GOVERNANCE
AIITE Bylaws
Article I — Name, purpose, and offices
- Establishes the Institute's name and its purpose: advancing IT and engineering through education and community, recognizing outstanding achievement through the Fellow grade, and supporting ethical, professional development.
- The principal office is set by the Institute; the fiscal year is the calendar year.
Article II — Membership
- Two grades: Ambassador (active membership, no annual fee, admitted on reviewed application) and Fellow (selective, panel-approved). The grades are independent: Ambassador status is never a prerequisite of, nor does it confer eligibility, preference, or a presumption of approval for, Fellowship.
- Fellow is the Institute's highest grade. No "Distinguished" or "Honorary" tier may ever be created above or alongside it (§2.4).
- Fellows gain the FAIITE post-nominal, Council eligibility, and inclusion in the public Fellow register.
- Membership and Fellow status are non-discriminatory, may be resigned at any time, and may be suspended or revoked for violations of Institute policy.
Article III — Fellow eligibility standard
- Applicants must document evidence across three of six domains: Technical Innovation and Adoption, Leadership and Responsibility, Research and Knowledge Advancement, Peer Review and Professional Service, Professional Recognition, and Organizational or Industry Impact.
- Meeting that threshold establishes eligibility for review only. The Panel still conducts an Overall Fellowship Review of the applicant's complete record before any decision.
- AIITE undertakes to publish its eligibility categories, Panel biographies, and aggregate acceptance rate at least annually, and to maintain a public register of current Fellows. The eligibility categories are published; the register, roster, and first acceptance figures follow the close of the inaugural review cycle.
Article IV — The Review Panel
- Recognized experts across information technology, AI, engineering, and data analytics, drawn internationally, with names and biographies published.
- Panelists are appointed for three-year terms.
- Every application goes to a rotating sub-panel of three to five Panelists. No single Panelist decides alone.
- Panelists must disclose and recuse from conflicts, keep applicant materials confidential, and may be removed for breaches.
Article V — Nomination and application process
- Self-nomination or nomination by an existing Ambassador, plus two supporter endorsements: one professional verifier with direct, first-hand knowledge of the applicant's work, and one independent recognized expert external to the applicant's current employer. Neither may be a subordinate, close relative, paid application preparer, or referral-benefit recipient. Endorsements are submitted directly and confidentially by each supporter.
- Application requires documented evidence, a professional biography, and a non-refundable assessment fee.
- Declined applicants may request one reconsideration by a newly constituted sub-panel.
- An annual fee keeps Fellow status active once conferred.
Article VI — Institute administration
- AIITE is administered by its officers, who oversee strategy, budget, Review Panel appointments, and Council charters.
- Those administering the Institute hold no vote on any individual Fellowship application. Determinations rest solely with the Review Panel under Article IV.
- A majority of those administering the Institute must have no employment, ownership, or consulting relationship with any organization that prepares or files immigration, licensing, or other credentialing petitions. This is a direct independence safeguard.
Article VII — Conflicts of interest and independence
- Binding on every Officer and Panelist: annual written disclosure of business, employment, and consulting relationships, plus mandatory recusal from any matter involving a personal or affiliated interest.
- A dedicated provision (§7.5) requires disclosure and recusal for anyone involved in preparing or filing immigration or credentialing petitions where Fellow status could be used as supporting evidence.
Article VIII — Meetings of the Institute
- An annual meeting, open to Ambassadors and Fellows, held in person or virtually, with at least 30 days' notice.
Article IX — Councils
- The Institute may establish Councils on defined disciplines, such as AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud and infrastructure, or data and analytics, to advance knowledge-sharing and applied practice.
- Councils are formed from, and chaired by, Fellows only. Ambassadors may take part in Council activities but cannot hold formal membership or leadership.
- Each Council operates under an approved charter and has no authority over Fellow Selection, Membership, or Institute governance.
Article X — Dues, fees, and finances
- Ambassadorship remains no-cost by requirement. Fellow assessment fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome.
- Institute funds may be used only to further AIITE's purposes, never for private benefit.
Article XI — Amendments
- Bylaws amend by a two-thirds vote of those administering the Institute, with 14 days' notice.
- Changes to the Fellow grade protections, the Eligibility Standard, the Selection Panel, or Conflicts of Interest require an additional 30 days' notice to all current Fellows before adoption.
Article XII — Dissolution
- On dissolution, remaining assets go only to other tax-exempt organizations, never to any private individual.
Article XIII — Indemnification and limitation of liability
- Officers and Panelists are indemnified, and shielded from personal liability, for good-faith actions on the Institute's behalf.
Article XIV — General provisions
- Governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina; standard severability and effective-date provisions apply.
This digest is provided for convenience and does not modify, supersede, or substitute for the AIITE Bylaws. Section numbers (§) refer to the corresponding provisions in the full Bylaws document. In the event of any conflict between this page and the Bylaws, the Bylaws control.