IEEE AUTOTESTCON CHARTER
Revision 10/05

  1. INTRODUCTION

    The Automatic Testing Conference IEEE AUTOTESTCON (previously known as the Automatic Support Systems Symposium for Advanced Maintainability) is formally chartered by the IEEE as an annual event. To that end, this charter shall:
    1. Define AUTOTESTCON (herein referred to as the Conference) and its objectives.
    2. Establish an AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors for the Conference.
    3. Provide a broad outline for the basic policies and operation of the Conference.
    4. Define a formalized contractual agreement between the sponsors.

  2. NAME OF ORGANIZATION

    The name of the organization shall be the "IEEE Automatic Testing Conference," officially shortened for general usage to IEEE AUTOTESTCON, with appropriate year appended. The Conference is further defined by a subtitle and is known as "IEEE AUTOTESTCON, The Systems Readiness Technology Conference."

  3. THE CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

    The thrust of the Conference embraces the emerging and existing support technologies and concepts on a Systems Engineering level. 

    The purpose of the Conference is to advance the theory and practice of automatic testing, relating primarily to electronic and electrical engineering and allied branches of engineering and the related arts and sciences. This shall be accomplished through the medium of scientific and technical meetings and supplemental publications as may be deemed appropriate.

    Particular emphasis will be placed on computer-controlled test systems and techniques in the design of hardware and software applicable to manufacturing and maintenance testing.

    It shall be the expressed purpose of the Conference to conduct a high-level technical meeting and provide a common forum wherein leaders in design, development, requirements and procurement, applications and operations, for industry, commerce, government, private, education and leisure applications may exchange information relative to their specific disciplines and areas of interest within the field of automatic testing technology. 

  4. LOCATION AND TIME

    The Conference shall be held in various cities throughout the United States, as designated by the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors, based on a selection process established by the Board. The Conference shall be scheduled during the period of September through November, unless otherwise authorized by the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors. It shall not coincide with conferences sponsored by sponsoring Societies and with major national and/or religious holidays. An attempt shall be made to relocate the Conference each year to provide maximum geographical coverage.

  5. SPONSORSHIP

    The Conference shall be administered by an AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors acting on behalf of the member Groups and Societies, i.e., the cosponsors, for the given year. The host IEEE Section may also be a cosponsor on an ad hoc basis, which shall be optional at Board of Directors discretion

    Initially, IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS) and IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) shall be the continuing sponsors of the Conference. Changes in sponsorship shall be as prescribed in this charter. Additional technical sponsors, without financial participation, may be added as appropriate by vote of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors. All IEEE and committee reference to the Conference, made in print, shall acknowledge IEEE sponsorship in a conspicuous manner.

    Sponsors, except those designated as "technical," shall be coequal in all respects. Duties and obligations shall be as defined in Section 8, Contractual Agreement.

  6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    1. Purpose and Scope: The purpose of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall be to establish broad policy, to give guidance and continuity, and to provide the necessary coordination between sponsors. All sponsor communication, directions, suggestions for policy changes, organization, etc. shall be done through a sponsor's representative on the Conference Board of Directors. Action, if required, will be taken by majority vote of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors.

      The implementation of these policies shall be delegated to an Annual Conference Chairman, Conference officers and committee members and shall be subject to periodic monitoring by the Board of Directors and/or its duly appointed representative. Departures from AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors' policies shall not be undertaken without the approval of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors. In accordance with IEEE policies, all appointees shall be IEEE members.
    2. Responsibilities: The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall be responsible for the following:
      1. Appoint a Conference Chairman for each annual conference based on the recommendations of the local IEEE regional entity(ies) co- sponsoring the conference. Based on the recommendations of a Conference Chairman, assist in the selection and approve all appointments to a Conference Committee and any and all changes. 
      2. Establish and publish detailed policies. Such policies shall be annually reviewed by the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors at the end of each IEEE fiscal year.
      3.  Provide guidance and assistance to a Conference Committee hosting an AUTOTESTCON and periodically monitor the activities of a Conference Committee through the duly appointed representative of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors. To assure visibility to Conference Committee activities, the duly appointed representative of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall receive all Conference Committee minutes and shall distribute all such minutes to the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors.
      4. Select the date and location for each conference in accordance with AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors published policies.
    3. Membership of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors
      1. Each sponsoring Society shall appoint three directed delegates as Directors. The term of these appointments shall be for three IEEE fiscal years and no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms. Each sponsoring Society shall appoint a Director each year who shall be a member in good standing of that Society. Such appointments shall be made prior to the end of the preceding IEEE fiscal year. The Conference General Chair will be selected by the Board of Directors. The Conference Chairman shall be appointed to the Board of Directors for a period of three years beginning the IEEE fiscal year prior to the year of the Conference.
      2. Removal for Cause: An AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors member may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors with the concurrence of all sponsors. Removal requests may be initiated by a majority vote of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors or by a letter to the Chairman of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors from a sponsoring president. If a sponsoring president requests a removal, the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors must vote on the request within 20 days of the receipt of the letter.

