Constitution of the Chinese Institute of Engineers

Amended and Approved by the Ministry of the Interior on December 18, 2012

with Tai Nei-She-Zi No.1010394445 Letter

1. Chapter One: General Provisions
2. Chapter Two: Activities
3. Chapter Three: Membership
4. Chapter Four: Organization
5. Chapter Five: Authority
6. Chapter Six: Meeting
7. Chapter Seven: Funds
8. Chapter Eight: Supplementary Provisions

Chapter One: General Provisions

Article 1
The Name of this institute shall be the “Chinese Institute of Engineers” (hereinafter referred to as this Institute)

Article 2
This Institute aims to bring together engineers, advance the science and profession of engineering, and promote the development of national construction projects.

Article 3

1. The head office of this Institute shall be situated in the location where the R.O.C. Central Government is seated.
2. Local chapters of this Institute may be established in line with the national administrative division. Any municipal area with over 300 members could branch off a new chapter, called XXX (County/ City) Chapter, Chinese Institute of Engineers.
3. Student chapters may be set up in engineering college of a university and in junior college of technology.
4. The establishment or dissolution of any local chapter or student chapter shall be approved by the Board of Directors of this Institute.

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Chapter Two: Activities

Article 4
The activities of this Institute shall be as follows:

    (1) To organize conferences, seminars and forums on engineering themes；

    (2) To encourage academic and research performance,  outstanding engineers, engineering projects and organizations；

    (3) To promote education on engineering ethics, professional training and cultivation of excellent engineers；

    (4) To research on and conduct engineering-related affairs under the commission of private and public sectors；

    (5) To issue transaction, periodicals, journals, newsletters and other engineering-relevant publications；

    (6) To participate international professional engineering activities and strengthen exchanges with international organizations；

    (7) To establish think tank to speak on behalf of the engineering industry and make propositions and recommendations for government’s reference。

    (8) To establish Interdisciplinary exchange platform；

    (9) Other matters related to engineering profession.

Article 5
The competent authority of this Institute is the Ministry of the Interior, whereas for operational affairs the other authority concerned may guide and instruct this Institute.

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Chapter Three: Membership

Article 6
The membership of this Institute shall consist of the following six types:

1. Individual member;
2. Group member;
3. Honorary member;
4. Sponsor member;
5. Student member; and
6. International member.

Article 7
Graduates of domestic/foreign universities or colleges, proved by one existing individual member of this Institute, are eligible to apply for membership and shall become official individual members upon approval by the Board of Directors and after payment of membership fee. One year work experience in engineering profession is required for graduates of 3-year junior colleges, two years for graduates of two-year/five-year junior colleges, and four years for graduates of industrial/vocational high schools, respectively.

Article 8
Any engineering organization/institute, school, or academic group, recommended by two individual members of this Institute, may be admitted to be group member upon approval by the Board of Directors. A group member can apply for A, B, or C class membership according to its will. Class A group member should send six representatives to exercise its membership right, Class B four, Class C two respectively.

Article 9

Any individual member who has made great contributions to or had outstanding achievements in engineering science, construction projects, or this Institute can be recommended as an honorary member by at least ten honorary members, or incumbent or former board directors/supervisors in writing stipulating such outstanding contribution, and who has been qualified by a subcommittee appointed by the Board of Directors and further ratified by at least two-thirds of attendance of the board directors/supervisors through a secret ballot shall be admitted as an honorary member. All the past presidents of this Institute are deservedly as the honorary members.

Article 10
Any individual who is not a member to this Institute and has made great contributions to engineering science, construction projects, or this Institute, can be recommended as a sponsor member by at least ten board directors/supervisors in writing stipulating such outstanding contribution, and who has been qualified by a subcommittee appointed by the Board of Directors and further approved by the entire board members shall be admitted as a sponsor member.

