Statistical Graphics Charter

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization is the SECTION ON STATISTICAL GRAPHICS (hereafter called the “Section”) of the American Statistical Association (hereafter called the “Association”).

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Section include:

  1. Foster understanding and proper use of statistical graphics in statistics, in other scientific fields, in the mass media, and among the general public. Encourage the teaching of statistical graphics in universities, colleges, secondary schools, and primary schools.
  2. Encourage research in statistical graphics and provide a focus within the Association for it.
  3. Build cooperative relationships on behalf of the Association with other professional organizations that have interests in statistical graphics.

In pursuing these objectives, the Section will work closely and coordinate with other sections of the Association whenever appropriate.  In particular, the Section shares interests with other sections in the following areas:

Section on Statistical Computing

 

ARTICLE III. FUNCTIONS

In support of the Section’s objectives, the Section will perform the following functions:

  1. Organizing sessions on statistical graphics at meetings of the Association.
  2. Sponsorship of awards in statistical graphics
  3. Publicizing the activities of the Section and other items of interest to the Membership, for example by maintaining a Section webpage.
  4. Sponsoring sessions at meetings of other professional societies.
  5. Inviting other professional societies to sponsor sessions at meetings of the Association as part of the Association's statistical graphics program.
  6. Sponsoring non-journal publications on statistical graphics.
  7. Organizing short courses and tutorials in statistical graphics.
  8. Developing plans for education in statistical graphics.
  9. Holding forums under the auspices of the Association with members of the mass media responsible for the statistical graphics presented to the public.
  10. Establishing and maintaining liaison and cooperation with other scientific and professional organizations.
  11. Establishing and maintaining liaison and cooperation with other sections of the Association.
  12. Aiding the general development of statistical graphics, statistics, and the Association.
  13. Serving as a resource for public and private groups or agencies with interests in the field of statistical graphics.
  14. Recognizing by awards or other means of public demonstration, excellence in statistical graphics of outstanding value to the profession and the public.


ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP

Members of the Association may join the Section by paying Section dues.

Section dues are set by the officers of the Section and may be altered annually in consultation with the Treasurer of the Association.

The membership year for each member of the Section shall coincide with that member’s membership year within the Association.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS

The officers of the Section shall be the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Past Chair, the Secretary/Treasurer, the Program Chair, the Program Chair-Elect, the Publications Officer, the Awards Chair, the Representatives to the Association's Council of Sections and the Data Competition Chair. The number of Representative(s) to the Council of Sections is determined by the Association’s Council of Sections Governing Board.

With the exception of the Awards Chair, all Section officers must be members of the Section. The Awards Chair must be a member of either the Section on Statistical Graphics or the Section on Statistical Computing.

These are all voting members of the Section; these individuals may vote on financial matters and official business of the Section. 

The Section Chair-Elect, Program Chair-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, and the Representative(s) to the Council of Sections are elected by the membership of Section in the Association’s annual election. The Awards Chair shall be jointly nominated by the Section Chair-Elect of the Section on Statistical Computing and the Past Section Chair of the Section on Statistical Graphics, and confirmed by the Executive Committees of both Sections. The Publications Officer shall be nominated by the Section Past Chair of the Section on Statistical Graphics and confirmed by its Executive Committee. The Data Competition Chair shall be appointed by the Chair-Elect and confirmed by the Executive Committee.

The term of the Section Chair-Elect shall be one year, and the Section Chair-Elect shall automatically succeed the Section Chair on January 1 of each year. The term of the Section Chair shall be one year, and the Section Chair shall automatically succeed the Past Section Chair on January 1 of each year. The term of the Past Section Chair shall be one year.

The term of the Program Chair-Elect shall be one year, and the Program Chair-Elect shall automatically succeed the Program Chair on January 1 of each year. The term of the Program Chair shall be one year.

 The terms of the Secretary/Treasurer, Publications Officer, and Awards Chair shall all be two years. The terms of the Secretary/Treasurer and Publications Officer shall start on January 1. The term of the Awards Chair shall start on March 1. The Publications Officer shall be nominated in even number years to start in odd numbered years. The Awards Chair shall be nominated in even numbered years to start in odd numbered years. The term of the Data Competition Chair shall be one year although the work begins in the preceding year.

The terms and starting dates of Representative(s) to the Council of Sections are prescribed in the Charter of the Council of Sections.

An individual may hold no more than one office within the Section at a given time with the rare exception given in the next paragraph.

If the office of Chair becomes vacant, the Past Chair shall become the Chair for the duration of the term of the vacating Section Chair, acting as both the Chair and the Past Chair. In this rare situation, a Past Chair would be allowed to be Past Chair for two years. If the office of Awards Chair shall become vacant, it shall be filled by joint nomination of the Chairs of the Sections on Statistical Computing and on Statistical Graphics and confirmed by the Executive Committees of both Sections. Vacancies in other offices shall be filled by appointment by the Chair and confirmed by its Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

1. Types of Committees
The Committees of the Section shall consist of Standing Committees as provided by this Charter and Standing and Current Committees as established by the officers of the Section. Current Committees may be established to satisfy a particular need or interest of the Section.

