community segment or brainstorming potential solutions that may impact the signal processing community. Technical Working Groups are expected to generate tangible end products towards the stated goal. Each Technical Working Group shall reside under one primary Technical Committee, but other Technical Committees that are relevant to the Technical Working Group’s focus may also be identified.
If the Primary Technical Committee Chair approves the proposal, then the primary Technical Committee Chair shall forward the proposal to the Vice President-Technical Directions for review and final approval. If approved, the proposer shall be appointed as the Technical Working Group Chair.
The Technical Working Group Chair must be a current IEEE and SPS member in good standing. The Chair shall have a two-year term, along with the Past Chair and the Vice Chair positions. The Vice President-Technical Directions shall appoint the initial Technical Working Chair. Afterwards, the Technical Working Group will elect each subsequent Chair. Unless otherwise noted, the Technical Working Group shall follow the same policies as the Technical Committee.
Once approved, the Technical Working Group shall be formed and shall be advertised through the Society’s website and at relevant conferences. The Technical Working Group membership shall be formed working with the Chair of the Technical Working Group and the related Technical Committees. Conference calls and meetings at relevant conferences can be organized to support the activities of the Technical Working Group. If desired, the Technical Working Group can hold its face-to-face meetings as part of the primary Technical Committee’s meeting.
The Technical Working Groups shall be reviewed at the same time along with the primary Technical Committee during the normal TC Review process. A section of the TC Review report shall address Technical Working Groups activities. The primary Technical Committee Chair is required to seek support from the Technical Working Groups Chair for that section of the report. Following the second review of the Technical Working Group, the TC Review Committee shall determine if the Technical Working Groups should continue or be terminated. The TC Review Committee Chair shall bring forward the Committee’s recommendation to the Vice President-Technical Directions for review and action.
Upon recommendation from the TC Review Committee and confirmation by the Vice President-Technical Directions to terminate a Technical Working Group, a report shall be written by the Technical Working Group Chair to provide their feedback on how and which Technical Working Group activities should be absorbed by the Technical Committee(s). The written report shall be submitted to the TC Review Committee and the Vice President-Technical Directions for review and a final decision.
Technical Committees will be subject to a formal review. Each Technical Committee will undergo a review at least once every five years with the frequency of the review decided on by the TC Review Committee and the Vice President-Technical Directions at the end of the review process.
The Society shall have the right to publish or to sponsor such publications as are recommended by the Society’s Publications Board and approved by the Board of Governors, the IEEE Technical Activities Board, and the IEEE Publications Board.
(amended 11 October 2018) The Society Publications Board shall:
The following committees and boards shall be responsible to the Publications Board: (amended 10 May 2014)
Editorial Board, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SIGNAL PROCESSING
Editorial Board, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AUDIO, SPEECH, AND LANGUAGE PROCESSING
Editorial Board, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON IMAGE PROCESSING
Editorial Board, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION FORENSICS AND SECURITY
Editorial Board, IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING LETTERS
Editorial Board, IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE
Editorial Board, IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN SIGNAL PROCESSING
Editorial Board, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL IMAGING
Editorial Board, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SIGNAL AND INFORMATION PROCESSING OVER NETWORKS.
In the event that the Society shall employ an independent contractor as Managing Editor, any compensation shall be recommended to the Executive Committee by the Vice President-Publications.
It shall be the responsibility of the Editorial Board to ensure that the publication maintains the highest quality while adhering to the publication rules and procedures of both the Society and the IEEE, consonant with these bylaws, the Policy and Procedures Manual and the Guide for Associate Editors.
Manuscript processing for submissions to all Society periodicals shall be accomplished via a common online manuscript environment database system, as designated by the Society for manuscript management.
Overview articles are intended to be of solid technical depth and lasting value and should provide advanced readers with a thorough overview of various fields of interest. Overview articles are technically more thorough than tutorials, which are intended for readers with little background in a given field and are usually published in the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. Overview articles are expected to be longer than regular manuscripts; their length is allowed to be as much as double the length of regular submissions with exceptions if approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
All overview articles will be subjected to the same rigorous review process as all other submissions. Overview article white papers must be approved by the Publications Board, and the review process shall be managed by the Editorial Board of the Transactions to which it is submitted, as described in the SPS Policies and Procedures Manual.
The Society shall provide its members with access to technical information within the Society’s Field of Interest via technical meetings (conferences, tutorials, symposia, workshops, etc.), with the approval of the Society’s Conferences Board and, as appropriate, the IEEE Technical Activities Board.
All meetings created by the IEEE Signal Processing Society shall be registered with the U.S. Copyright/Trademark Office, in accordance with IEEE practice. Such meetings shall be considered to be the “property” of the Society for all purposes of finance and management, and may not be removed from the purview of the Society except by specific action of the Board of Governors. Financial co-sponsorship of a meeting is possible only with the permission of the Society via the meeting budget approval process. The budget must reveal the name of the intended financial co-sponsors and the intended share assigned to each co-sponsor, which in no case may exceed a total of 45% (except for those meetings created and approved by the Society under an equal-share arrangement). Financial co-sponsorship shall require any and all co-sponsors to share not only income, but also expense, in the same proportion as their co-sponsorship share of the meeting.
Sponsorship statuses that are other than financial may be approved with not-for-profit organizations as permitted by IEEE policy.
(amended 11 October 2018) The Conferences Board shall have responsibility for:
An Executive Subcommittee shall assist the Conferences Board in the execution of its duties, as listed above, and shall make recommendations to the Conferences Board, as appropriate.
No Board or Committee of the Signal Processing Society shall have the authority to endorse nominations for IEEE Fellow. Individual members may endorse Fellow nominations, but an endorsement may not be made on behalf of the member's Board/Committee.
(amended 22 May 2019) Suitable proposed new Bylaws and amendments thereto may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Board of Governors present at a regularly convened meeting of the Board, provided that notice of the proposed new bylaw or amendment has been transmitted to each Board member at least one week prior to such a meeting or by email, provided a seven-day period is allowed for such responses. In either event, the proposed new Bylaw or amendment shall not take effect until approved by the Vice President, Technical Activities in accordance with the process outlined in the TAB Operations Manual.
Following adoption by the Board of Governors, the proposed new Bylaw or amendment shall appear on the Society website.
Amendments to the Constitution shall be made in accordance with the processes described therein.
(amended 22 May 2019) All amendments to the Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon approval by the Vice President, Technical Activities.
(amended 21 April 2018) Interpretation of the Society's controlling documents to the members and volunteers shall be carried out by the Bylaws Interpretation Standing Committee, as stipulated in Section 218 of these Bylaws.