Article 11

1. Students of the engineering department of a university, with their dean as the witness, can apply for student membership. Upon approval by the student chapter they belong to and after the payment of membership fee, the applicants shall be officially admitted as student members of this Institute. Each student chapter should manage its roster by itself and regularly present the roster to this Institute. This Institute will not accept any individual application for student membership.
2. After graduation, student members can apply for the individual membership accordingly.

Article 12
Those individuals who meet the qualification requirements referred to in Articles 7 to 11 but do not possess nationality of R.O.C., or those organizations (institutions), schools, or other academic groups which meet the qualification requirements referred to in Articles 7 to 11 but are not registered in R.O.C., may apply for international members of this Institute.
The rights and obligations of an international member are the same with those of the individual, group, honorary, sponsor, and student members, according to Subparagraph 3 of Paragraph 1 of Article 16.

Article 13
Any member who wishes to withdraw membership from this Institute shall provide a written statement of reasons. The withdrawal claim shall become effective upon sending to the Institute.

Article 14
Any member who acts to the detriment of the reputation of this Institute, at a written request of over 10 individual members and after verified by Board of Supervisors, may have his/her membership suspended by the Board of Directors or expelled by the general assembly. In any one of the following cases one’s membership will be revoked:

1. Death;
2. Unqualified; or
3. Expelled by the general assembly.

Article 15
The obligation pertaining to a membership shall be as follows:

1. To comply with the Constitution, Code of Ethics, and resolutions of this Institute;
2. To take the post or mission designated by this Institute; and
3. To pay the membership fee (except honorary members and sponsor members).

Article 16
The rights pertaining to a membership shall be as follows:

1. Individual members and the representatives of group members have the right to speak, vote, elect, be elected, and recall.
2. Representatives of a student chapter are allowed to attend the general assembly but have the right to speak only.
3. International and sponsor members have the right to speak only.
4. All the members can have benefits of all events held by this Institute.
5. All the members can ask for assistance within the function scope of this Institute.

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Chapter Four: Organization

Article 17
The supreme authority of this Institute is vested in the general assembly of all members. When the number of individual members is over 300, the general assembly shall proportionally allocate the number of delegates from all chapters to conduct the meeting and exercise its functions.

Article 18
The total number of delegates to the general assembly is limited to 160, elected proportionally to the number of members in each chapter. Any general assembly delegate shall serve a term of two years and may be re-elected for consecutive terms.
The rules for the election of general assembly delegates of this Institute shall be stipulated elsewhere.

Article 19
The Board of Directors of this Institute is composed of 27 board directors and nine alternate board directors, all elected by general assembly delegates. The board directors shall elect from among themselves seven executive board directors and further vote for the president among those five executive board directors. In case the president or any executive board director cannot perform his/her functions for any reason, a by-election shall be carried out to fill the vacancy within one month.

Article 20
This Institute shall invite certain presidents of collaborative engineering societies as the honorary board directors, who may attend Board of Directors Meeting of this Institute.

Article 21
The Board of Supervisors is composed of five board supervisors and one alternate board supervisor, all elected by voting members (general assembly delegates). The board supervisors shall further elect one executive board supervisor from among themselves. In case the post of executive board supervisor falls vacant, a by-election shall be carried out to fill the vacancy within one month.

Article 22
The Nomination Committee, under the authorization of the Board of Directors, shall undertake the election of general assembly delegates, board directors and board supervisors. This committee shall consist of 7 to 11 members selected from among the immediate past president, five immediate past executive board directors, any two former presidents in Taiwan and incumbent executive board directors. The immediate past president shall serve as the Chair of the Committee.

Article 23
Any individual member or group member representative can register at will as the candidate of either the general assembly delegates or the board directors/supervisors. The number of the candidates shall not be less than the vacancy quota. Should there is no sufficient candidates, the rest of candidates-to-be shall be nominated by the Nomination Committee and listed on the ballot upon the approval of the Board of Directors. In addition, the voters are also allowed to nominate candidates onto the above mentioned ballot.