        The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors member being considered for removal shall retain his position as a member of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors with full voting privileges, until such time as formally removed. He shall be given full opportunity to state his case at the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors meeting.

        The sponsor initiating the removal request shall be responsible for obtaining concurrence of the other sponsors. If the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors initiates the removal action, it shall be responsible for obtaining sponsor concurrence.

        Unless a majority of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors votes for removal and written concurrence is received from all sponsors within 60 days of a request for removal, the original request shall be considered null and void. If all conditions for removal are met, the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors Chairman shall notify the member, by formal letter, of his removal within five days of the date that all removal conditions herein are met.
      3. Should an AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors seat be vacated for any reason, the sponsor he represents will appoint another member to serve the remaining term without changing the original term or sequence in Chairman and Vice Chairman. 
      4. Organization and Meetings: The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall consist of nine voting members. The Chairman and the Vice Chairman shall be elected by the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors at the last meeting during an IEEE fiscal year. The chairmanship shall be for a one-year term and there may be one re-election. The Vice Chairman shall be elected for a one-year term and there may be one re-election. Usually, the offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman will rotate between Directors from the sponsoring societies.

        When the Board is unable to meet or when a quorum is not present, elections and business may be transacted by mail.

        In the event the Chairman is absent from a duly called Board meeting, the Vice Chairman will become the acting Chairman for that meeting. 

        The incumbent Chairman shall call a meeting of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors as soon as practicable after the beginning of the IEEE fiscal year. At this meeting the new Chairman and Vice Chairman will take office and the new members will be installed before any other business is transacted. The retiring members of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall not be eligible to vote at this meeting, the purpose of which is to consider any changes in policy required for the coming year's Conference and to transact other pertinent business. The Executive Agent or other duly appointed representative of the Board shall provide written notice of Board meetings at least 21 days prior to such meetings.

        Additional meetings shall be at the call of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors Chairman or, if occasion requires, at the request of two AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors members. At least one meeting shall be held at a date sufficiently prior to the next conference to select a new AUTOTESTCON Conference Chairman for a future Conference.

        Business shall only be conducted when a quorum consisting of five voting members is present. Approval of all motions before the Board requires a majority of voting Directors present. A maximum of two proxies from the two sponsoring Societies may be designated at any meeting of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors by absent Society-appointed Directors or, when necessary, by the appropriate society president(s). Such proxies shall have full voting powers. The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors Chairman may vote on all questions. Robert's Rules of Order apply to the conduct of the meetings.
      5. Distribution of Minutes of Meetings: Minutes of AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors meetings will be kept by the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors Executive Agent. The minutes will be distributed as follows within 30 days after any AUTOTESTCON Board meeting.
        1 copy to the AESS President
        1 copy to the IMS President
        1 copy to the Chairman of the IEEE regional entity(ies) sponsor
        1 copy to the Conference Finance Chairman
        1 copy to each member of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors
        1 copy to the TAB Office in IEEE Headquarters 

        The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors is responsible to ensure that all necessary proposals, budgets, reports, publications, or other materials are forwarded to IEEE Headquarters for action by the Executive Committee or General Manager, or as otherwise required.
  7. ARRANGEMENTS

    In general, the Annual Conference will follow the format used to date until and unless the sponsors, through the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors, after full thought and consideration, shall decide upon changes through a majority vote of the Board. The following constitute the broad policies and format: 
    1. In addition to registration fees, funding may be augmented through solicitation and contributions and patronage from industry.
    2. The Annual Conference Chairman shall be a leading industry or government figure or an individual who has demonstrated technical leadership in automatic testing and related technologies. The Chairman, as well as those key committee chairmen noted in the Operations Manual, shall be members in good standing of the IEEE.
    3. Technical sessions shall be constituted of invited speakers and/or offers from the call for papers selected by the Conference Technical Program Chairman with the advice and concurrence of the Conference Chairman, organized on the session chairman basis.
    4.  The Chairman of the Annual Conference shall, in particular, concern himself with:
      1. Establishing a Conference Steering Committee consisting of at least, but not limited to, these officers and/or chairmen:

