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 IEEE Bylaws

 Introduction

 Section I-100.  Membership

 Section I-200. The Assembly

 Section I-300.  Management

 Section I-400. Geographical and
                        Technical Groups /
                        Organization of Members



IEEE Bylaws

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I-100 - Membership


I-110.  Member Discipline and Support

»    1.  Cause for Expulsion, Suspension, or Censure
»    2.  Rights and Privileges
»    3.  Member Conduct Complaints
»    4.  Hearing Board
»    5.  Sanctions
»    6.  Final Action by the IEEE Board of Directors
»    7.  Notifications
»    8.  Readmission
»    9.  Misrepresentation
»  10.  Requests for Support



  1. Cause for Expulsion, Suspension, or Censure. A member of the IEEE may be expelled, suspended, or censured for cause.

    Cause shall mean conduct that is determined to be

    • a material violation of the IEEE Code of Ethics, or

    • a material violation of the Constitution, Bylaws, Policies, or Operations Manuals of the IEEE that is seriously prejudicial to the IEEE, or

    • other conduct that is seriously prejudicial to the IEEE.

    The Board of Directors at its discretion may notify the membership of any expulsion, suspension, or censure.  Any such notification may include a statement of the circumstances surrounding such action.

  2. Rights and Privileges. No person who has been expelled from membership and no member who has been suspended shall (during the period of the suspension) be allowed any of the rights or privileges of membership in the IEEE.  Service on committees and boards, at all levels, shall be denied to a person expelled or suspended (during the period of the suspension) from the IEEE.

  3. Member Conduct Complaints.  The Ethics and Member Conduct Committee shall review complaints alleging conduct by an IEEE member that constitutes cause. Complaints may be filed by any IEEE member in good standing individually.

    The Ethics and Member Conduct Committee shall institute proceedings if it determines, after a preliminary investigation, that there is a reasonable basis for believing (1) that the facts alleged in the complaint, if proven, would constitute cause for expulsion, suspension, or censure of the charged member, and (2) that the facts alleged in the complaint can be proven.

    No conduct alleged to have occurred more than two years prior to the date on which the complaint is received shall be considered by the Ethics and Member Conduct Committee except that with respect to alleged acts of plagiarism, the Ethics and Member Conduct Committee shall consider only those complaints received within ten years of the alleged act of plagiarism.

    The Ethics and Member Conduct Committee shall not be required to initiate an investigation unless the person(s) submitting a complaint agree in writing to attend any hearing instituted pursuant to Bylaw I-110.3, if so requested by the charged member or the Ethics and Member Conduct Committee.

    The detailed procedures and requirements related to the filing of complaints, investigations, timelines, hearing board procedures, and required reports shall be specified in the IEEE Policies.

  4. Hearing Board.  The IEEE President, with the concurrence of the IEEE Board of Directors, shall appoint a hearing board to hear each complaint when proceedings have been instituted by the IEEE Ethics and Member Conduct Committee.  Each hearing board shall consist of no fewer than five and no more than nine IEEE voting members, none of whom shall be currently serving on the IEEE Board of Directors. In addition, alternates for each hearing board shall be identified and appointed to serve in place of one or more hearing board members should such member(s) become disqualified after selection.

    The hearing board shall base its decisions only on testimony and other evidence presented at the hearing. The charged member or such member’s authorized representative shall have an opportunity at such hearing to present testimony and other evidence and to confront the evidence supporting the complaint.

    A finding by the hearing board that the charged member’s conduct constitutes cause, as set forth in Bylaw I-110.1, shall require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of votes of the members of the hearing board present at the time of the vote, provided a quorum is present. The hearing board may either (i) recommend to the Board of Directors the sanction to be imposed or (ii) request that the Board determine the sanction to be imposed. All findings and recommendations by the hearing board shall be in writing.

    If the hearing board finds that the charged member’s conduct constitutes cause, as set forth in Bylaw I-110.1, the Board of Directors shall review the findings and recommendations as to sanction, if any, made by the hearing board. The complaint, all evidence submitted to the hearing board, and the written findings and recommendations as to sanction, if any, of the hearing board shall be made available to the Board of Directors.

