How Can We Help?
Chapters are required to fill the leadership positions listed below. Although the president is primarily responsible for guiding the chapter, all officers must contribute if the chapter is to have a successful year.
I am a newly elected officer. Where do I start?
President
The president shall preside at all meetings and shall call special meetings at the request of not fewer than five members or whenever he/she deems necessary. The president should review chapter activities of previous years so that he/she has a full understanding of what has gone on in the past and profits by the knowledge of successes and failures. The president should confer with the faculty adviser and other faculty members to explore plans and ideas.
At the start of the term, plans for the ensuing year should be formulated. The president, in collaboration with other officers and the faculty adviser, should make an outline of what he/she believes would be a good program. This potential program should be discussed with other chapter officers, the faculty adviser and other members of the faculty.
Finally, the president should call a meeting of all members of the chapter to discuss the plans proposed by the officers. This meeting should develop a definite program of meetings and activities for the year.
Securing the list of the students who are eligible for membership is another important duty of the president. The president should also identify any related faculty members and graduate school students who are not members of IEEE-HKN. The president should invite these people to join IEEE-HKN, though they need not go through the pledge activities.
Take care to honor all confidences that are required in reviewing this information. No use should be made of such lists other than for the original intentions.
The president presides at the election of members and should see to it that each candidate receives every consideration due. The president personally should notify successful candidates of their election and send formal invitations to each candidate.
During recruitment, the president should work with IEEE-HKN Headquarters to provide a database of successful candidates in a timely manner. IEEE-HKN Headquarters will send further information to the candidates encouraging them to join. The president and the officers should personally meet with each candidate and encourage them to become a member.
The president should preside at the induction ceremony and should sign all membership certificates. It is essential that the president learns about the ceremony and ensures that it is professionally conducted.
Vice president
The vice president assists the president in developing and implementing plans for the year. The vice president assumes the duties of the president in his/her absence. He/she should take responsibility for the details of the programs for meetings, such as securing speakers and seeing that the arrangements for meetings are in place. The vice president is often in charge of all initiate activities. The vice president should take charge of the preparation of the room for the induction ceremony, secure the necessary equipment, and see that all is in readiness beforehand. The vice president shall perform any other duties delegated to him/her by the president.
Corresponding secretary
The corresponding secretary, in general, conducts correspondence with IEEE-HKN Headquarters. It is his/her duty to confer with the president in all matters that concern IEEE-HKN Headquarters to ensure that action is taken and to report back to IEEE-HKN Headquarters without delay. Securing membership certificates for the elected members in time for the induction is an important duty of the corresponding secretary. The corresponding secretary signs the membership certificates.
The corresponding secretary should provide notice to IEEE-HKN Headquarters of all officers, as well as their contact information, following the chapter’s elections, through the Notice of Election of Officers form.
Ballots taken on national IEEE-HKN affairs, such as officer elections or changes to the constitution, should be transmitted to IEEE-HKN Headquarters immediately after the meeting during which the vote was taken. The corresponding secretary should report new member inductions and submit paperwork either 2-3 weeks before the scheduled induction ceremony to receive the certificates on time for the induction, or immediately following the induction (in which case the corresponding secretary is responsible for ensuring the inductees receive their certificates).
All other correspondence, including that with other chapters, is handled by the corresponding secretary.
Recording secretary
The recording secretary’s responsibilities include keeping a record of all meetings and issuing notices for special meetings. A suitable book should be provided to keep a record of the meetings of the chapter. The recording secretary should enter the minutes, names of all in attendance, motions made, and actions taken in this book. In addition, when a speaker appears during a program or activity, the recording secretary should note his/her name and connection, as well as the subject and remarks on the presentation’s reception. The recording secretary shall perform all other duties assigned to him/her by the president.
Treasurer
As fiscal officer of the Chapter, the treasurer is responsible for the chapter’s funds. The IEEE-HKN constitution requires the treasurer to collect all dues and fees for induction, local dues if charged, and any assessments levied for any purpose and for any enterprises such as dinners, mixers, and other activities conducted by the chapter.
The treasurer shall pay out funds for any purpose only on the order of the chapter. The president or the Faculty Adviser should cosign checks. This is very important, as it is otherwise impossible to maintain fiduciary control of the chapter’s finances. No variation from this procedure should be permitted.
So that there is no difficulty in presenting proper reports of these activities, the treasurer should keep records of all financial transactions. A balance should be kept for the inspection of the chapter at any meeting or at the request of the president. The treasurer should seek compliance with all college requirements governing the handling of funds by student organizations, particularly those regarding the method of making payments, keeping records and conducting audits.
Prior to the IEEE and HKN merger in 2010, chapters received their own IRS Employee Identification Numbers (EIN or Tax-ID number). Now as IEEE-HKN, chapters no longer have their own chapter EIN. If your chapter gross is less than $25,000 annually (1 July–30 June) and your chapter submits an Annual Chapter Report every year by the 30 June deadline, IEEE can file on your behalf.
Chapters grossing more than $25,000 annually (1 July–30 June) must file a 990. The deadline is 1 October to file the appropriate report. Details will be sent to all chapters after 1 July each year. Failure to comply could result in losing non-profit status.
The treasurer should also handle any other duties of any sort that are delegated to him/her by the president.
Web correspondent
The web correspondent is responsible for posting chapter activity information online. Web correspondents should share recaps of chapter activities (including pictures) with IEEE-HKN Headquarters. Often, the web correspondent is also the publicity agent of the chapter. He/she can provide chapter news to the university and local newspapers. Where activities of a member are such that they will interest people in his/her hometown, suitable articles should be prepared and furnished to the relevant newspapers. Proper mention of IEEE-HKN should be made without the appearance of advertising the organization. The announcements of new members as pledged or inducted, as well as the results of new officer elections, are often of interest of the college and hometown papers of each inductee and new officer. If the chapter’s college has a public relations or university relations staff, they may assist.
Faculty advisor
The department chair usually designates the IEEE-HKN faculty adviser, who provides the needed stability and continuity that greatly helps a chapter to maintain success year after year. The Faculty adviser serves as a liaison officer between the chapter and the college.
He/she should give advice to the officers and guide them in their necessary decision making, rather than out-rightly directing the affairs of the chapter.
According to the IEEE-HKN constitution, the faculty adviser shall be a member of IEEE-HKN and a faculty member in a department that relates to one or more of the IEEE fields of interest for the school in which the chapter is located. A faculty adviser (or other faculty) may be inducted at any chapter induction.
For more information, please refer to the Faculty Advisor Handbook and Faculty Advisor Checklist.