1. The election of general assembly delegates shall resort to the votes of all members. Rules of the aforesaid election shall be stipulated by the Nomination Committee, approved by the Board of Directors and submitted to the competent authority for ratification.
2. Board directors and supervisors shall be elected by all members or by the general assembly delegates. The ballot result shall be released on the spot. The election may be conducted by mail if necessary; nevertheless, mail ballot cannot be used consecutively.

Article 24
The board directors and supervisors of this Institute shall serve the term of two years without remuneration, and shall be eligible to re-election and re-appointment. Yet the president shall not be allowed to renew the term of office.
The board directors or supervisors of this Institute violating the law, constitution or the general assembly’s resolutions shall be subject to the law and constitution and be recalled by the general assembly.
In any of the following cases, a board director or supervisor shall be dismissed immediately and the alternate one shall serve for the remaining term accordingly.

1. Dead or unqualified;
2. Resignation ratified by the Board of Directors or Board of Supervisors;
3. Recalled or discharged;
4. Membership suspended for longer than half of his/her term of office.

Article 25
Board directors and board supervisors of this Institute shall attend the Board meetings in person and no deputy is allowed. If a board director or board supervisor misses two consecutive meetings without reasons for absence, he/she will be deemed as resigned from the position.

Article 26
This Institute shall have one secretary general, and one deputy secretary general if necessary. Both posts are nominated by the President of this Institute from among individual members. Once this designation is approved by the Board of Directors, the secretary general shall administrate daily running of this Institute.

Article 27
This Institute shall set up committees for the purpose of its operation. The organizations and responsibilities of all committees are defined by the Board of Directors.
Task forces also may be established to address specific mission, with their organizations and responsibilities defined by the Board of Directors.

Article 28
In order to fulfill its routine work, some staff shall be hired by this Institute. The employment, discharge and management shall be marked out by the Board of Directors.

Article 29
The handover of the president’s post shall be completed within two months after the close of the general assembly.

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Chapter Five: Authority

Article 30
The authority of the general assembly is as follows:

1. To draw up and amend the Constitution of this Institute;
2. To elect out/recall board directors and board supervisors;
3. To review annual major plans, budgets, and final accounts;
4. To decide the disposition of properties;
5. To dissolve this Institute;
6. To dismiss members; and
7. Other major issues related to the rights and obligations of members.

The scope of the major issues referred to in Subparagraph 7 of the preceding paragraph shall be defined by the Board of Directors.

Article 31
The president shall be in charge of all affairs of this Institute, serve as the chair of the general assembly and the Board of Directors, implement resolutions adopted by the general assembly and the Board of Directors, and officially represent this Institute.

Article 32
In case the president fails to perform the duty for any reason, he/she shall appoint one executive board director as the deputy. While the president does not or cannot appoint the proxy, the other executive board directors should elect one from among themselves to act on behalf of the president.

Article 33
The authority of the Board of Directors is as follows:

1. To call general assembly meetings or special meetings;
2. To execute resolutions adopted by the general assembly meetings and special meetings;
3. To mark out the guideline, annual programs, and major events of this Institute;
4. To review the application and secession of membership;
5. To examine the qualification of the general assembly delegates;
6. To elect out/recall executive board directors and the president;
7. To decide the resignation of the board directors, executive board directors, and the president;
8. To hire/lay off staffs of this Institute;
9. To draw up budgets and final accounts of this Institute; and
10. Other matters related to this Institute.

Article 34
The authority of the Board of Supervisors is as follows:

1. To supervise the operation of this Institute and implementation of the Board of Directors on the resolutions adopted by the general assembly meetings and special meetings;
2. To ratify the budget and final accounts of this Institute;
3. To supervise the funds and properties of this Institute;
4. To elect out/recall executive board supervisor;
5. To decide the resignation of board supervisors or executive board supervisor;
6. To investigate and transact disciplinary cases; and
7. Other matters related to supervision.

