FAQ: Section Information

How do I form a Section?

By downloading the Section/Subsection Petition form. The petition must be signed by at least 50 qualified members for Sections and 20 qualified members for Subsections. All qualified members must be active IEEE members above the grade of Student with a mailing address within the boundaries of the proposed Section/Subsection.

What is a contiguous member/Section?

If an IEEE member wishes to be affiliated with a neighboring Section, instead of the Section automatically assigned by address, it is possible to become a contiguous member of the adjoining Section. IEEE members may elect to apply for contiguous membership if it better serves their professional needs or convenience.

What is the difference between a Region, a Section and a Chapter?

The membership of the IEEE is divided geographically into administrative Units. The first division is that of Regions of which there are 10 worldwide. They are: 

Regions 1-6: the United States
Region 7: Canada 
Region 8: Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Region 9: Latin America and the Caribbean
Region 10: Asia, Australia and the Pacific Rim countries 

Regions are subdivided into Sections. There are 330 Sections, divided geographically to facilitate administration and local activities. 

Chapters are technical subunits of one or more Sections. There are 39 different Technical Societies which can be represented by Chapters in each Section.

Who is eligible to hold office in a Section?

To be eligible to hold office in an IEEE Section you must be an active member of the IEEE. You must hold the grade of Member, Senior Member, or Fellow, or Life Member, Life Senior, or Life Fellow. You must also be a member of the Section. Society Chapter Officers must be members of the Society (if it is a joint Society Chapter, membership in only one of the Societies is required).

Who can form an IEEE Section?

To be eligible to serve as a Section/Subsection organizer you must be an active member of the IEEE holding the grade of Member, Senior Member or Fellow.

Can an officer be elected from an adjacent Section?

A Section/Chapter officer cannot be elected from an adjacent Section. The individual must belong to that Section. A member can be elected to office in the Section in which he/she is a contiguous member.

Do you have a question not listed here?   Contact sec-chap-support@ieee.org.