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Section Management Manual
Contents
Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Part I: Process of Writing Section Procedures ................................................................................................................... 3
Need for Section Procedures ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Document Creation Process.......................................................................................................................................... 3
Maintaining and Revising Procedures ........................................................................................................................... 4
Part II: Best Practices and Topics to Consider .................................................................................................................. 5
SWE Section Officers and Officer Structures ............................................................................................................... 5
General structure guidance ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Recommended officer structures............................................................................................................................... 5
Additional roles ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
Officer Term Lengths ................................................................................................................................................... 6
One-year terms (default) ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Two-year terms ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Half-terms ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Annual Transitions ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Committees .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Section Support Positions (collegiate sections) ............................................................................................................. 7
Faculty Advisor ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Counselor ................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Leadership Coach (assigned by Leadership Coaching Committee) ............................................................................ 7
Graduate Students (collegiate sections)......................................................................................................................... 7
Part III: Nominations & Elections .................................................................................................................................... 9
Part IV: Sample Wording for Section Procedures ............................................................................................................10
Potential Officer Positions ...........................................................................................................................................10
Potential Officer Responsibilities ................................................................................................................................10
Holding More Than One Office ...................................................................................................................................15
Term Lengths ..............................................................................................................................................................15
Conducting Business of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................16
Section Support Positions (collegiate sections) ............................................................................................................16
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Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to assist Society of Women Engineers (SWE) sections in creating procedures to
govern the section in accordance with current SWE Society Bylaws and Section Agreements. This manual
provides guidance to develop additional section procedures for the areas of officer structures, term-lengths,
duties, elections, transitions, and committees that are not specifically covered in the current SWE governance
documents. Any additional section procedures must not conflict with current SWE Society Bylaws or the
provisions in the current signed Section Agreement.
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Part I: Process of Writing Section Procedures
Need for Section Procedures
Each section should determine if the procedures for managing the operations of the section are sufficiently
covered in Article 6 of the SWE Society Bylaws and Section Agreement. Some topics that will require a
section to develop procedures are:
1. Having a vice president or president-elect succeed to the president’s position in case of a
vacancy;
2. Having multiple vice presidents, secretaries or other positions not specified in the Section
Agreement;
3. Ownership of a scholarship fund;
4. Collegiate specific requirements that apply to on-campus student organizations at the respective
institution;
5. Compliance with state specific 501(c)(3) regulations; and
6. Holding in person elections with or without allowing the use of absentee ballots.
Document Creation Process
The president should appoint a section operations committee of at least two members to develop the written
document containing the section operating procedures. A starting point is to use the Society Bylaws as a guide
to content and format. Listed below is an outline that should be completed by the section operations committee:
References – Society Bylaws, Section Agreement (can be links to locations)
Section I – Name and Objectives: Name, Purposes, Powers and Non-discrimination statement (This
section is needed only if required by a third party)
Section II – Officers: List of Officers, Duties for each office listed, eligibility to run for office, term
length for each officer and if one officer automatically succeeds into another officer position,
requirement that president and treasurer are held by different persons,
Section III – Election and Nominations: Start with process in the Section Agreement and Society
Bylaws. Then adjust to fit the section such as the two members on the nominating committee can also
serve as tellers, steps to become a petition candidate, length of elections, use of electronic survey
software to send out ballots and tally the results, how ties are settled, need for most votes or collegiate
requirements.
Section IV – Executive Council: Defines quorum to conduct executive council meetings, where and
how to keep section records including checking account statements, electronic and social media posts
and legal documents such as Section Agreements and tax filings.
Section V – Committees: Defines what standing committees will exist, structures of committee,
associated duties, reporting and recordkeeping requirements and how to disband a committee
Section VI – Maintaining: Describes how section procedures are maintained and updated and what to
do if section is dissolved
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Maintaining and Revising Procedures
Section procedures should be kept with the associated signed Section Agreement by the secretary. Each
incoming officer should review the procedures and initial the last page showing the review process occurred.
The procedures should be modified at least every two years or sooner if section operations change due to
changes in Society Bylaws, terms in the Section Agreement or if section structure and procedures change. The
new Section Procedures will be approved by a majority of the section members voting. The latest Society
Bylaws can be found at
https://swe.org/about-swe/ under SWE Bylaws and Codes.
