Create a New IEEE Chapter
Society/Technical Council Chapter Petition
IEEE Chapter Chairs' Reference Manual (PDF, 310 KB)
IEEE Staff is available to assist you in any step of the process of Chapter Development. Please direct any questions to: Liz Parascondola, phone: +1 732 562 5357, fax: +1 732 981 1769, e-mail: tad-chap-dev@ieee.org
The following information will help to guide you through the process of developing a Society/Technical Council Chapter:
- Determine Your Eligibility to Form a Society Chapter
- Contact the People Who Can Help You
- Gather Membership Data
- Do the Paperwork
- Keep up the Good Work.
Know Your Options in Chapter Development
There are three different directions of Chapter development. After researching your area, decide what route will best suit your needs and support a healthy, active, Society/Technical Council Chapter environment.
New "Society/Technical Council Chapter" - Any Society/Technical Council that has 12 or more higher-grade Members within a Section is eligible to form a new "Society/Technical Council Chapter." If a Society/Technical Council Chapter already exists in the Section, a new Chapter may be formed if membership in that area is greater than one chapter can accommodate.
To form a new Society Chapter you will need:
- 12 Society Members to sign the New Chapter petition
- Approval of the Petition by the local Section Executive Committee
- Approval from Member and Geographic Activities Board which is granted if the Society President(s) and the Regional Director have no objections.
New "Joint Chapter" - If a Society/Technical Council has fewer than 12 Members in a Section, a Joint Chapter may be formed in conjunction with Members from one or more technically-related Societies in the same situation. A total of 12 interested Members (minimum 3 from each Society) are required. Joint Chapters are encouraged as they tend to create broader and more robust chapters.
To form a new Joint Chapter you will need:
- 12 Society Members (for a Technical Council; membership to one of the member societies is required) to sign the New Chapter petition - no less than 3 Members from each Society
- Approval of the Petition by the local Section Executive Committee
- Approval from Member and Geographic Activities Board which is granted if the Society/Technical Council President(s) and the Regional Director have no objections.
Expand an Existing Chapter - Any Section in which a Society/Technical Council does not have a chapter, but has at least 3 Members in the Section may join and "Expand" an established chapter of a technically-related Society within the Section. The Chapter's status would be changed to "Joint Chapter."
To Expand an Existing Chapter:
- At least 3 Members from a technically-related Society express interest in joining an existing chapter and the current Chapter-Chair agrees.
- The local Section Executive Committee sends a letter to Member and Geographic Activities Board who approve the expansion if the Society President(s) and the Regional Director have no objections.
Determine Your Eligibility to Form a Society Chapter
The organizer of a new Chapter must be of Member, Senior Member or Fellow grade. A minimum of 12 higher grade members are required to sign the new Chapter petition (see "Do the Paperwork").
The Chair of a chapter must be a current IEEE Member (Student, Affiliate and Associate Members may not be a Chapter Chair) and a Member of the sponsoring Society or member Society if a Technical Council.
Contact the People Who Can Help You
To form a new Society/Technical Council Chapter or Joint Chapter you will need approval from the local Section Executive Committee, the Member and Geographic Activities Board and the Society/Technical Council President(s).
The IEEE staff person in the position of Society/Technical Council Chapter Coordinator will help you contact your Society and Section representatives as well as assist in determining your Chapter Development options. Send e-mail to Liz Parascondola at: tad-chap-dev@ieee.org.
The volunteer at the Society level in the position of Society Chapter Coordinator will be able to tell you if the Society is interested in forming a Chapter or if there are already Chapters in existence in your area. This person will also help you access membership information and serve as your contact to the Society.
Gather Membership Data
Access to membership data is available through IEEE staff at (tad-chap-dev@ieee.org). Information regarding the number of a Society's higher grade members and contact information will be sent to any IEEE Society Chapter-Coordinator who requests it. If you are not yet formally recognized as a Chapter volunteer, please contact tad-chap-dev@ieee.org or the society of your choice for further assistance.
The yearly IEEE Secretary's report is also available online. This report shows the Regional and Sectional Society membership statistics along with the location of current chapters as of the year end.
Do the Paperwork
The most important document you will need to complete is the "Petition for the Establishment of an IEEE Society Chapter."
At least 12 current higher-grade Society members (for a Technical Council; membership to one of the member societies is required) must sign the petition for a chapter to be formed. A "higher-grade" member is an IEEE member holding the status of Associate Member, Member, Senior Member or Fellow.
When your chapter is approved, you should receive notification in the form of a letter from the IEEE. It will be copied to your Society/Technical Council president and you will receive information for the continuation of your new chapter.
Keep up the Good Work.
Congratulations. You've started or expanded a Chapter. Keep up the good work...
Fill out all the paperwork requested from the Society/Technical Council and your Section. In many Societies, significant funding is available as Chapter "start-up" funds or for increased membership within a Chapter. Sections also receive funding from the IEEE based on Chapter membership. Required reporting must be turned in annually for a chapter to be considered active.
Forms are available from your Society/Technical Council or from IEEE Section/Chapter Support.