A quorum of 50% of voting members must be present at official meetings for all committees, and an opportunity for discussion of matters requiring vote must be allowed. Formal motions and financial disbursements must occur during official meetings of committees.

2. Membership

The term of membership on Standing and Current Committees, if not otherwise specified in this Charter, shall be three years. Initial terms for new committees shall be set by the Chair of the Section for one, two, or three years so that, as nearly as possible, one-third of the members shall be appointed each year. Each committee shall be governed by a chair appointed by the Chair of the Section, unless otherwise specified in this Charter. All members of Standing Committees and the chairs of Current Committees shall be members of the Section.

3. Standing Committees

Each Standing Committee must submit an annual report to the Chair of the Section.


a. Executive Committee

The Section Chair shall serve as Chair of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee

shall be composed of all the officers of the Section along with the Section Chair of the Section on Statistical Computing. All members of the Executive Committee are voting members and may vote on financial matters and official business of the Section.


b. Nominations Committee

The Section's immediate Past Chair shall serve as Chair of the Nominations Committee. The current Chair and the Chair-Elect shall also serve on this committee. Each year the Nominations Committee shall submit to the Secretary of the Association and the Section Chair at least two nominations for each position to be filled. The Association's general deadline for submission of nominations shall apply. In addition, any Section member nominated by petition of at least 5% of the membership of the Section shall also appear on the annual ballot, provided that the petition is presented to the Section Chair and to the Secretary of the Association within the Association’s balloting timelines. Balloting shall be carried out as part of the Association's annual election for Association and Section officers.
 

c. Student Awards Committee

The Awards Chair shall chair the Student Awards Committee. The committee shall be composed of five members, including the Awards Chair. The other four members shall include a member of the Executive Committee, a Section member, and two members appointed by the Executive Committee of the Section on Statistical Computing. All Committee members shall be a member of the Section on Statistical Graphics or the Section on Statistical Computing. The Section Past Chair shall in alternating years appoint either one Section Officer or one Section member to the committee. The term of all members shall be two years.

 

d. Statistical Computing and Graphics Award Committee

The Section Past Chairs of the Sections on Statistical Graphics and on Statistical Computing shall serve as co-Chairs on the Statistical Computing and Graphics Award Committee. The Section Chairs of the Sections on Statistical Graphics and on Statistical Computing shall also be members of the committee. All four members shall have an equal vote. The Awards Chair shall convene the committee in the Spring of even numbered years but shall not have a vote. The committee shall meet at the Annual Meeting of the Association (during even numbered years) to select the winner of the Statistical Computing and Graphics Award.

e. Charter Committee
 

The Charter Committee is composed of four voting members: the Section Past Chair, the two most immediate former Section Past Chairs, and one of the Section Representatives to the Council of Sections. The committee is chaired by the current Section Past Chair. The term of Section Past Chairs shall be three years. The term of the Section Representative to the Council of Sections shall expire when his or her term as Section Representative to the Council of Sections expires. Any vacancies on the committee are filled by appointment of the Section Chair.

The committee shall review and if necessary propose revisions to the Section Charter for discussion by the Executive Committee at the Annual Meeting of the Association.


f. Fellows Committee

The Section Past Chair shall serve as Chair of the Fellows Committee. The Section Chair and the Section Chair-Elect shall also serve on this committee. The Fellows Committee shall identify Section members deserving of election to the ASA Fellowship and encourage their nomination.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS

The Annual Business Meeting of the Section shall be held in connection with the Annual Meeting of the Association and shall be announced in advance, preferably in the program for that meeting. A year in review of activities, plans for future activities, and a Treasurer’s Report will be presented at this meeting. 

An Executive Committee Meeting shall be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association and shall be announced to members of the Executive Committee in advance. A quorum of 50% of committee members must be present at the official annual Executive Committee Meeting. Newly elected officers are invited to this meeting which should always be held in advance of the Section Business Meeting.

At least one additional Executive Committee Meeting shall be held each year. This meeting will typically be held electronically. Section business may also be conducted with the Section membership by mail or electronic communication.

ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to this charter may be proposed by the officers of the Section, or via a petition signed by at least five percent of the membership of the Section and submitted to the Section Chair. The proposed amendment shall be submitted to the members of the Section for a vote at the time of the Association’s annual election.

Amendments to this Charter that affect joint activities with the Section on Statistical Computing must be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Section on Statistical Computing for comment before being submitted to the members of the Section for a vote.

If approved by a majority of members voting, the amendment shall take effect immediately, or at such other time as specified in the amendment. Copies of approved amendments shall be filed with the Secretary of the Council of Sections and with the Secretary of the Association.


This charter was last revised in 2019.