MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: CASS CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

During its meeting on May 30th in conjunction with ISCAS 2010, the IEEE Circuits and Systems (CAS) Society Board of Governors approved an important amendment to the CAS Constitution increasing the term of the CAS President from one to two years. This is an important change, which has been discussed for several years, and which aligns CAS governance with that of the vast majority of IEEE Societies and Councils, including the Solid State Circuits Society, the Signal Processing Society and the Council on Electronic Design Automation. This change will contribute to modernizing CAS operations, assuring more continuity to its activities, and increasing the effectiveness to present CAS ideas and positions to IEEE.

After approval by the CAS Board of Governors, the amendments have also been approved by the IEEE Technical Activities Board. As the last step in the approval process; our Constitution requires all amendments be publicized to the CAS membership at large.

Please find the amendments below. They will take effect on 29 July 2010 unless there are objections by at least two percent of the Society membership received in writing to the CAS Executive Office, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08855, USA (email to h.zazza@ieee.org).

If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at gianluca.setti@unife.it

Best wishes,

Gianluca


Gianluca Setti

2010 CASS President



Modification to Constitution: Article IV, Section 3. Terms of Officers


Original Text

The President shall serve as an officer for three years: the first year as president-elect, the second year as president, and the third year as past president. The past president may again be elected to the presidency following a lapse of three years after serving as President (president-elect, president, past president).


Proposed Text

The President shall serve as an officer for four years: the first year as president-elect, the second and third year as president, and the fourth year as past president. The past president may again be elected to the presidency following a lapse of two years after serving as President (president-elect, president, past president). The Executive Committee in alternating years will therefore include either a president-elect or a past-president.



Modification to Constitution: Article V, Section 4. President-Elect


Original Text

The President-Elect shall assume the duties and have the powers, privileges, and responsibilities of the President during the latter's absence.


Proposed Text

The President-Elect or, in a year not having a President-Elect, the Past President shall assume the duties and have the powers, privileges, and responsibilities of the President during the latter's absence.



Modification to Constitution: Article V, Section 9.1. President


Original Text

Should the office of the President become vacant due to resignation, death or long-term incapacitation, the Past President shall assume the office of President if the vacancy occurs prior to July 1 and shall serve until July 1.  The President Elect will assume the office on July 1 or immediately should the vacancy occur after July 1.  In the event that the President Elect or the Past President assumes the office of President, the respective officer shall serve both positions but shall have only one vote in any matter.


Proposed Text

Should the office of the President become vacant due to resignation, death or long-term incapacitation, the Past President shall assume the office of President if the vacancy occurs in the first year of the presidency and shall serve until the end of that first year. The President-Elect will assume the office on January 1 of the second year, or immediately should the vacancy occur in the second year of the presidency. In the event that the President Elect or the Past President assumes the office of President, the respective officer shall serve both positions until the next officer elections, but shall have only one vote in any matter.