Section Operations Manual

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The Section Operations Manual is your guide to best practices in section management and achieving optimum section health.

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1. Administration

A healthy section establishes and implements appropriate policies and procedures to operate efficiently and legally.

  • Currently in good standing and was in good standing in the previous year
  • Operating finances are positive in a combined two-year fiscal period
  • At least one officer from the section at all virtual district meetings and in-person at the District Leadership Conference

Good Standing


  • It is expected that sections meet the following requirements quarterly:
    • Comply with ISA policies
    • Maintain at least 30 professional members
    • Have, at a minimum, a president and treasurer in good standing and on record with ISA Headquarters
    • Hold a minimum of three member meetings each year
    • Submit an annual report by the prescribed dates
    • Include “About us” text in HTML area on section page in ISA Connect
    • Have current section bylaws posted in section file library in ISA Connect
  • Refer to the Policy on Establishing and Maintaining Sections for additional guidance.
If above requirement are not met quarterly, the section will be deemed not in good standing, and forfeits benefits, including but not limited to, rebates, royalties, consideration for Society awards, and delegate voting privileges.

Finances

Sections are expected to manage their own finances. Funds generated by sections should be used to support the mission and vision of the Society. Sections develop activities in response to local needs, therefore programs should be self-sufficient and budgeted to break even, rather than generating surplus funds.

As the funds belong to your members, it is important to be transparent with your financials. Budgets should be shared with your members for review, so they are aware of how funds will be used for the year. After the approval of an annual budget, the membership should be provided quarterly updates with actuals to budget. Being transparent with your members also protects you as an officer.

Funds should be used for the overall benefit of the membership. As such, it is not appropriate to use section funds to pay for an officer’s membership or travel to attend events for professional development outside of ISA leadership conferences/meetings/workshops.

It is at the discretion of the section to provide financial support and/or guidance for student chapters. It is recommended that the sections not allow their chapters to open financial accounts outside of the university construct. The section is responsible for all financial transactions and contractual arrangements of its student chapters.

It is recommended that sections require and review quarterly student chapter budgets.

Fiscal Year
Sections should base their accounting year on their operating year. The most common fiscal years run from 1 January to 31 December or from 1 July to 30 June of any given year.

Software
Sections need to make smart choices regarding the software programs used to handle accounting needs. Using a popular, inexpensive software package will make transferring duties between section treasurers easier.

Regardless of the software selected for maintaining books and records, it is important to make arrangement for periodic backup of section records, and third-party storage of those backups.

Chart of Accounts
A chart of accounts is a simple way to organize section financial transactions by assigning a number to a category of revenues or expenses. These numbers should stay the same over time and should be passed from one treasurer to another. Accurate entry of income or expense in the appropriate category is very important in producing understandable reports. Most software programs (such as Quickbooks) contain samples of typical charts of accounts and can offer tutorials in setting one up if your section does not have one already in use.

Bank accounts
It is the responsibility of the sections to establish their own financial accounts, based on local laws/regulations. Bank accounts should be established in the official section name whenever possible. Bank accounts must be handled appropriately and balanced monthly.

Sections must have at least two elected officers on all section financial accounts and transactions. Section officers should never use their personal accounts for section transactions. This helps protect both individual officers and the section from any discrepancies that may arise. Sections should maintain financial records for at least 7 years.

Sections are also able to hold funds on account with ISA. To utilize these funds, an officer of the section must send a written request to sections@isa.org and include the president and treasurer in copy. These funds are only paid to the section or officers, never issued directly to a vendor or supplier.

Budget
The purpose of a budget is to articulate the goals of the section. It is important to establish a budget for each year that includes reasonable projections for income (revenue) and expected expenses. Section budgets do not need to be complicated, but they do need to be accurate and understandable. The budget should be reviewed at each section board meeting with an accounting of year-to-date performances. An official mid-year review on income and expenses is recommended to ensure your section is on track with expectations.

It is crucial when developing a budget to look at past year’s budget for important trends and information. A common mistake sections make is overestimating revenue and underestimating expenses. Identify realistic revenue streams in order to figure out what expenses you can incur. Build in some additional room in the expense category to help keep your budget on track.

Revenue commonly received by sections may include rebates (portion of dues shared with sections), registration fees for activities, and revenue shares from section sponsored educational training.

Expenses commonly incurred by sections may include postage, printing, speaker fees, travel expenses to attend ISA leadership conferences/meetings/workshops, costs associated with activities, and marketing of programs.

One of the hardest parts of budgeting is determining what programs to remove and add. In order to do this, think about what programs will impact most of your members and how it is related to ISA’s mission. It is important to review your programs and challenge their value each year to ensure your section is relevant and keeps your members engaged.

A budget template has been provided for you to use. The template is not a requirement for good standing, but is helpful when creating your section's annual budget.

Rebates
The rebate program is designed to provide funds for ongoing section operations. A portion of the dues paid by professional members are shared with sections in the form of rebates. Only sections in good standing as of 1 October will receive accrued rebates from the year. ISA will issue rebate payments to sections in good standing once a year (October/November).

The current portion of dues shared is 15% of professional member dues. The percentage is subject to change and at the discretion of the ISA Executive Board.

Audits
Best practices include having section finances audited by a professional auditor on a periodic basis. Audits can often be conducted by a professional accounting firm in your local area. There are different levels of audits, all of which should be handled by a professional accountant, rather than a section officer. It is common practice to have a full audit one year, then an annual review for the next year to two years, and then another full audit.

Sections should budget accordingly for audits. It is the responsibility of the section to hire their own auditors and periodically switch auditing firms. This is recommended to avoid possible dishonesty over time between the auditing firm and the treasurer, and to increase the chances of detecting errors that can occur when the same person/firm does the audit next year.

Contracts
Sections should provide clear direction on who can sign contracts on behalf of the section. New contracts should be reviewed by legal counsel. Recommended practice is not to award contracts to board members, officers, volunteers or their immediate family members. Individuals should be prohibited from offering or signing contracts to family or friends without full disclosure to the section board.

Expense Reimbursements
Sections often offer reimbursement of officer expenses incurred while conducting section business. Expense reimbursement policies should be clear and easy to understand. Recommended practice is for an expense reimbursement form to accompany all requests for reimbursement and receipts for expenses incurred. Expenses typically covered by sections may be for approved office supplies, software purchases, travel to ISA leadership conferences/meetings/workshops, or other meetings that section business is conducted. Expenses not covered by sections would be expenses deemed for a personal nature and not directly related to the section’s activities, etc.