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Part II: Best Practices and Topics to Consider
SWE Section Officers and Officer Structures
The SWE Section Agreement, signed each year by section leadership, states the minimum required officer
positions and duties required of a section. It also requires the section to specify who will succeed the section
president should a vacancy occur. This section will provide information on how to add officers and define their
duties to fit the needs of the section and document such additions in the Section Procedures.
General structure guidance
While the Section Agreement only specifies the need for three officers, the four-officer structure works well for
sections of all sizes and is the most common:
• President
• Vice President or President-elect (Designated Successor to the president in the event of a vacancy)
• Secretary
• Treasurer
The only difference between vice president and president-elect is the vice president must run for the office of
president in a future election while the president-elect automatically becomes president for the following term
of office.
For sections with less than 50 members, the secretary and treasurer positions can be held by the same person as
long as that person is not the president or the designated successor to the president.
As section membership increases or the section manages projects with significant time and financial
responsibilities, adding additional officers is recommended (up to a maximum of nine elected positions or about
one additional officer for every 50 members over 100 members).
Recommended officer structures
• President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (default)
• President, Secretary, Treasurer (for smaller sections)
• President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer (for smaller sections)
• President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer
• “Other” – more than four officers, see additional roles below
Additional roles
• President-Elect
o Any section that wants to train a president and have a dedicated successor for the following term
can choose to add a president-elect.
o This person should have very few additional duties, as their job is to learn how to be president.
o The president-elect option can be used with or without a vice president.
o It is recommended that larger sections maintain a vice president to not overburden the president-
elect.
• Multiple Vice Presidents
o Multiple vice presidents may be added to handle functions that in a smaller section would be
handled by committee chairs.
o Named (i.e. VP of Membership, VP of Outreach, etc.) or numbered (i.e. VP1, VP2, up to VP5)
titles can be used.
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• For sections with significant correspondence or records (correspondence or records could include
minutes, agendas, communications with members, email on behalf of the section, member contact
information, distribution lists, any social media)
o Consider a single secretary that oversees committees responsible for correspondence;
o A secretary and secretary-elect; or
o Multiple named secretaries. (i.e. Recording, Corresponding, Social Media, etc.)
• For sections with significant financial responsibilities
o Consider a single treasurer that oversees committees such as finance committee, investment
committee, scholarship committee, etc. (See SWE Finance Manual for more information)
o Or have treasurer and treasurer-elect
• As the section considers officer structure, look to reduce the redundancy of duties. For example, choose
either a vice president of social media or a social media secretary. Do not choose both.
Officer Term Lengths
One-year terms (default)
The standard term for an officer is one-year. It coincides with the SWE fiscal year, beginning July 1st and
continues through June 30th of the following calendar year.
Two-year terms
Any section can choose to elect officers for a two-year term. This is helpful for sections with fewer active
members. When adopting a two-year term, it is recommended that the terms are staggered. For instance, select
a Secretary on even years and a Treasurer on odd years so some continuity is maintained for the section.
Half-terms
A section may choose to elect two officers for a position. One to serve for the first half of the year, and the other
to serve the second half of the year. This may be helpful for section that have leaders stepping into internship or
co-op positions.
All officer roles are required to be elected at the same time and on the same ballot. Officer names should
clearly state the time period of office. For example, Fall VP and Spring VP would indicate half-term officers.
If requiring half-term roles is an atypical problem for the section, it may be more appropriate to hold an election
with standard term roles. When an officer must step down, that position can be filled per the section
governance documents. Typically, a replacement would be appointed by the Executive Council of the section.
Annual Transitions
Each officer should maintain a transition document with key information such as email accounts and passwords,
key dates for required reports or activities, etc. to be shared with incoming officers.
Each section should provide for signature additions/deletions on bank accounts while all officers are available
before the end of the fiscal year.
Committees
Section procedures should include information on section committee - for example, finance, outreach,
professional development, etc.
Each committee chair should also maintain a transition document with key information such as email accounts
and passwords, key dates for required reports or activities, contacts, etc. to be shared with incoming chairs.
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Section Support Positions (collegiate sections)
This section details requirements for any support for the section outside of the membership. The most common
resources for the section are the faculty advisor, counselor, and leadership coach but are not limited to these
roles. Below is information about each of the common resources and some traditional ways each role benefits
the section. Note that it is also common for some of these roles to be filled in a number of ways such as one
person filling more than one role or through other contacts the section has. Leadership coaches will not fill
more than one role.