        Conference Chairman Technical Program Chairman
        Vice Chairman Technical Program Vice Chairman
        Finance Chairman Exhibits Chairman 
        Registration Chairman Facilities/Arrangements Chairman 
        Publications Chairman Publicity Chairman
        Awards Chairman Companions/Social Chairman 
        Conference Secretary (Operations Chairman, e.g., exhibits, facilities, spouses, awards, etc.)
      2. Preparation and submission of a planning budget for AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors approval thirty (30) days prior to his scheduled appointment as Chairman. Prior approval of his sponsoring section is required.
      3. The solicitation of contributions and patronage from major industry sponsors.
      4. The Annual Conference opening and/or closing day program.
      5.  The luncheon speakers
    5. The balance of the arrangements in detail are to be handled by appointed committees under the Vice Chairman. The emphasis shall be on small, strong committees, preferably with past experience, to provide efficiency and continuity.
    6.  The AUTOTESTCON Executive Agent or other duly appointed representative of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall prepare and distribute minutes for all Conference Committee meetings within 30 days after all such meetings. These minutes shall be distributed to each Conference Committee and each member of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors.
    7.  The Annual Conference Chairman shall, to a maximum practical extent, appoint co-chairmen or vice chairmen for all conference committees. All conference committee vacancies shall be filled within 30 days after such vacancies occur.
    8. The Annual Conference Chairman shall at all times assure that his AUTOTESTCON is being conducted to the highest levels of professionalism and integrity. He shall ensure that AUTOTESTCON in no way violates any government, military or industry policies, ethical standards or professional conduct guidelines, including the current Joint Ethics Regulation, DoD 5000.500.7-R. Any violation of ethical standards or conduct lacking in professionalism or integrity shall be grounds for administrative action by the IEEE AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors, one of the sponsoring societies or the IEEE itself.
    9.  In the event of any conflict of operating procedures and/or policies between that of IEEE or AUTOTESTCON and any other operating entity, individual, company or organization, those of the IEEE and AUTOTESTCON shall prevail.

  8. CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS AND AGREEMENTS

    By signature to this document, the permanent joint sponsors of AUTOTESTCON, the Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society and the Instrumentation and Measurement Society, per Section 5, agree: 
    1. The AUTOTESTCON organization as to name, place, purpose, general policy and operational philosophy as defined herein are accepted.
    2. The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors, as defined herein, shall be constituted by appointment no later than one month from the date of this agreement and shall thereafter act for the sponsors as their representatives in all matters concerning the Constitution.
    3. The sponsors, except those designated as "technical," shall be financially responsible in equal shares for the Conference. Upon selection of a conference site and a Conference General Chairman by the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors, the permanent sponsors and the host IEEE Section shall each provide a $5,000 advance to the Conference for a total advance of $15,000, and be available for preconference expenses when the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors and the IEEE Conference Services Department approves the operational budget. If there is no local IEEE Section cosponsor the advance from the permanent sponsors shall be in the amount of $7,500.00 each. This operational budget, as set forth in Paragraph 8.6, shall be submitted by January 1. Expenses shall include those of the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors that may be incurred in behalf of the Board of Directors both prior and subsequent to a Conference. The amount budgeted for the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall be annually defined by the same Board of Directors. The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors expenses shall be submitted through the AUTOTESTCON Executive Agent to the Conference Finance Chairman for payment. At the close of each conference, all open accounts shall be satisfied, the advances shall be returned to each of the sponsors within 30 days of the conference ending, and an audit following generally accepted accounting practices shall be conducted by an independent, professional auditor, and then any surplus or loss will be shared equally by the sponsors. Per IEEE requirements, each Conference must be fully closed within 12 months of the date of the conference
    4. A preliminary conference financial report for the past conference will be issued by November 15 of the year of the Conference. A final audited conference report (final conference report prepared, audit completed, surplus distributed, and bank account closed with copy of zero-balance statement) will be completed and submitted no later than one year after the conference to the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors and IEEE. 
    5.  The AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors will forward budget information to the sponsors annually, in accordance with IEEE policy.
    6.  Operational budgets for the forthcoming Annual Conference shall be submitted to the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors by the Conference Finance Committee Chairman, in accordance with IEEE policy. 
    7.  The sponsors hereby delegate to the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors the responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of policy and for the operation of AUTOTESTCON, with the knowledge that said policy may possibly supplement procedures of the individual sponsors. However, the AUTOTESTCON Board of Directors shall be responsible to ensure that the Conference complies with all applicable IEEE policies, rules and procedures now in effect or as subsequently amended.

      This constitutes the full and complete agreement between the sponsors and shall remain in force until amended or changed by mutual agreement by the sponsors or terminated by one-year written notice of termination effective date, by either sponsor to the other.

Approved:

________________________________________________________________
Vice-President, Conferences                                                 Date
IEEE Aerospace & Electronic Systems Society

 

________________________________________________________________
Vice-President, Conferences                                                 Date
IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Societ