Tax Exemption
Sections should acquaint themselves with their national and local tax filings requirements. Tax exempt status can usually be obtained by demonstrating that the section’s objectives are educational and scientific. When requesting tax exempt status, sections may be required to submit the following documentation to their local governing authority:

  • Articles of Incorporation
  • Bylaws
  • Proposed or actual statement of receipts and expenditures
  • Completed application forms required by the governing authority
      

US Sections
ISA maintains a group tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that provides 501(c3) status to all USA based participating sections. The exemption allows sections to avoid paying federal taxes on their exempt purpose revenue. It also allows sections to solicit and receive sponsorship contributions that are exempt from federal tax to the section and are tax deductible from the contributor.

As ISA is the holder of the group tax exemption, we are required to annually provide a listing to the IRS of participating US sections, and in so doing represent to the IRS that each section on that list is compliant with 501(c)(3) of the US Tax Code. For example, no section should be involved in political activity to any degree, and legislative activity is subject to specific rules and limitations.

The section annual report contains the group tax exemption questionnaire. Please have the section annual report submitted by 31 July if the section wishes to enroll in or continue participating in the ISA group tax exemption. If we do not receive this information by the deadline ISA may be required by the IRS to remove the section from the group tax exemption.

If you have any specific questions or concerns related to ISA's group exemption, please contact sections@isa.org. Participants in the ISA group tax exemption are still required to file the appropriate annual tax filings with the IRS.
 
Tax Filings
Sections may be required to file periodic information with their governing tax authority. It is recommended that sections obtain legal counsel regarding tax exemption and reporting requirements for their national and local area.

More information on filing annual taxes for US sections can be found at www.irs.gov.

Insurance Coverage
Sections should purchase insurance and consult with the appropriate experts to determine which insurance policy is the best fit.

A general liability policy is very common and recommended. Depending on the policy purchased, general liability insurance may cover such things as bodily injury, personal injury, property damage to a third party, etc.

An officers insurance policy is also recommended. This type of policy is meant to protect the section officers from “intentional” wrongful acts. The personal assets of officers are protected to some extent by existing law for reasonable decisions they make on behalf of the section in good faith. However, the section could be held financially liable for any number of decisions made by officers that may simply be in error. A good policy will cover a range of scenarios and should include coverage addressing topics such as employment-related actions, sexual harassment, etc. A good policy will also pay for legal expenses as they are incurred, not on a reimbursement basis.

ISA recommends that sections discuss other insurance options with legal counsel and their insurance provider. Such policies may include alcohol liability coverage, meeting cancellation coverage, umbrella liability, volunteer dishonesty, and other risks.

Prevention of Fraud
It may not seem likely, but sections may encounter financial problems as a result of volunteer/officer dishonesty. No section will be able to function efficiently without trusted volunteers. Nearly all cases, volunteers are more than honest and reliable. However, the occasional dishonest person can cause a great deal of damage to the finances, membership, and reputation of the section and the Society. As noted above (see Bank Accounts), sections should have at least two elected officers on all section financial accounts and transactions and it is recommended for sections to adopt a policy for signing checks. Also noted above (see Insurance Coverage), it is advisable for a section to consider purchasing insurance covering volunteer dishonesty.

It is recommended that every section run a credit check on itself at least once a year to identify any accounts that may have been opened by dishonest individuals without the authorization of the section. It is also suggested to have bank statements sent to more than one person on the section board so that errors or acts of dishonestly are discovered.

As discussed above, financial audits are important in ensuring the section has not been the subject of fraud. Most financial audits do not confirm accuracy of the information provided to the auditors, but the audit process can be supportive in identifying acts of dishonestly or incompetence.

Bylaws

Bylaws are governing documents for the management and activities of the section. They are an agreement between the section and its members. Sections are to adopt ISA's standard bylaws template. Sections wishing to modify must submit for approval. All sections are required to maintain bylaws in English and on file with ISA Headquarters.

Sections are required to post their bylaws in their section community library on ISA Connect and upload them to their annual report.

ISA Policies and Recommended Policies

Each section operates as an official ISA affiliate. Sections are governed by and subject to all policies set by ISA, and need to understand both the legal and operational relationship between the section and the Society.

  • Antitrust Compliance – In order to minimize the potential for violating antitrust laws when competing organizations meet, this policy outlines topics of discussions that must be avoided including matters involving prices, marketing strategies, and similar topics.
  • Conflict of Interest – This policy is to protect ISA’s interests when it or any of its business entities, including its sections, contemplate entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an ISA member. The policy details how to identify and handle potential conflicts in a legal and ethical manner.
  • Charitable Contributions – This policy outlines how donations can be made and managed. It is important to confirm local laws and regulations on this matter, as well.
  • Conduct and Anti-Harassment – These principles promote an environment free from inappropriate behavior and harassment.
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – This policy is to provide opportunities for participation by ISA volunteers without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. This ensures that ISA benefits from a diverse volunteer team, representing all aspects of the membership and the profession. 
  • Brand, Reputation, and Public Interest – This policy safeguards the ISA brand, including its name, logo, ads, publications, and collateral. It provides clear direction on use by employees, members, partners, affiliates, and customers.
  • Intellectual Property – This policy outlines the laws and protections to safeguard ISA’s intellectual property including copyright, trademark, trade secrets, goodwill, and patents. It provides clear direction on use by ISA units and affiliates, members, partners, affiliates, and unaffiliated parties.
  • Membership Information and Privacy – This policy describes the information practices regarding how ISA collects, uses, discloses, or transfers the personal information of the members.
  • Membership Classes, Benefits and Recognition – This policy defines the terms and conditions applicable to the classes and benefits of membership.
  • Relationships with Other Organizations - This policy states that the CEO oversees all formal relationships with external organizations, appoints representatives to act in ISA’s best interest and in compliance with ISA policies, and prohibits unauthorized criticism or endorsements on ISA’s behalf.
  • Use of AI Tools in ISA Activities – This policy governs the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in ISA activities. These include but are not limited to uploading ISA materials for summarization, note-taking, transcribing, or recording meetings which involve ISA or any of its entities.

Sections should implement additional policies including information on the following areas:

    • Board position descriptions and responsibilities
    • Board meeting frequency and process
    • Details on succession and term dates
    • Financial rules and managing reserves
    • Refund/event cancellation
    • Student support and scholarship funding
    • Record retention
    • Revision and maintenance of section policies

Overall, policies should be comprehensive yet concise. These are not procedures, as the section board should have flexibility in operations.

If you would like an ISA governance review of any of your section policies, please let us know.

ISA's Strategy


The ISA Executive Board sets the strategic direction of the Society. In collaboration with Society leaders and staff, the Board annually reviews strategic objectives and sets key results and goals. Once those goals are in place, the Board works with each department and committee to determine tactics aimed at achieving the goals. Through all of this, we ensure that the entire Society is moving forward collectively with aligned resources – and this includes Sections. Every section should review and align to this direction. This continuity will ensure that the Society has its sights set on the most compelling vision for the future.

Stay up to date on ISA's Strategy.