Faculty Advisor
The faculty advisor is the primary resource and liaison to the university/school. Specific requirements for the
faculty advisor and their selection would go in this section. Some of the common duties of this role include:
• Ensuring the section is in good standing with university/school policies
• Provide support with regards to university policies (i.e. funding, room reservations, branding, etc.)
Counselor
While it is no longer required for the section to have a counselor to maintain good standing with the Society, it
is still encouraged that the section keep a counselor. Some ways having a counselor can benefit the section
include:
• Provide a link to the local professional section and resources in the industry
• Coach the section by providing advice and resources
• Encourage and review award and scholarship applications
• Encourage participation at the Society level
• Assist with the transition from collegiate to professional membership
Leadership Coach (assigned by Leadership Coaching Committee)
The purpose of the Leadership Coaching Committee is to work with section, Members at Large (MAL), and
affiliate leadership to develop and support SWE leaders at all levels. To accomplish this, each SWE section and
affiliate has their own assigned Leadership Coach who provides customized support to the section and its
leaders through consultations and development sessions. More information can be found at lcc.swe.org.
Graduate Students (collegiate sections)
As SWE is intended to be an inclusive organization, if no specific graduate roles exist in the collegiate section
structure, all officer roles should be open to both graduate and undergraduate students from all disciplines.
Below are some ways to integrate graduate students into the section leadership:
• Integrated Graduate Student Officers: Graduate students hold any leadership position within a Section.
o Structures as stated above
• Designated Graduate Student Officers: Graduate students are given specific leadership positions within a
Section (i.e. VP of GradSWE, VP of Graduate Students, etc.) in which graduate programming is offered
within the Section.
o President, Vice President of Undergraduate SWE, VP of GradSWE, Secretary, Treasurer
(default)
• Integrated Graduate Committees: Graduate students serve as specific officers and host committees for
graduate programming.
o President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, but with grad student committees spelled out
specifically
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• Independently Registered Organizations: Graduate groups function as separately registered student
organizations within a given university but are active as sub-committees of a Section. In this structure, it
is recommended to have a Graduate Liaison within the Section.
o President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, but with grad student committees spelled out
specifically
• Independent Sections: Graduate groups may function as an independent Section within the Society if no
other collegiate section exists at the university, maintaining their own procedures of governance and
Section Agreement.
o President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (all for Graduate section)
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Part III: Nominations & Elections
Information for Nominations and Elections aligns with a timeline capable of following an election cycle within
the Society Fiscal Year (July-June). All sections must align their elections with the Fiscal Year and report their
new officers by July 1
st
to sign the Section Agreement for the term of service to the section.
I. Establish a Nominating committee (NomCom)
a. A minimum of two members must serve on the nominating committee (It is recommended that
sections greater than 50 members select a minimum of three members for the nominating
committee.)
b. Members of the nominating committee may not become candidates during their tenure of service
on the nominating committee, including write-in candidates.
c. The nominating committee will select a chairperson. This person does not have to be a member
of the NomCom but cannot be running for a position.
II. Establish a Tellers committee
a. Selected by the chairperson of the nominating committee
b. Composed of a minimum of two individuals to verify the results
c. Responsible to receive and count ballots
d. Reports the results to the section president
III. Nominating Committee proposes an officer slate
a. Solicit the membership for interest in all positions
b. Propose at least one qualified candidate for each position
c. NomCom should receive acceptance from each candidate to be slated for the position chosen
d. The proposed slate must be sent out to all members (by email, traditional mail or posted on the
section website) by April 15
th
or at least 21 days before the election is to be held
IV. Nomination by Petition (Every section MUST allow for a petition period for elections.)
a. Petition candidates must be given a minimum of 7 days (typically April 30
th
) to submit their
signatures/documentation. If they succeed in producing the required documentation, they must
appear on the ballot.
V. Election Process
a. Ballots should go out 14 days prior to election day to allow for a petition period
b. An online survey platform can be used to collect votes provided it can maintain anonymous
voting and that each member can only vote once.
Election Schedule Example
Standard Timeline
Alternate Timeline
Proposed Slate Issued to
members
April 15
April 1
Deadline to Nominate by
Petition
April 30
April 8 (7 days later)
Ballots Sent Out
May 1
April 9
Election Period Ends
On or after May 15
April 23 (14 days later)
Results Sent to Membership
May 30
May 1
Leadership Report Sent to HQ
Before July 1
Before July 1
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Part IV: Sample Wording for Section Procedures
For each section there is recommended terminology or wording to include in the section procedures. Within
the language, italicized items are comments for additional clarification and should not be included.
