The purpose of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) Special Interest Group on Summarization (the SIG) shall be to promote interest in Summarization; to provide members of the ACL with a special interest in Summarization with a means of exchanging news of recent research developments and other matters of interest in Summarization; and to sponsor meetings and workshops in Summarization that appear to be timely and worthwhile, operating within the framework of the ACL's general guidelines for SIGs.
ELECTED OFFICERS
The elected officers of the SIG shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. All officers shall be members in good standing with the SIGSUMM organization and a parent organization. The term of all elected officers of the SIG shall be 2 years. Officers may be re-elected but consecutive appointments are limited to four consecutive terms.
The duties of the President shall be:
1. To have primary executive authority over actions and activities of the SIG.
2. To prepare a written report on the activities of the SIG for the Executive Committee of the ACL, for presentation to the ACL at its Annual Business Meeting.
3. To designate a Liaison Representative for the SIG, who shall be primarily responsible for communication with members of the SIG, answering inquiries about the SIG, and communication with the Executive Committee of the ACL.
4. To appoint other officers as needed to achieve the goals of the SIG, including a returning officer as specified in Sections III and V, and communications officers to maintain the web presence of the SIG and facilitate communication among members.
5. To appoint, in agreement with other elected officers, an international advisory committee (the SIGsumm Board) with members from both parent organizations, representing at least four countries, including at least one in North America, one in Europe, and one in the Pacific Rim. The SIGSUMM Board will be called upon for planning and coordination of SIGsumm activities and preparation and revision of SIGSUMM documents.
The duties of the Vice President shall be:
1. Assisting the President in carrying out their duties, including serving as a representative in meetings that the President is unable to attend.
2. Helping the President in organizing the annual SIGSumm conference. This includes assisting in the selection of General and Program chairs, and providing guidance on logistics to
ensure that the chairs are meeting their responsibilities on schedule.
The duties of the Secretary shall be:
1. To maintain a membership roster of the SIG.
2. To be responsible for any money awarded to the SIG by the ACL; to collect and manage any dues that may be required by the organization, and to present a written annual report on the SIG finances to the Executive Committee of the ACL.
3. To act as a Liaison Representative, who shall be primarily responsible for communication with members of the SIG, answering inquiries about the SIG, and communicating with the Executive Committee of the ACL.
The duties of the Treasurer shall be:
1. Overseeing any funds awarded to the SIG by parent organizations or profits from the annual conference, collecting and managing dues, and presenting a written annual report on SIG finances to the Executive Committee and boards of parent organizations.
2. Preparing financial reports for the SIG on a quarterly basis, and when requested by the President or parent organizations.
3. Reviewing and verifying financial reports from the General chairs of the annual conference on a regular basis, both prior to and after the conference.
4. Assessing the financial feasibility of any new policy proposals approved by the Board and proposed by the President.
5. Collaborating with the President to manage the allocation of funds for the annual conference, sponsorships, travel grants, and other approved expenditures.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The officers of the SIG are elected by a vote of the membership. Elections are typically held one to two months before the expiration of current terms. In the event of a vacancy, an extraordinary election will be held to fill the remaining term. Candidates must be nominated by two members, accept the nomination, and be members in good standing of SIGSUMM and a parent organization.
Voting procedures are approved by the SIGSUMM Board and supervised by a returning officer appointed by the President and agreed to by all candidates. The procedures may vary from election to election as deemed appropriate, but will conform to the following guidelines: Nominations will be called at least two months prior to the election, and will close one month prior to the election. All members will be notified of the election date, voting procedure, and nominations at least four weeks prior to the close of voting, and results will be notified to the members within four weeks of the close of voting.
SIGSUMM Board members serve two-year terms. Three members are elected according to the usual election of officers described previously, and three members are appointed by the President.