  5. Sanctions.  Recommendations by the hearing board and determinations by the Board of Directors as to sanctions, as defined below, shall be made by the hearing board or the Board of Directors on the basis of the severity of the wrongful conduct of the individual, the extent to which IEEE’s interests were prejudiced as a result of such conduct, and other factors that the hearing board or the Board of Directors considers relevant in the circumstances of the particular case.

    The sanctions which may be imposed by the Board of Directors are as follows:

    • Censure which shall mean an official reprimand.  Such reprimand shall be in the form of a letter from the IEEE Board of Directors.

    • Suspension which shall mean that all benefits and privileges associated with the member grade held, at the time the suspension begins, shall cease for the period of the suspension.  The hearing board shall make a recommendation on the time period for suspension.

    • Expulsion which shall mean that the individual shall no longer be a member of the IEEE.  All rights and privileges of membership shall cease and the individual shall be removed from the membership rolls of the IEEE. 

  6. Final Action by the IEEE Board of Directors.  The final action of the Board of Directors shall be by recorded ballot at a meeting of the Board of Directors. If the complaint was signed by a Director, such Director shall not be eligible to vote.  Any other Director may disqualify himself or herself on his or her own motion or be disqualified by an affirmative vote of the Directors voting on the question.

    An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the members of the Board of Directors present at the time of the vote, provided a quorum is present shall be required to sustain the hearing board’s findings as to cause and to sustain any recommendations by the hearing board as to sanction.

    In the event that the Board of Directors sustains a finding by the hearing board as to cause, but either the hearing board made no recommendation as to sanction, or the sanction recommended by the hearing board is not sustained by the Board of Directors, then the sanction shall be determined by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the members of the Board of Directors present at the time of the vote, provided a quorum is present. The Board of Directors may reduce, but may not increase, the sanction recommended by the hearing board.

  7. Notifications.  The Board of Directors shall notify the member(s) charged of the decision taken.  Expelled members’ names shall be dropped from the membership rolls of the IEEE.

    The Board of Directors, at its discretion, may notify the membership of any expulsion, suspension, or censure.  Notification may include a statement of the circumstances surrounding such action.  Any such publication or notice to the IEEE membership shall be issued through the office of the IEEE Executive Director.

  8. Readmission.  Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the members of the Board of Directors present at the time of the vote, provided a quorum is present, shall be required to approve the readmission to membership of a former member who has been expelled under the provisions of this Bylaw.

  9. Misrepresentation.  If information is presented to the Board of Directors indicating that the application for membership or transfer to a higher grade contains apparent material misrepresentations or false statements, the Board of Directors shall investigate and provide the member an opportunity to submit an explanation.  If the Board of Directors concludes that such application contains material misrepresentations or false statements, the membership shall be terminated with notice mailed to the member.

  10. Requests for Support.  The IEEE may offer support to engineers and scientists involved in matters of ethical principle that stem in whole or in part from adherence to the principles embodied in the IEEE Code of Ethics, and that can jeopardize a person's livelihood, can compromise the discharge of the person’s professional responsibilities, or that can be detrimental to the interests of IEEE or of the engineering profession.  All requests for support containing allegations against persons not members of IEEE or against employers or others, and matters of information considered to be relevant to the ethical principles or ethical conduct supported by IEEE shall be submitted initially to the Ethics and Member Conduct Committee.  Requests for support shall not include requests that the Ethics and Member Conduct Committee support a member who is the subject of a complaint as set forth in Bylaw I-110.3.  IEEE support of persons requesting assistance or amicus curiae participation in legal proceedings shall be limited to issues of ethical principle.

    The Ethics and Member Conduct Committee, following a preliminary investigation of any requests for support received, shall submit a report to the Board of Directors, which shall include findings and recommendations for consideration by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may, if it deems it appropriate to do so, appoint an advisory board to assist it in considering such report.  On the basis of information available, the Board of Directors may thereafter offer support to the person making the request as appropriate to the circumstances and consistent with Sections 7.9 of the IEEE Policies. 

    The Board of Directors may publish findings, opinions, or comments in support of the person and take such further action as may be in the interests of that person, the IEEE, or the engineering profession.





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