  • Visit our Strategy: www.isa.org/about-isa/strategic-plan
  • Attend meetings with fellow volunteers, virtually and in-person, to connect and participate in work sessions
  • Leverage ISA Connect

2. Vibrant Leadership

A healthy section has a diverse group of officers on record with ISA and an identified group of new volunteers in the pipeline.

  • At least 20% of the board members are new
  • Current president has served 2 years or less
  • Current treasurer has served 4 years or less

Board Responsibilities

The section board is generally responsible for managing the sections affairs and conducts the business of the section. It is essential for the board to be open to the suggestions and feedback of the section membership and should always be open to offers of help.

Fiduciary Responsibility

The section board has a responsibility to the section including legal responsibilities.

The three legal principles that apply to the board:

  • Duty of Care
    • Good business judgment always
    • Due diligence in decision making
  • Duty of Loyalty
    • Act in the best interest of the organization
    • Avoid conflicts of interest
  • Duty of Obedience
    • Faithful to the mission and goals
    • Follow the governing documents

Board Meetings

It is important that the section officers meet regularly to assess progress, create and implement policies, and carry out the legal and board functions of the section. Monthly board meetings is best practice.

Every section should plan to have an annual strategy meeting to accomplish the planning steps highlighted above. It is typical to include last year’s accomplishments and hurdles, reports from each board member, a review of the mission and goals, and then translate those in a plan for programming for the coming year.

Throughout the year, the section board will meet to evaluate completed programs, assess needs for upcoming meetings, and address issues that have arisen since the previous meeting. Section board meetings may be closed to the general section membership. If a section wishes to provide members with an opportunity to share input and remain informed about the board’s work, it may do so through separate member meetings or other section communications.

It is imperative to have an established agenda prior to the board meeting and accurate minutes taken to make sure all top-priority issues are identified and covered.

Use the board meeting agenda template as a guideline for the proper format. The section minutes are a major part of the section's continuity, as well as part of its legal requirements.

Minutes
Meeting minutes serve as the official record of section meetings and should clearly document actions, decisions, and key discussion points. Minutes do not need to be a word-for-word transcript of the meeting; instead, they should provide an accurate, concise summary of the business conducted.

Use the board meeting minutes template as a guideline for the proper format.

Writing Minutes
Best practices for preparing meeting minutes include:

  • Record basic meeting details, including:
    • the name of the section or group
    • the date, time, and location or meeting format
    • the name of the presiding officer
    • the names of attendees and any noted absences, as appropriate
  • Document all official actions taken, including:
    • motions made
    • whether motions were approved or defeated
    • any assigned follow-up actions
  • Summarize major discussion topics and outcomes without attempting to capture every comment made.
  • Use clear, objective, and professional language.
  • Avoid personal opinions, side conversations, or unnecessary detail.
  • Review minutes for accuracy before they are finalized and distributed.

Approval of Minutes
Minutes should be reviewed and approved according to the section’s established process. If corrections are needed, they should be incorporated into the final approved version.

Posting and Sharing Minutes
Sections should determine whether meeting minutes are intended for internal board use only or for broader member communication. When sharing or posting minutes:

  • Ensure the version shared is appropriate for the intended audience.
  • Exclude confidential, sensitive, or executive session content from any version distributed beyond the board.
  • Post or distribute minutes in a timely manner after they are reviewed or approved.
  • Use consistent posting practices so members and leaders know where to find section records and updates.

Records Management
Sections should retain meeting minutes in an organized and accessible manner in the section community file library. Maintaining consistent records helps support continuity in leadership, preserves institutional knowledge, and provides a reliable history of section decisions and activities.

Board Positions

The section board should include the following five at-large, voting positions:

  • President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Membership Chair
  • Program Chair

Onboarding videos for these positions can be found here. Viewing of these videos is highly recommended as it contains current and relevant information for officers beyond what is in this manual.

All sections are required to have at minimum a president and treasurer to remain in good standing, and should be filled by two different people. All board members should be ISA members in good standing and on file at Headquarters. Additional positions may be appointed as needed in accordance with the section's bylaws.

Upon assuming the office, all section officers should review the section bylaws, ISA policies, and review the section programs and events of the past year with his/her predecessors.

President
The president manages the operations of the section to ensure that the best interests of the local members are being met. The president provides leadership and guidance to other section officers and ensures that the section activities are focused on increasing member engagement and satisfaction. Time commitment on average 2-4 hours per week.

  • Serves as chief elected officer of the section and ex-officio member of all committees
  • Attends and chairs all section meetings
  • Ensures that decisions, orders, and resolutions of the section board are delegated and carried out
  • Organizes the section's efforts by implementing the structure, appointing chairs and others as needed, and delegating the duties required by the bylaws and the year's plans.
  • Works with other officers and chairs to assess members' needs and set plans for the year's activities
  • Fulfills obligations to ISA by prescribed dates, including but limited to, the annual report, list of officers, etc.
  • Appoints or establishes nominating committee according to section bylaws for next year's elections
  • Represents the section at ISA meetings and conferences (District Meetings, Volunteer Workshop, Automation Summit & Expo, etc.) or delegates attendance to a fellow officer.
  • Plans a budget with the section treasurer, to be reviewed and approved by the section board
  • Sets audit procedures in motion at year end for financial records turnover
  • Provides all records to their successor upon completion of term or resignation prior to completion of term

Secretary
The secretary keeps track of section business and functions primarily as a record keeper and correspondent. Time commitment on average 1-2 hours per week.

  • Prepares accurate minutes of all section business meetings
  • Ensures minutes are approved according to section's established process
  • Post or share minutes in section community file library if they are intended for broader member communication
  • Prepares correspondences at the direction of the president and/or section board
  • Maintains permanent section files
    • Including, but not limited to the charter certificate, bylaws, articles of incorporation, tax forms, etc.
    • Provides copies as needed of the latest versions to the section officers
  • Maintains file library in ISA Connect
  • Works with other officers to develop a communications plan
  • Other administrative duties as assigned by the president and/or section board
  • Provides all records to their successor upon completion of term or resignation prior to completion of term

Treasurer
The treasurer has general supervision of the section’s funds and financial records. Time commitment on average 1-3 hours per week.

  • Provides the president with financial information needed from section records for the annual report
  • Maintains the sections financial recording system and recommends improvements as necessary
  • Assists in preparation of the annual budget and monitors section expenses
  • Prepares and records checks and invoices in a timely manner
  • Prepares statements and reports on financials at section board and membership meetings
  • Provides information to the auditing group
  • Ensures that tax filings and other reports required by national and local laws are prepared and mailed in a timely manner
  • Provides all records to their successor upon completion of term or resignation prior to completion of term

Membership Chair
The membership chair is responsible for all activities related to membership recruitment and retention. Time commitment on average 2-3 hours per week.