Potential Officer Positions
Beyond the required 3 officers, this section provides potential officer names for positions with example
responsibilities listed in the next section below based off the chosen officer structure.
• For President: “President”.
• For President-Elect: “None” or “President-Elect”.
• For Vice President: “None”, “Vice President”, “Multiple Named Vice Presidents” or “Multiple
Numbered Vice Presidents”.
a) For Multiple Named Vice Presidents, choose all options desired: “vice president of internal
relations”, “vice president of external relations”, “vice president of corporate relations”, “vice
president of outreach”, “vice president of collegiate relations”, “vice president of social media”,
“vice president of professional development”, “vice president of membership”, “vice president of
___” (fill in the blank).
b) For Multiple Numbered Vice Presidents”, choose desired numbers: (1-5)
• For Secretary: “Secretary”, ‘Secretary and Secretary-Elect”, or “Multiple Named Secretaries”.
a) For Multiple Named Secretaries, choose all options desired: “recording secretary”,
“corresponding secretary”, “social media secretary”, “secretary of ___” (fill in the blank).
• For Treasurer: “Treasurer”, or “Treasurer and Treasurer-Elect”.
For any other options not listed: Please reach out for assistance at bylaws-chair@swe.org
Potential Officer Responsibilities
Sections can select which officer setup is used for the section and copy the text from whichever section applies.
Additional role responsibilities should be added as needed.
I. Four Officers (default): President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
a) The president shall:
1. Represent the section before the public and preside at meetings of the section and its
executive council;
2. Appoint the chairs of all committees, with the approval of the executive council, except
the chair of the nominating committee;
3. Approve the appointment of all committee members, except the members of the
nominating committee;
4. Authorize the disbursement of section funds within the budget approved by the executive
council;
5. Be an authorized signatory on all section accounts;
6. Coordinate activities and execute the business and policies of the section between
meetings;
7. Review and approve the year-end section financial report;
8. (Optional duty) Arrange for a financial assessment of the section financial records as
recommended by the governance documents;
9. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned, and
10. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of president or as may be
assigned by the executive council or the governance documents
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b) The vice president shall:
1. Assume the duties of the president if the president is temporarily unable to serve;
2. Sign the section’s Section Agreement annually;
3. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
4. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
c) The secretary shall:
1. Maintain the records of the section in accordance with the requirements of the Section
Agreement;
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be
assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
d) The treasurer shall:
1. Be responsible for the collection, distribution, and safekeeping of section funds;
2. Complete appropriate IRS reporting forms annually;
3. Prepare, maintain, and report as directed on the financial position of the section in
relation to the approved budget;
4. Submit a financial report to the Society in accordance with established procedures;
5. Provide oversight and guidance to any committee chairs as assigned; and
6. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of treasurer or as may be
assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
e) Vacancies:
1. A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the vice president for the remainder
of the term.
2. A vacancy in the office of vice president, secretary, or treasurer shall be filled by election
by the executive council.
II. Three Minimum Required Officers: President, Secretary (successor), Treasurer
a) President
1. Duties as above.
b) The secretary shall:
1. Assume the duties of the president if the president is temporarily unable to serve;
2. Sign the section’s Section Agreement annually;
3. Maintain the records of the section;
4. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
5. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be
assigned by the president,
c) Treasurer
1. Duties as above.
d) Vacancies:
1. A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the secretary for the remainder of
the term.
2. A vacancy in the office of secretary or treasurer shall be filled by election by the
executive council.
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III. Three Minimum Required Officers: President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer (combined positions)
a) The president shall:
1. Duties as above.
b) The vice president shall:
1. Duties as above.
c) The secretary/treasurer shall:
1. Maintain the records of the section;
2. Be responsible for the collection, distribution, and safekeeping of section funds;
3. Prepare, maintain, and report as directed on the financial position of the section in
relation to the approved budget;
4. Submit a financial report to the Society in accordance with established procedures;
5. Provide oversight and guidance to any committee chairs as assigned; and
6. Perform other duties normally associated with the offices of secretary or treasurer or as
may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
d) Vacancies:
1. A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the vice president for the remainder
of the term.
2. A vacancy in the office of vice president or secretary/treasurer shall be filled by election
by the executive council.
