Officer Duties

Duties of the President

General: The President of Sigma Xi assumes the office of President on 1 July, after serving as President-elect for one year, and serves until the following 30 June. The President is one of 5 officers of the Society and serves on the following Boards and Committees of the Society:

• President (Chair), Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (the "Society")
• President (Chair), Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society Incorporated (the "Corporation")
• President (Chair), Executive Committee
• Member – Ex-officio with vote- All committees except the Committees on Audit Review and Nominations

The Board of Directors is principally responsible for managing the activities, property, and affairs of the Society in accordance with the policies established by the Assembly. The Board of the Society simultaneously serves as the Board of the Corporation (Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, Inc.), which is the legal entity holding title to the Society's assets and responsible for managing the property, affairs, and financial business of the Society.

Time Commitment: Below is a summary of the principle meetings or activities in which the President normally participates. The largest single time commitment for the President is the Society's annual conference in the fall (October or November). The annual conference includes meetings of the Board of the Society, the Board of the Corporation, and the Executive Committee. Whenever possible, meetings are arranged to accommodate the President's schedule.

Event/Activity	Approx. Date	Usual Duration
Take office as President of the Society	July 1	1 year
During course of Fiscal Year, the President prepares an editorial for each of the 6 issues of American Scientist magazine that are published during tenure as President.	Generally due in July, September, November, January, and March*
Strategic Planning Committee meeting (Member– Ex officio)	TBD	TBD
Committee on Finances meeting (Member)	In person late February to Mid-March. Teleconference in the month following fiscal quarters	One day in-person and four 1-hour conference calls
Annual Conference -Executive Committee meeting (Chair) -Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Chair) -Annual Meeting (Assembly of Delegates) (Chair)	October or November**	Generally Wednesday morning through Sunday noon
Executive Committee meeting (Chair)	Quarterly	1-hour conference call
Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Generally held at Headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC) -Executive Director Performance Evaluation -Committee meeting (Member) -Executive Committee meeting (Chair) -Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Chair)	Spring (April or May)	1 day in-person
Complete term as President	June 30
* Specific dates to be provided by the editor of American Scientist. ** Location and date of annual meeting is set 3 to 4 years in advance.
In addition to the above, the President is an ex officio member (with vote) of all committees of Sigma Xi, except the Committees on Audit Review and Nominations. Normally, the President participates in meetings of these committees as they wish. The President may be asked to represent the Society at various functions throughout the year, including chapter installations, but may choose to accept or decline these invitations as he or she wishes.

Duties of the President-Elect

General:  The President-elect of Sigma Xi assumes the office of President-elect on 1 July after their election at the annual meeting the previous November and serves until the following 30 June. The President-elect is one of 5 officers of the Society and serves on the following Boards and Committees of the Society:

• Member & Officer, Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (the "Society")
• Vice-President, Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society Incorporated (the "Corporation")
• Member, Executive Committee
• Member, Committee on Finances
• Member, Committee on Strategic Planning (the members of the Executive Committee constitute the members of the Committee on Strategic Planning)

Time Commitment:  Below is a summary of the principle meetings or activities in which the President-elect normally participates.

Event/Activity	Approx. Date	Usual Duration
Take office as President-elect of the Society	July 1	1 year
Committee on Strategic Planning (Member)	TBD	1 year
Committee on Meetings (Chair)	TBD	1 year
Annual Conference -Executive Committee meeting (Member) -Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Member) -Annual Meeting (Assembly of Delegates)	October or November*	Generally Wednesday morning through Sunday noon
Committee on Finances meeting (Member)	In person late February to mid-March. Teleconference in the month following fiscal quarters	One day in-person and four 1-hour conference calls
Prepare first “Presidential” editorial for Jul-Aug issue of American Scientist	April**
Board Meeting (Corporation and Society) (Generally held at Headquarters in Research Triangle Park, NC) -Executive Director Performance Evaluation -Committee meeting (Member) -Executive Committee meeting (Member) -Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Member)	Spring (April or May)	1 day in-person
Prepare “Conversation with the President” for Sept-Oct American Scientist	June**
Participate in governance course	During year as P-E.	2-3 days Location TBD
Complete term as President-elect	June 30
* Location and date of annual meeting is set 3 to 4 years in advance. ** Specific dates to be provided by the editor of American Scientist.
In addition to the above, the President-elect is an ex officio member (with vote) of all committees of Sigma Xi, except the Committees on Audit Review and Nominations. Normally, the President-elect participates in meetings of these committees as he or she wishes. The President-elect may be asked to represent the Society at various functions throughout the year, including chapter installations, but may choose to accept or decline these invitations as he or she wishes.

Duties of Past President

General: The Past President of Sigma Xi assumes the office of Past President on 1 July after their term as President is concluded and serves until the following 30 June. The Past President is one of 5 officers of the Society:

• Member & Officer, Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (the "Society")
• Member, Executive Committee
• Member, Committee on Strategic Planning (the members of the Executive Committee constitute the members of the Committee on Strategic Planning)

Time Commitment: Below is a summary of the principle meetings or activities in which the Past President normally participates.