  • Prepares and implements a membership recruitment and retention plan, including, but not limited to:
    • Recruitment drives
    • New member welcomes monthly
    • Long-term member recognition
    • Member participation in section activities
    • Membership renewal reminders in Quarter 4
  • Promotes member benefits
  • Reports on membership statistics at section board and membership meetings
  • Follows up on any membership-related correspondences from members
  • Provides all records to their successor upon completion of term or resignation prior to completion of term

Program Chair
The program chair is responsible for managing the educational and social programming at section activities. Time commitment on average 2-3 hours per week.

  • Develop programs that respond to the educational needs of section members and others in the community
  • Secures and contacts speakers for programs
  • Recruits a committee of volunteers
  • Assists in preparation of the programming budget
  • Ensures meeting venues and facilities are in order
  • Ensures the meeting is properly announced and publicized
  • Maintains program records including description, speaker, attendance, evaluation, and revenue for annual report
  • Provides all records to their successor upon completion of term or resignation prior to completion of term

Additional Positions to Consider

Society Delegate
A society delegate serves as the official representative of the members in their respective section at district meetings and votes on Society matters at the Council of Society Delegates meeting. Delegates should possess experience and knowledge of the Society. A past section president or member who has served in other capacities of the Society may possess the experience and knowledge needed.

  • District Meetings - District meetings typically take place quarterly, at the District Leadership Conference, and prior to the Council of Society Delegates voting. Delegates may be asked to examine all pertinent materials regarding changes to the Society bylaws.
  • Council of Society Delegates - The Council of Society Delegates, made up of section delegates, is the body that approves changes to the Society Bylaws. For a delegate to have voting privileges, the section must be in good standing as of the first day of the month prior to the month the Council of Society Delegates will vote. If the delegate is unable to fulfill the responsibilities, the section president may appoint an alternative representative from the section.

Student Liaison
Sections are encouraged to appoint a student liaison to work closely with students and student chapters.

Student Volunteers
The section should know who the students leading the chapter are and the section should consider listing those student volunteers on their board roster. It is at the section’s discretion that an affiliate student member can hold a section board position.

This is a great opportunity for students to build their resumes and serve on your board as professional members in future.

It is recommended that sections confirm that all the student volunteers do not graduate at the same time (succession planning).

ISA offers student volunteer awards…nominate.

Faculty Champions
There should be at least one faculty champion per student chapter.

It is recommended for the faculty champion to be a member of ISA and on the sponsoring section board. Sections may consider paying their dues.

For further guidance, check out on section onboarding session on good governance here.

Nominations and Elections

Election processes take many different forms when comparing those from sections around the world, often influenced by cultural and political differences as well as local laws and regulations. ISA has put guidelines together of a nomination process in the ISA's standard bylaws template which sections are required to adopt, to aid transparency and fair recruitment processes.

Sections are to appoint a nominating committee to solicit names of potential candidates to be considered for positions on the board.

Board Elections

Sections are expected to have elections annually. Sections should always open nominations up to all members, even if your nominating committee is putting a candidate forward.

Plan elections to avoid any gap in board access and system permissions.

  • If your section operates on a calendar year (1 January–31 December):
    • Begin the election process on 1 November
    • Target completion by mid-December
    • Submit the new board roster form to ISA immediately after elections conclude
    • This ensures the new board starting 1 January has no gap in access
  • If your section operates on a fiscal year (1 July–30 June):
    • Begin the election process on 1 May
    • Target completion by mid-June
    • Submit the new board roster form to ISA immediately after elections conclude
    • This ensures the new board starting 1 July has no gap in access

Here is an election timeline, make sure to read all the way down:

  • Call for nominations
    • This should consist of the five core positions like your bylaws indicate (President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair and Program Chair). Send an email to members soliciting candidates (see sample call for nomination email below to send to members). Best practice suggests keeping the call for nominations open for 2 weeks.
  • Confirm candidates
    • This typically takes one week. You will want to confirm the people are eligible (membership in the section is not lapsed) and are willing to be on the ballot (see sample confirm candidacy email to send to candidates).
  • Voting
    • Send ballot of candidates to all members (see sample voting email to send to members). Best practice suggests keeping voting open for 2 weeks.
  • Election Announcement

Succession Planning

Serving on the section board is a leadership commitment—and part of that commitment is helping ensure a smooth transition to the next volunteer. As you begin serving in your role, start thinking about who could successfully step into the position after you. Identify potential leaders early, invite them to help with small tasks or serve on a committee, and share what you have learned along the way.

Proactive succession planning keeps section operations consistent, prevents gaps in leadership, and helps build a strong pipeline of engaged volunteers for the future.

With Volunteer, you can ask your members to get involved. You identify the opportunities; your members indicate their interests. The system works like a matching service.

Tips for Identifying Good Volunteers:

  • Start early - Discovering if people are the right fit for the team, and then recruiting them for the position can be a long process. Make sure to start as early as possible to discover opportunities to find roles for people interested in becoming volunteers in the section.
  • Just ask - There are plenty of eager people in the section interested in becoming volunteers. They may not initially ask to get involved but are usually very engaged in section activities. The section president can empower members to become volunteers simply by asking them to be involved.
  • Recruit the Right Way - Once volunteers have been identified, it is important that the actual recruiting be done correctly. Be clear and accurate with new volunteers about the importance of the job and the time commitment needed to do the job effectively.
  • Find a Place for Everyone to Get Involved - Section structure needs to provide as many "involvement" opportunities as possible. The section officers should try to break larger jobs down to smaller more manageable tasks. Think about some “micro” opportunities like writing a newsletter article or helping select scholarship recipients – small ways that do not take a long-time commitment for people to tip-toe into involvement. Once members have had a positive involvement experience, they are more likely to move on to larger roles. 

Reporting Section Officers to ISA
This is a requirement of good standing. ISA needs to know who the section board is so that it can provide support to the volunteers and their roles. Sections must submit a list of officers to ISA before the new board takes office. This ensures that they will not miss out on any of the ongoing  development programs, regular communications, and required tools related to their role.

Onboarding and Development

For sections to be successful, volunteers will need to be effective in their individual roles. ISA tries to provide every opportunity for volunteers to gain the skills and confidence they need in both their personal lives and professional careers. ISA offers a wide range of resources to advance your leadership skills. These resources come in a variety of methods of delivery, such as web-based sessions, in-person leadership summits and conferences, volunteer newsletters, and slide show presentations. It is highly recommended for officers to make use of these, as they each contain important information only available there.

Section Board Orientation

After the section board and officers have been elected and appointed, the section should hold an orientation session. The orientation will allow all the officers to meet one another, discuss responsibilities for the coming year, receive the same information at the same time, and develop goals and assignments. The orientation will be a good time to review and complete the list of tasks from the Section Board Transition Checklist, review the section’s history and recent accomplishments, review ISA policies, understand legal and financial responsibilities, and review the section’s bylaws.