Article 35
Under the president’s orders, the secretary general shall administrate all matters related to this Institute, and coordinate all the units within the Institute.

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Chapter Six: Meeting

Article 36
The general assembly, regular or special, is called by the president. Unless in an emergency, the written notification shall be given 15 days prior to the meeting.
The regular general assembly shall be convened once a year while a special meeting can be called whenever the Board of Directors deems it necessary, or upon request by more than one-tenth of the members (general assembly delegates), or upon request in writing by the Board of Supervisors.
Resolutions of the general assembly shall require the presence of more than half of members (general assembly delegates) and adoption of half of the attendance. However, the following cases shall take effect upon the approval of at least two-thirds of the attendance:

1. Draft and amendment of Constitution of this Institute;
2. Recall of board directors and board supervisors;
3. Disposition of properties of this Institute;
4. Dissolution of this Institute;
5. Dismissal of members (general assembly delegates);
6. Other major issues related to the rights and obligations of members.

The amendment of this Constitution shall require either (1) the presence of more than half of all members (general assembly delegates) and adoption of three-fourths of the attendance, or (2) upon written consent of more than two-thirds of all members (general assembly delegates). Dissolution of this Institute shall require the approval of more than two-thirds of all members (general assembly delegates).

Article 37
If a member (delegate) fails to attend the general assembly meeting in person, he/she may authorize in writing another member (delegate) to represent him/her. Each member (delegate) may carry one proxy only.

Article 38
The Board of Directors shall convene a meeting every three months and may, within the president’s discretion, postpone a meeting or call special meetings, if necessary. In all, the Board of Directors Meetings shall be summoned at least four times a year. The quorum for the Board of Directors Meeting shall be more than half of the board directors. Supervisors shall attend the aforesaid meeting without voting right. No deputy is allowed to represent any absent board director/supervisor. The secretary general and chairs of committees and task forces need to attend the aforesaid meeting as observers. In case some major issues to be discussed, the immediate past president and executive board directors/supervisor shall be invited to sit in as guests in the Board of Directors Meeting. In order to decide critical issues, a joint meeting of Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors shall be convened by the president of this Institute.

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Chapter Seven: Funds

Article 39
The membership fee is subject to the general assembly.
Should the revenues from membership dues cannot afford the running costs, the general assembly may authorize the Board of Directors to modify the membership fee policy and report it to the general assembly for its ratification.

Article 40
An individual member and international member pays dues for ten years by one payment shall be a permanent member and thereafter no membership fee is required afterward.

Article 41
The head office of this Institute shall be responsible for collecting membership fees and subsidizing each chapter’s events case by case. The secretariat of this Institute will budget for each chapter’s subsidy request which shall be allotted upon the approval by the president.

Article 42
Members of collaborative engineering societies who apply for the membership of this Institute shall only pay the part of the entrance fees to balance the difference between the entrance fees required by this Institute and that already paid to the engineering society he/she belongs to.

Article 43
Each member shall pay the membership fee annually by the end of June of a given year.

Article 44
Members who fail to pay the dues up to the end of the year shall be suspended from membership by the Board of Directors. The suspended members, though with his/her membership retained, shall cease to enjoy membership rights. The suspended membership shall be resumed after paying both the annual dues and the dues for the preceding year.
In the event that the membership is not resumed one year after the suspension, it may be quashed by the Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors upon with the general assembly’s approval.

Article 45
Donations may be accepted upon the approval of the Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors, and such funds shall be at their disposition.

Article 46
The fiscal year of this Institute is subject to the calendar year, starting from January 1st to December 31st.

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Chapter Eight: Supplementary Provisions

Article 47
Regulations concerned shall be stipulated elsewhere.

Article 48
If this Institute is dissolved, the residual properties shall go to the organization designated by the competent authority of this Institute.

Article 49
This Constitution shall take effect after being adopted by the general assembly and approved for recording by the competent authority. The same procedure shall be followed if any amendment is to be made to this Constitution.

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