Event/Activity	Approx. Date	Usual Duration
Take office as Past President of the Society	July 1	1 year
Strategic Planning Committee meeting (Member)	TBD	TBD
Annual Conference -Executive Committee meeting (Member) -Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Member) -Annual Meeting (Assembly of Delegates) (Member)	October or November*	Generally Wednesday morning through Sunday noon
Board Meeting (Corporation and Society) (Generally held in Research Triangle Park, NC) -Executive Director Performance Evaluation -Committee meeting (Member) -Executive Committee meeting (Member) -Board meeting (Corporation & Society) (Member)	Spring (April or May)	1 day in-person
Complete term as Past President	June 30
Committee on Nominations (3 year term following term as Past President )	November to November	Teleconferences
* Location and date of annual meeting is set 3 to 4 years in advance. Note: In the absence of the President and the President-elect, the Past President presides over the meetings of the Board of Directors for the Society and the Corporation, the Executive Committee, and the Assembly of Delegates. In addition to the above, the Past President may be asked to represent the Society at various functions throughout the year, including chapter installations, but may choose to accept or decline these invitations as he or she wishes.

Duties of Treasurer

General: The Treasurer of Sigma Xi assumes the office of Treasurer on 1 July after their election at the annual meeting the previous November, and serves a four-year term. In general, the Treasurer is one of 5 officers of the Society and participates in meetings of the Society's Board of Directors, Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society, Incorporated (the "Corporation"), and the Executive Committee. The Board of Directors is principally responsible for managing the activities, property, and affairs of the Society in accordance with the policies established by the Assembly. The Board of the Society simultaneously serves as the Board of the Corporation (Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, Inc.), which is the legal entity holding title to the Society's assets and responsible for managing the property, affairs, and financial business of the Society. The Treasurer also Chairs the Society's Committee on Finances, participates in quarterly meetings with the Society's financial advisors, and prepares the Society's annual budget with the Society's Executive Director and administrative staff.

In addition, the Treasurer may be asked to represent the Society at various functions throughout the year, including chapter installations, but may choose to accept or decline these invitations as they wish.

Service on Boards and Committees: The Treasurer serves on the following Boards and Committees of the Society:

• Treasurer, Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (the "Society")
• Treasurer, Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society (the "Corporation")
• Treasurer, Executive Committee
• Chair, Committee on Finances
• Member, Committee on Strategic Planning
• Member, Committee on Committees

Time Commitment: The largest single time commitment for the Treasurer is the Society's annual meeting in October or November that normally runs from Wednesday evening through Sunday noon. The annual meeting includes meetings of the Board of Sigma Xi, the Board of the Corporation, and the Executive Committee. In addition, the Treasurer presents the Report of the Treasurer, and introduces the motion on annual dues during the first session of the Assembly of Delegates at each annual meeting. The Board also meets in the spring of each year in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (normally in April or May) for  one day. The Executive Committee meets immediately prior to each meeting of the Board, usually the morning before the Board meets. The Committee on Finances meets on Friday during March or April of each year, the Committee on Strategic Planning meets via teleconferences normally in the summer, and the Committee on Committees via conference calls or electronically. All of these meetings are arranged to accommodate the Treasurer's schedule, particularly meetings of the Board, Executive Committee and the Committee on Finances.

Duties of Directors

Directors are members of the Society’s Board of Directors that is principally responsible for managing the activities, property, and affairs of the Society in accordance with the policies established by the Assembly. The Board of the Society simultaneously serves as the Board of the Corporation (Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, Inc.), which is the legal entity, holding title to the society’s assets and responsible for managing the property, affairs, and financial business of the Society. In carrying out these responsibilities, Directors are the primary liaisons between the Board and the chapters in their appropriate region or constituency group. Directors also conduct meetings of their region or constituency group at the Society’s annual meeting each fall, and are responsible for working with, giving advice to, and contributing to the health of the chapters and membership in their respective region or constituency.

Throughout the year Officers and Directors are expected to remain abreast of Society activities by reading the Executive Director’s monthly updates and other Society communications, and by replying to email ballots on business matters of a time-sensitive nature.>

Time Commitment: The largest time commitment for Directors is the Society’s Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference which is usually scheduled in the fall from Tuesday evening through Sunday afternoon. During this time, Directors participate in meetings of the Board of Directors of the Society and of the Corporation, lead caucuses of their region or constituency, participate in the Assembly of Delegates, and other activities of the meeting. The Board of Directors also meets a full day in the spring each year at the Sigma Xi headquarters located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.  

Between Board meetings, much of the business of the Society and communications between the Directors, the chapters and membership in their region or constituency is conducted electronically.  Directors are strongly encouraged to utilize Sigma Xi’s on-line Communities, specifically the Board of Directors community where Board members can participate in discussions, view documents, coordinate meetings, facilitate necessary actions/motions, and receive announcements.

Sigma Xi subvents expenses for Directors to attend meetings of the Board of Directors and the annual meeting.

As adopted by the Board of Directors on 3 November 2005: “The Board of Directors has fiduciary and other legal responsibilities to provide oversight to the policies and operations of Sigma Xi.”