District Leadership Conference

Each district offers a District Leadership Conference (DLC). This one- to two-day conference offers both training on how sections, districts, and the Society operate, and for sections to discuss best practices with other sections in the district. Each district identifies and addresses the health issues specific to the sections and district.

Automation Summit & Expo

The award-winning Automation Summit & Expo (ASE) provides both technical and soft-skill programming, as well as many unique Society activities including our gala celebration and training courses. 

Volunteer Workshop

There is a dedicated workshop for volunteers at the OT Cybersecurity Summit and the Automation Summit & Expo to craft plans for mission-focused, vibrant, and successful sections. This is NOT training. Section volunteers will leave this workshop with a plan, with energy, with knowledge, and with an expanded network of other volunteers who believe in and want to shape ISA’s future.

3. Engagement

A healthy section has members who are actively involved. The health metrics for engagement are:

  • At least 5% of membership is volunteering in some capacity other than the board
    • If you have 40 members, there should be at least 2 micro-volunteer opportunities offered in the section.
      • Ex: Helping at an event/activity (checking people in, setting up, breaking down, etc.), writing a newsletter article, selecting scholarship recipients, helping with a committee task, etc.) 
  • Send new member welcome emails monthly from the section community in ISA Connect
  • Send monthly renewal reminder emails in quarter 4 (October, November, and December) from the section community in ISA Connect

Volunteer Groups


Efficient management of the section depends upon a team of volunteers. These groupings provide a way for members to become involved in section activities and should be structured to allow for input, decision-making, and delegation. Sections with smaller membership may not have enough volunteers to form a group for every program and may have to combine responsibilities.

It is important to recognize and celebrate those contributions accordingly. Here are a few ways to recognize your volunteers:

  • Provide certificates at the end of volunteer service
  • Mention them during a meeting or in a newsletter
  • Feature them on your social media
  • Honor them during an awards banquet

Take every opportunity to publicly thank your volunteers, whether that is during a closing speech, on the community page or in a newsletter. A simple thank you can go a long way towards making volunteers feel appreciated. Sections may also consider organizing a special activity in which all volunteers are recognized and thanked for their efforts.

Awards and Recognition
ISA recognizes outstanding members and volunteer service through society-wide awards. Sections are also encouraged to provide local recognition. Consider recognizing your most active members or volunteers during a meeting or banquet with a certificate or locally produced award.

Celebrate membership milestones. Help new and transferred members feel welcome by sending a personalized email. You might include details of your next meeting and ways they may get involved with your section. Consider recognizing your members for 5, 10, 25, and 50 years of membership. Review the member since date column on the membership roster for those details.

Each year, ISA conducts an Honors & Awards Gala to acknowledge and applaud sections for their society service in the following areas:

  • Section Excellence
  • Volunteers of the Year
  • Student Volunteers of the Year 

Volunteers are the driving force behind ISA and its activities. Getting the right volunteers is not always an easy task. Ensuring a good match between your volunteers and their responsibilities is essential for making your section's activities a success.

ISA volunteer network encourages individuals to work their way up to gain increasingly more responsibilities within their volunteer roles, developing their skills, and competencies along the way.

Community Service

Sections are encouraged to partake in community service. Examples include environmental clean ups, serving in soup kitchens or food banks, visiting nursing homes, holding food drives, home or school makeover, tree planting program, organizing a race or walk, donating clothes, toys, books or household goods to a local charity, or volunteering at local animal shelter.

Young Professionals

Young Professionals (YP) represent a group of global members under the age of 35. Sections are encouraged to attract, engage, and host targeted activities for local area young professionals. Sections should appoint someone on the board to work closely with the ISA Young Professionals Committee. The ISA YP Committee is responsible for advising on existing and recommending development of programs to engage young professional members.

ISA offers young professionals a specific community, NextGen Professionals to communicate and engage with students and other young professionals in the Society.

Student Support

Encourage students to become members. ISA offers students a specific community, NextGen Professionals to communicate and engage with other students and young professionals in the Society. This community provides a networking opportunity for students and young professionals to collaborate with peers, benefit from their experiences and to foster technical communications relating to the automation field.

It is important that sections establish strong relationships with the student members and student chapters in their area, aiding their transition to professional members and cultivating them into active section participants and volunteers.

Student Chapters
Sections may recognize groups of students at universities in their jurisdiction as a student chapter of the section. Student chapters operate at the discretion of the section and have no direct relationship to ISA. Student chapters support the mission and vision of the Society, governed by and subject to the authority of its sponsoring section. Each section sets its own criteria for recognizing a student chapter. The section assumes the responsibility for the activities of its student chapters and will be required to report such annually to ISA.

As a component part of the section, the student chapter must adhere to ISA policies.

Operations
Student chapters should operate within the guidelines of their university and operate on their university academic year.

Name and Logo Use
Student chapters must include the name of the sponsoring section. Acceptable use includes:

  • ISA <Section Name> Section <University Name> Student Chapter; or
  • ISA <Section Name> Section Student Chapter

Student chapters may use the logo of the sponsoring section under approval and supervision of the section. The sponsoring section logo may not be altered to include the university name.

It is recommended that sections confirm with ISA if there are any doubts on naming and logo use.

Additional Student Support Guidance

  • Faculty Champions and Student Volunteers - Reference "Board Responsibilities"
  • Student Membership and Transition to Professional Membership - Reference "Membership"
  • Student Programming - Reference "Activities"
  • Communicating with Students - Reference "Communications"
  • Financial Support - Reference "Finances"

Scholarships
Sections may decide to support students through a scholarship program. By recognizing and supporting student and academic excellence in automation, the program can significantly contribute the development of talented individuals in the profession.

One of the best ways to administer and manage a scholarship program is by appointing a committee to be responsible for developing objectives, advertising, collecting applications, and selecting recipients. ISA does advise to only distribute awards based off the earnings of the fund and not the principal, although the final decision is determined by the fund administrator.

Sections may choose to create an endowment through ISA. If your section is interested, please email sections@isa.org.

Communications

 

Healthy sections communicate consistently, clearly, and professionally. ISA provides multiple ways to reach members—choose the channels that best fit your audience and your section’s capacity, and use each channel for its strengths.

Primary Communication Channels

  • Section Community Page
    • Your section’s central “home base” for member engagement, announcements, and section information.
    • Every professional section has a community page in ISA Connect; section members are added automatically and coded volunteers have administrative privileges to send communications.
  • Email
    • Best for longer communications, reminders, and newsletters.
    • Use sparingly and only for high-value updates to avoid opt-outs.
  • Mail (Postal)
    • Best for targeted outreach and formal touches (e.g., welcome postcards, awards invitations).
    • Postal mailing lists are available in the member roster report.
  • Social Media
    • Best for visibility, awareness, and event promotion.
    • Keep branding consistent and content aligned with ISA’s mission.
  • WhatsApp (Optional)
    • Best for quick updates and informal community connection.
    • If used, sections must follow ISA WhatsApp rules and post them in the group. 