IV. Officer-Elect (President, Secretary, and/or Treasurer)
Sections should choose the officer(s) and duties that apply to their officer structure. A president-elect
structure can still have a vice president(s) but if a vice president is used with a president-elect, the
succession duty and duty to sign the Section Agreement shall be removed from the vice president duties.
a) The president-elect shall:
1. Assume the duties of the president if the president is temporarily unable to serve; and
2. Sign the section’s Section Agreement annually;
3. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
b) The secretary-elect shall:
1. Assume the duties of secretary in case of temporary absence or temporary inability to
serve; and
2. Perform other duties incident to the office of secretary elect, whether assigned by the
president, the secretary or Society governing documents.
c) The treasurer-elect shall:
1. Assume the duties of treasurer in case of temporary absence or temporary inability to
serve; and
2. Perform other duties incident to the office of treasurer elect, whether assigned by the
president, the treasurer or Society governing documents.
d) Vacancies
1. A vacancy in the office of president (officer) shall be filled by the president (officer)-
elect for the remainder of the term, followed by one full term as president (officer),
provided that the president (officer)-elect was elected to that office by the section
membership. A president (officer)-elect elected by the executive committee to fill a
vacancy shall only assume the presidency for the remainder of the term. In such a case,
the ballots for the next election will include an election for both president (officer) and
president (officer)-elect. (In the case of multiple elect positions, include each officer in
this paragraph for succession identification)
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2. A vacancy in the office of president (officer)-elect shall be filled for the remainder of the
term by the membership within sixty days of the vacancy. A vacancy occurring within 4
months of the end of the fiscal year shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the
executive committee. A person filling a vacancy by appointment as president (officer)-
elect shall not automatically become president (officer) but shall be eligible to be a
candidate for president (officer) or president (officer)-elect for the following fiscal year.
(In the case of multiple elect positions, include each officer in this paragraph for
succession identification)
3. A vacancy in the office of secretary (or other officers with no –elect position), shall be
filled by the executive council for the remainder of the term.
V. Multiple Named Vice Presidents
When using multiple vice presidents, a succession to president must be specified. Insert the following
two phrases as the first sentences in the list of duties of the vice president that will succeed the president.
“Assume the duties of the president if the president is temporarily unable to serve;”, “Sign the section’s
Section Agreement annually;”
When creating descriptions for multiple vice presidents, do not duplicate terms for each position. Ex.
Both “vice president of external relations” and “vice president of corporate relations” have
corporate/company duties.
Sections may choose any of the following vice presidents.
a) The “vice president of internal relations” or “internal vice president” shall: (This vice president
could be the presidential successor, as there are no specific duties assigned to this role.)
1. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
2. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
b) The “vice president of external relations” or “external vice president” shall:
1. Handle outside communication with company sponsors regarding donations and
meetings;
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
c) The vice president of corporate relations shall:
1. Oversee all corporate and professional development events and programs;
2. Maintain good relations with companies;
3. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
4. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
d) The vice president of outreach shall:
1. Oversee/manage all outreach events and programs;
2. Maintain good relations with local schools and community groups;
3. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
4. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
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e) The vice president of collegiate relations shall:
1. Provide a liaison between college counselors, faculty advisors, and the collegiate member
sections and interest groups;
2. Provide guidance to colleges or universities within the section in obtaining section or
interest group status, and
3. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
f) The vice president of social media shall:
1. Manage social media platforms maintained by the section or required by the university;
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be
assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
g) The vice president of professional development shall:
1. Manage professional development programs and events.
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
VI. Multiple Numbered Vice Presidents with Succession (repeat paragraph ‘b)’ as necessary for all
subsequent numbered vice presidents).
a) The 1st vice president shall:
1. Assume the duties of the president if the president is temporarily unable to serve;
2. Sign the section’s Section Agreement annually;
3. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
4. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
b) The 2nd vice president(s) shall:
1. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
2. Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or
the governance documents.
VII. Multiple Named Secretaries
When using multiple named secretaries, a succession to each secretary may be specified. Otherwise,
any vacancy will be filled using the officer vacancy procedures. Insert the following phrase as the first
sentence in the list of duties of the secretary that will succeed the other secretary(ies). “Assume the
duties of the “named secretary” if the “named secretary” is temporarily unable to serve;” For
instance, the first sentence for the corresponding secretary would read “Assume the duties of the
“recording secretary” if the “recording secretary” is temporarily unable to serve;”
a) The recording secretary shall:
1. Maintain the records of the section;
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be
assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
b) The corresponding secretary shall:
1. Perform all formal correspondence for the section;
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be
assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
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c) The social media secretary shall:
1. Manage social media platforms maintained by the section or required by the university;
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned; and
3. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be
assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents.