The Board of Directors as a whole has the following responsibilities:

1. To set policy and establish goals for the Society, propose modifications to the Constitution and Bylaws as necessary.
2. To hire the Executive Director and to evaluate his/her performance by reviewing the report of the Performance Review Committee and to determine his/her compensation.
3. To review and approve the Society’s annual budget as recommended by the Committee on Finance.
4. To generate resources for the Society.
5. To review performance of the Board and each Standing Committee Chair and additionally the composition, skills, balance and diversity periodically (at least every 2 years).

Individual Board members have the following responsibilities:

1. To be familiar with the Society programs, history, mission, organizational structure, and Strategic Plan.
2. To advocate the Society among peers and in the community.
3. To provide financial resources at any level through regular contributions, including an annual gift, according to individual means, including augmentation by in-kind contributions.
4. To identify potential sources of support and to participate in solicitations and other fundraising efforts as needed.
5. To attend Board Meetings.
6. To serve on Society committees as required and attend meetings of those committees.
7. To attend Sigma Xi events.
8. To contribute wisdom and talent to fashion and promote Society practices and programs.
9. To represent the membership.
10. To actively participate in the revitalization of chapters and the nomination and retention of members within their appropriate region or constituency.
11. Should the Director be unable to attend Board of Directors meetings, Assembly of Delegates, and caucuses, it is the responsibility of the Director to coordinate attendance by and with the Associate Director to provide appropriate coverage for designated responsibilities during that time.

Duties of the Committee on Nominations

Sigma Xi's Committee on Nominations is composed of the three most recent Past Presidents, who are not on the Board of Directors, and one elected representative from each of the Society's six constituency groups and six geographic regions. No Director shall serve on this Committee. 

Members of the Committee are elected to serve three-year rotating terms by their respective region or constituency group. Elected members of the Committee may serve only one three-year term, but may be nominated again for a term commencing at least three years after termination of the previous term.

The Chair of the Committee serves one-year and is initially selected by the Committee from among its membership, but shall not be drawn from retired presidents.  A Deputy Chair is nominated and voted on by the current year’s Committee members and after serving a one-year term, will act as Chair of the Committee the following year.

Duties and Responsibilities: The Committee on Nominations conducts its business each January to June in which it must select at least two nominees for President-elect of the Society to be placed before the next Assembly of Delegates in November, and every four years at least two nominees for Treasurer to be placed before the Assembly of Delegates for election.

Upon completion of the candidate selection process, the Chair of the Committee will prepare a final report which will be submitted to the Executive Office for notification to the Society’s Board of Directors and general membership, at which time the Committee’s work for that year will be concluded.

The Committee's business is conducted by telephone conference call and by electronic ballots. When two individuals agree to be nominees for President-elect or Treasurer, the Committee's work is concluded.

Time Commitment:  The term of this Committee shall commence upon the adjournment of the Assembly of Delegates and terminate upon the adjournment of the succeeding Assembly of Delegates.

Time commitments vary based on the efficiency of the committee. All work is done via email and teleconferences. There are no in-person meetings of the Committee.

Duties of the Associate Directors

Associate Directors were incorporated into the Society’s governance structure in 1998 as part of Sigma Xi’s new governance structure.  There are 12 Associate Directors in Sigma Xi, one each from the 6 constituency groups and one each from the 6 geographic regions.  Associate Directors are elected by their respective group or region immediately following the Society’s fall annual meeting to serve three years beginning July 1 of the year following their election. 

Duties: The Associate Director shall assist the Director and, at the request of the Director, may attend a meeting of the Board of Directors in place of the Director in a non-voting capacity.  Such requests may require a commitment by the Associate Director for participation at Sigma Xi’s fall Annual Meeting activities including, but not limited to, attendance at the Board of Directors meeting, caucuses, and Assembly of Delegates usually occurring from Tuesday evening through Thursday evening; and/or attendance at the spring Board of Directors one-day meeting held at Sigma Xi’s headquarters located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. It is the responsibility of the Director and the Associate Director to coordinate attendance at meetings and events, and provide appropriate coverage for designated responsibilities during that time.

If an Associate Director attends a meeting of the Board of Directors in place of the region/constituency Director, the Society will subvent expenses for the Associate Director.  If an Associate Director chooses to attend the annual meeting when not acting in place of the Director, the Associate Director shall be responsible for all associated expenses.

Subvention of travel for Associate Directors acting as Delegates at the Assembly of Delegates, in accordance with regulations approved by the Assembly of Delegates and local support allocations, will be made in accordance with the Sigma Xi’s Travel Policy.

In the event of a vacancy in the office of the region/constituency Director, that vacancy shall be filled by the Associate Director. 

Time Commitment:  Much of the work of Associate Directors is conducted electronically.  Associate Directors are strongly encouraged to utilize Sigma Xi’s on-line Communities, specifically the Associate Directors community, where they can initiate and participate in discussions with their chapters, membership, and regions/constituencies, view documents, coordinate meetings, and receive announcements.