Section Community Page

  • Announcements
    • Great way to share information with people who visit your community page and should be used for:
      • Upcoming activities
        • Sections are expected to help promote and raise awareness of upcoming ISA events and activities.
        • Plan to post announcements well in advance about ISA events, as well as activities specific to your section.
      • Scholarships and awards
  • Emails
    • When you have longer communication that does not lend itself to an announcement, you can send emails to your members. Use email to:
      • Send newsletters
      • Promote ISA events and activities, as well as activities specific to your section
      • Send membership renewal reminders
      • Important: The email tool is not to be used to advertise or sell non-ISA activities, products, courses, services, etc. Emails sent to your members must pertain to ISA and cannot be used for promotion of any kind, personal or otherwise.

Writing Effective Communications (Any Channel)
Most readers will only spend a few seconds reviewing your communications—make them count and make them easy to scan:

  • Limit sending one email per week.
    • Sending too many emails will drastically lower engagement levels and increase opt-outs.
  • Use headlines or bullets to break up text.
  • Keep subject lines short and interesting.
  • Consider questions, deadlines, or announcements, such as:
    • Will we see you in Spain? Last Call | Event Registration Deadline 1 August - Keynote Announced | Jane Smith, CAP
  • Test different send days/times.
    • Sending in the morning is usually best.
  • Add humor only when culturally appropriate.
  • Keep colors and fonts consistent and professional.
  • Use personalization when appropriate especially for renewal reminders
  • Create urgency around deadlines.
    • Early-bird registration or limited seating available.

Communicating with Students
Communicating with students is available in the section community. It is at the section’s discretion whether to add a student volunteer to the section board so they can send emails and add events.

Mail (Postal)
While email is one of the most popular communication methods, do not forget about traditional mail. ISA provides postal mailing lists in the member roster report, so you may send traditional mail to your members if you wish.
Examples:

  • A welcome postcard to new members
  • A formal invitation to an awards banquet
  • Posters to hang in workplaces to promote ISA and your section’s activities

Social Media
Across all forms of communication, it is important that ISA presents a strong global identity. Social media is an integral part of ISA’s marketing strategy and is used to communicate and promote the ISA brand, product and service offerings, benefits, and activities.

Social Media Guidance 

  • Determine the channel that works best for your members and update frequently. Most sections find LinkedIn effective.
  • Post original, engaging content regularly.
  • Post at least once a week; three times a week is ideal.

Social media content should not be created, used, or promoted without a defined purpose or integration point within a campaign.
In the event of negative or disparaging comments not in line with ISA’s mission, best practice is to remove the post and block the user.

This is not to be confused with criticism of ISA, ISA sections, or ISA members.
In that case, best practice is to address criticism with facts.

Branding Your Section’s Social Media Space
Brand standards, applied consistently, help ISA project a strong identity and differentiate ISA from other associations. Proper use of the ISA logo on the web, including social media spaces, is critical.
For clarity:

  • The section must use the approved social media logo in the profile picture/avatar space. This helps differentiate sections from the Society. 
  • The section name must be included on social media pages or group names
    • OK - “ISA Mexico Central Section,” 
    • NOT OK - “Mexico Central Section” or “ISA” alone.

Social Media Best Practices

  • Be concise.
    • Consider your audience and the platform.
  • Bring value
    • Everything posted reflects ISA’s reputation
  • Use good judgment and common sense.
    • Avoid copyright infringement; use caution with stock/internet images and obtain permission when required.

WhatsApp (Optional): Required Rules and Best Practices
If your section chooses to operate a WhatsApp group for section communications, the group must remain professional, relevant to ISA, and aligned with ISA’s standards. The section must post the WhatsApp group rules in the group using the following template:

ISA [Section Name] – Connecting Automation Professionals
Welcome to the official ISA [Section Name] WhatsApp group, a space for automation and instrumentation professionals, students, and enthusiasts to connect.

Here, you can:

  • Share industry news and trends
  • Publicize job opportunities and ISA events
  • Discuss technologies and best practices
  • Interact and strengthen the contact network

WhatsApp Group Rules 

  • Open to all ISA members regardless of section affiliation.
  • Respect above all—maintain a professional environment.
  • All publicized events and activities must say ISA Section or ISA Global.
  • No spam or off-topic content.
  • No promotion whatsoever of non-ISA events, activities, products, or services. 

Handling WhatsApp Rule Violations (Warnings and Removal)
To keep the WhatsApp group professional and aligned with ISA expectations, section admins should address violations consistently and promptly.

  1. First violation = Warning 1

    • Remove the violating post/content.
    • Send a brief, respectful warning (preferably as a direct message).
    • Reference the specific rule and ask the member to stop the behavior.

  2. Second violation = Warning 2

    • Remove the violating post/content.
    • Send a second warning (direct message recommended).
    • Reiterate the specific rule and clearly state that a third violation will result in removal from the group.

  3. Third violation = Removal

    • If a member receives a third violation warning, they should be removed from the WhatsApp group.

Recommended Admin Best Practices

  • Be consistent
    • Apply the same expectations to all members.
  • Be specific
    • Which rule was violated (e.g., non-ISA promotion, off-topic, unprofessional conduct).
  • Keep it professional and brief
    • Focus on behavior, not intent.
  • Document warnings
    • Keep a simple record (date, member name,;rule violated, warning #) so admins are aligned.
  • Escalate when appropriate
    • Significant or repeated violations should be reported to ISA Headquarters, consistent with the WhatsApp rules.

Check out our latest section onboarding session on marketing and communications here for additional guidance.

4. Programs and Services

A healthy section has valuable offerings that make meaningful contributions to ISA’s mission: Networking, education, and community outreach. The health metrics for programs and services are:

  • At least 15% of the membership is attending non-training technical activities
    • Cannot include ISA technical training courses or any other formal training courses
    • Can include networking and social events with technical components (Ex: field trips/plant tours)
  • Hosting at least 6 member meetings

Activities

Sharing technical knowledge and providing a platform for members to network is one of the most important activities in the section. Sections should ensure they provide the right type of activities for their local membership, while following ISA policies.

Member Meetings
How often the section meets is up to the section board. Best practice suggests monthly, though to be in good standing the section is required to have a minimum of three (3) member meetings per year. Board meetings do not count as member meetings.

Section meetings are important because they:

      • are the best way for our members to get involved
      • are part of the Section's retention efforts
      • are a way to recognize and orient new members
      • are a chance for members to meet the board in the field
      • are a chance to update members on ISA activities
      • are a great recruitment tool for both new members and volunteers
      • are the most viable form of continuing education
      • provide peer contact and business opportunities
      • should be - FUN!

Required Approval from ISA

Events and Activities that carry the ISA brand must be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the Society’s mission and values. Sections have explicit approval to use the section logo for section activities, unless they are listed as requiring approval.