Holding More Than One Office
Choose from one of the following statements.
• Officers may hold more than one office provided there is a minimum of three elected officers of the section.
No one may hold the office of president and treasurer at the same time.
• Officers shall hold only one office at a time.
• Officers may hold more than one office provided there is a minimum of three elected officers of the section.
The position of president-elect can be held by another member of the executive council or by a committee
chair. No one may hold the office of president and treasurer at the same time.
Term Lengths
Choose from one of the following sections. For other term lengths not listed below, contact the Bylaws
Committee at bylaws-chair@swe.org.
• One-year terms for each officer
o Section officers shall serve for a term of one fiscal year, to coincide with the Society’s fiscal
year.
• Two-year terms for each officer
o Section officers shall serve for a term of two fiscal years, to coincide with the Society’s fiscal
year.
• Two-year terms for each officer, staggered. Choose which officers are elected in even year, and which
officers are elected in odd years.
o Section officers shall serve for a term of two fiscal years, to coincide with the Society’s fiscal
year. The president and secretary (one half of additional officers as necessary) shall be elected
in even numbered years. The vice president and treasurer (one half of additional officers as
necessary) shall be elected in odd numbered years.
• Different terms for different officers. Choose which officers are elected for one year, and which officers
for two years.
o Section officers shall serve for a term of one fiscal year, to coincide with the Society’s fiscal
year. The treasurer (officer) shall serve for a term of two fiscal years.
• Language for sections with ‘-elect’ officers
o Section officers shall serve the following terms, to coincide with the Society’s fiscal year.
▪ The president (officer) shall serve for one fiscal year. (Add any additional officers that
have an officer-elect position here)
▪ The president (officer)-elect shall serve for one fiscal year, followed by a term as
president (officer). (Add any additional officer-elect positions here)
▪ The secretary and treasurer shall each serve for one fiscal year. (Any additional annually
elected officers here)
If the section introduces a president (officer)-elect structure, the following proviso should be added
dictating the section will elect a president (officer), president (officer)-elect, etc (repeat as
necessary). This will define the first election cycle following approval of these procedures by the
section with the new structure. If multiple elect positions are used with staggered terms, specify
which offices will be elected each year until all offices are serving their defined term.
Section Management Manual Revised 01-17-21 rev1.1 Page 16 of 16
Approved by Bylaws Committee on 01-17-21
The proviso should be removed upon the next revision of the procedures after the FY(s) in which the
proviso applies.
Proviso: To serve in FY##, the president (officer) and (officers with no –elect position) so elected
will serve terms of one fiscal year. The president (officer)-elect and (other officer-elect positions) so
elected will be the first of these offices to begin two-year terms.
Conducting Business of the Executive Council
I. Conducting Business
a) The executive council shall meet regularly to conduct the business of the section upon the call of
the section president or by written petition of at least one-third of the voting members of the
executive council.
b) Unless otherwise restricted by law or these bylaws, the executive council may also conduct
business by telephone, mail, electronic mail, fax, or other electronic devices.
II. Quorum of the executive council
a) A quorum shall be a majority of the members of the executive council then in office, but not less
than three, one of whom is the president or vice president.
b) No member of the executive council may vote by proxy.
Section Support Positions (collegiate sections)
Select sections below as appropriate:
I. Faculty Advisor (add additional information as required by the university/school)
a) It is recommended, but not required, that the section have a faculty advisor. (If required by
university/school delete “recommended, but not” and then remove the comma after ‘required’)
b) It is preferred, but not required, that the faculty advisor be a SWE member.
c) The selection of a faculty advisor is to be in compliance with the policies and procedures of the
college/university.
d) The faculty advisor and counselor positions may be filled by the same member. (optional)
e) The faculty advisor is a non-voting member of the section. (optional. If the counselor and
faculty advisor is the same person, then the faculty advisor cannot be a member of the collegiate
section.)
II. Counselor
a) A counselor is elected each year by the section.
b) The counselor shall be a member in good standing, eligible for professional membership in the
Society.
c) The counselor shall not be a member of that collegiate section.
d) The counselor is responsible for the section’s compliance with the bylaws, policies, and
procedures of the Society.
e) At any time, by a majority vote of its membership, the section may replace their counselor or fill
a vacancy in the counselor position.