In all other cases outside this explicit approval, the use of any element of the ISA brand family must be expressly permitted and will only be permitted if ISA has oversight of the technical program.
Sections are required to submit an event proposal for approval for the following activities. No promotion nor contracts may be done until approval is granted. Requests must be submitted a minimum of 45 days in advance of the event.

Approval is delegated by the Executive Board to the Conference Advisory Committee. This is not an exhaustive list, and the Conference Advisory Committee has the authority to request that a section submit for approval for other activities beyond this list.

  • Promotion of any activities to members outside of the section's jurisdiction
  • Activities with more than one section
  • Exhibiting at, participating in, or sponsoring another organization's event/conference
  • Any participation or activity with any for-profit entity other than a company sponsorship of a section meeting
  • Conference or expo
  • Proposed conference, expo, or training
  • Training done without support from ISA (including training through other entities or training created by the section)

In reviewing event proposals, the following is considered:

  • Proximity by date and location to ISA conferences, training courses, or activities
  • Section standing
  • Proper event name and brand usage
  • Objective and outcome of the activity, including potential brand recognition
  • Appropriateness of the arrangement, financial and otherwise, with third parties or contractors
  • Involvement in the development of the technical program

    Sections that have demonstrated support for promotions and the programming of ISA events will be given preferential consideration. Additionally, Sections are more likely to be successful in achieving approval if they are willing to be flexible with their proposal.

    Event Naming
    Members and customers should know from the title of any activity who is hosting it, what content is covered, and in what format. Recurring events should have a consistent title that is relevant from year to year. Event names must be approved by ISA before it is included on any public-facing sources such as websites, printed brochures, or programs.

        • “ISA” must be at the beginning of all event names.
          • Ex. “ISA Automation Summit and Expo”
        • Section events must include the section name in the title.
          • Ex. “ISA Spain Section Cybersecurity Conference”
        • Neither the year nor the edition of the event may be included in the official title.
          • Incorrect: “2023 ISA Automation Summit and Expo”
          • Correct: “ISA Automation Summit and Expo”
          • Incorrect: “2nd Annual Digital Transformation Conference”
          • Correct: “ISA Digital Transformation Conference”
        • The event title must correctly reflect the content of the program sessions.
        • The event title must not be similar to the name of an ISA conference

    Working With Other Entities

    Partnerships or participation with other organizations require a staff-negotiated memorandum of understanding. At a minimum, ISA must have representation in technical programming that is deemed satisfactory by the Society. Agreements or affiliations may not jeopardize ISA’s nonprofit status. Contracts must be initiated and signed by ISA staff.

    Sections who receive approval to organize a session at a non-ISA event must include a standard set of information slides about ISA in the presentation.

    Meeting Planning

    The section board needs to ensure that activities are well-planned and well-executed. Here are some general guidelines for better section activities.

    Before your section chooses what type of meeting you are going to run, it is important to review what goals the section is trying to accomplish. The section should develop a strategy first and then implement the plan. Below is a step-by-step guideline of that planning process.

    Strategic Plan for the Section
    Does your section have a strategic plan? If not, this is the place to start before planning your programming. Sections should make sure they are clear on:

        1. What audiences will you focus on?
          1. Your meetings may be open to all members, but you should plan various meetings with specific segments in mind. Is your activity for students, young professionals, experts, etc.
        2. How does your section expect to meet the needs of those audiences? What meetings should be planned to address the needs of each audience
          1. The section should have an outline of how many and what kind of activities and/or meetings you plan to program and provide
          2. Align resources with a realistic number of programs
            1. If not enough programs are planned, section members may feel disconnected or perceive a lack of value from the section
            2. If too many programs are planned, resources and volunteers may feel overwhelmed, and the quality of the program may suffer
        3. Who will execute the meetings?
          1. Meetings require pre- and post-planning.  It is critical to clarify who is doing what to guarantee the activity meets its objectives.
          2. Spread the meeting logistics amongst an ample number of volunteers
            1. If the number of volunteers on your board is minimal, are there plans for how new volunteers will be recruited and included?
            2. It is important for your section to be realistic in volunteer expectations
          3. What are the measures of success that will determine if the section is on the right path?
            1. There are several factors that may be included:
              • Number of attendees
              • New volunteers recruited
              • Surveys at the end of each meeting
            2. Determining what the true measures of success avoids the assumption that a meeting was successful
        4. Is there a long-range view?
          1. There is value in the section board having a vision of where the section should be in the future
            1. With proper board transition, this is a vision that will be shaped with each new class of volunteers but also one that will give greater meaning to the annual efforts of any section

    Creating a Calendar Meeting
    From the strategy outlined above, it should become evident how many meetings the section is going to run and what format each meeting will take based on the targeted audience and overall section goals. The section should take this information into account when creating its calendar.

    The section should use an online calendar program that all board members can access. There are several free versions, for example, Google Calendar.

    It is advisable that a section plan programming for the full year. Start with a blank calendar, then add in nationally recognized holidays, religious holidays, and related dates that would cause a conflict in scheduling section activities. Next, add any major conferences, events, certification testing dates, etc. that appear on the Society’s calendar. Not every section member may participate in these events, but it is appropriate as a unit of ISA to not cross-program to allow for full participation. From there, your section should start to fill in dates and times for section meetings to correspond with the goals in the section plan.

    At this stage, each section meeting that is placed on the calendar does not yet have to have content associated with it. Meetings should be listed by format type and audience to be reached. If your section is used to running a monthly educational meeting, you will first decide upon which segments of your members you are looking to address and in what manner before planning your topics.

    After filling in the program types and audiences, the section board should review what they are committing to for the full year. This level of planning may not be appropriate to share with the section’s overall membership. The final, subject-driven programmed calendar is usually shared with members and listed on the events tab in the section community.

    Choose each Meeting Lead
    After all meetings are scheduled, each meeting should have a lead person assigned to it. Meeting leads could be board members, committee chairs, or simply involved members. A meeting lead is not meant to do all the work, but rather be the point person that will take responsibility of the meeting and ensure the logistics and strategic details go into the planning and implementation of the meeting.

    Select your Subject/Format
    Each meeting lead should begin to develop what topic or format their meeting should cover. The sooner in proximity of the date of the meeting, the more urgent it is to finalize this part. When possible, request input from the section members as to what topics they would like to see covered at each program. This can help connect new volunteers to the section.

    Once your section finds a good speaker, you may run into the problem of educator repetition. The section board should maintain a careful balance between using speakers more than once because of their scope of knowledge or presentation skills and still giving ample opportunity to bring in a wide range of topics. Keeping track of the last three to five years of topics and speakers will give your section a good historical foundation to build on..

    Implementing your Plan
    Now that your section has a strategy and a calendar of meetings, it’s time to implement your activities.

        1. Pick a location – It is important that the location be compatible with the type of meeting, the number of attendees expected, and the costs associated with utilizing the space. Your section may have preferred venues or spaces that have been donated by local sponsoring companies to help keep costs of programming down. Besides availability, the location of your meeting may be a major factor in which members attend. Rotating locations around a geographic area, and periodically surveying members to discover ideal locations are both good ideas to gain a good mix of attendees. The final location decision should consider both logistical (time of day, traffic, parking) and programmatic considerations (it would not be ideal to host an educational program in a noisy bar or restaurant). If the section plans to do a virtual meeting, they will need to determine the most appropriate online collaboration tool or software to use.
        2. Sponsorship – Some sections choose to have sponsors for their meetings. Sponsorship may involve a company offering a host location for the meeting or cover the cost of food. In some cases, the sponsor may provide the educational content. Some sections have a comprehensive sponsorship package where interested vendors will pay certain amounts for varied types of recognition. In either scenario, when appropriate, the section should welcome sponsorships, while ensuring that the meeting does not become a sales pitches or something that may drive away professional members.
        3. Registration – The registration process should be simple. Using the Event module in the section community is recommended. Members and guests can indicate that they want to attend your program, pay to attend the event (if applicable), and check in onsite. A budget for the entire meeting should help you determine the registration fee needed to cover all costs. On the day of the meeting, there may be forms to fill out, name badges to be handed out, and information to distribute. Having the right personalities at the registration table can create a good first impression.
        4. Marketing – Once the program is planned, the pricing set, the location and speaker secured, word still must get out about your meeting. Sections have various communication channels for promoting their activities. (See COMMUNICATIONS topic above).
        5. Food – While it is nearly impossible to meet everyone's needs when it comes to food options, be sure to offer at least two selections. Depending on the event, the section may choose to offer light refreshments, or may not offer anything at all. Having at least a small networking reception at every program is highly recommended. The cost of the food may go beyond the simple price of the meal, as some locations require in-house catering, and there can be significant taxes and fees added on to the final cost. These should all be factors considered in your planning process.
        6. Welcome Committee – Some sections choose to have a welcome committee or chairperson whose role at meetings is to identify and welcome guests, new members and new attendees. When this is done successfully, the new attendee experience will feel welcoming and engaging.
        7. Logistics Coordinator – It is recommended to have a volunteer designated as the logistics coordinator for a meeting, so the section can ensure that someone is paying attention to all the details and nothing is overlooked. Details may include coordination with the speaker to confirm all needs are met for their presentation, A/V or technical needs are met, materials needed for the presentation/program are available, food provided, etc.
        8. Program Host – This is the position that can call the meeting to order, introduce the program, and share announcements at the end. This role is often filled by the meeting lead or the section president.
        9. Evaluation – Whether by paper, online survey, or follow-up phone calls, each program needs to be evaluated by attendees. It is important that your evaluations review the program and not the volunteers that contributed to the program itself. There will always be areas of improvement. Reflecting on that feedback is essential for future meeting planning.

    Vendor Neutral Presentations

    ISA section presentations must be vendor-neutral and educational. Brief product references are acceptable only in service of the learning objectives.

    • Lead with ISA excellence
      • ISA’s core value of excellence means our sections provide industry-leading, unbiased content that is developed and vetted by a community of experts. Members come to section programs to learn and grow professionally, so our default standard is educational content first.
    • Vendor participation is ok, sales pitches are not
      • Sponsors and vendors can absolutely be part of our programs, and they often have great expertise. The line we cannot cross is turning a section meeting into a commercial presentation. If the goal is "buy our solution," it’s not appropriate for the educational program.
    • Focus on transferable learning
      • A good vendor-neutral talk teaches something attendees can apply regardless of what product they use: a framework, a standard, a method, implementation lessons, pitfalls, or a case study focused on decision-making and outcomes.
    • Use balanced examples and language
      • We should avoid superlatives and competitive positioning. If products are mentioned, it should be as examples, not as the conclusion. It is even better when speakers acknowledge constraints and tradeoffs, and recognize there are multiple ways to solve the problem.
    • Be transparent
      • We are not trying to hide affiliations. We just want them disclosed clearly. A quick statement at the beginning builds trust and helps members evaluate the content appropriately.
    • Set expectations upfront
      • Prevent most issues by setting the rules early: ask for a title and abstract, share speaker guidelines, and request a slide review. That is not about policing—it is about keeping the program aligned with ISA values. If anyone is unwilling to share slides for review should not be allowed to present.
    • Protect the member experience
      • Members will forgive a brief mention of a product. What they will not forgive is spending their time on a pitch. Build in a question and answer period, encourage practical discussion, and make sure attendees leave with usable takeaways.

    Meeting Types

    Not all sections are the same and there is no one-size fits all meeting type that works for everyone. The following is a comprehensive list of general meeting types that can be tailored, and in some cases combined to meet the needs of the section.

    Educational Meetings
    Most sections use this traditional meeting format. This meeting can take place in conjunction with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This allows professionals to network, possibly over a meal, while also engaging in an educational experience.
    Some of the educational formats that your section may choose to use are:

        • Traditional Speaker Presentation – Consisting of a PowerPoint presentation or other form of slideshow presentation, or simply a talk, this speaker format is geared towards a single content expert sharing their knowledge.
        • Virtual Speaker – Like the above, this speaker will present over the phone or by screen share through video presentation.
        • Panel Discussion – A group of content experts with varying experiences gathered to discuss a topic of interest in front of an audience.
        • Roundtable – An opportunity for participants to get together in an informal setting to examine issues as they relate to specific topics. This format is not necessarily ideal for an in-depth discussion.
        • Ignite Presentation – A series of 5-minutes presentations, where each presenter must use 20 slides advancing every 15 seconds to discuss a topic. Some sections may include a structured Q&A after each presentation to allow for a deeper discussion on each topic.
        • Prerecorded – An online presentation that can be prerecorded and presented on-demand or at a scheduled time. Sections can identify presentations that already exist, present them as the educational focus of the group, and include discussion points throughout or at the end of the presentation.

    Sections may consider issuing Professional Development Hours (PDH) for their educational meetings. A PDH is defined as one contact hour of instruction, presentation or study. The term PDH is commonly used in the engineering community. The maximum PDH for a seminar that starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. with an hour lunch is eight (8). Short breaks are permissible as long as a minimum of 50 minutes of presentation/participation/study per hour is undertaken. If there are no breaks, or there are breaks of less than 10 minutes per hour, no additional time may be claimed. PDH cannot exceed the actual contact clock hours. Round off PDH to the nearest half hour. No activity under a half hour will be accepted for credit. For example, a qualifying activity of 30 to 49 minutes would be reported as 0.5 PDH and an activity of 50 to 70 minutes would be reported as 1.0 PDH. PDH is sometimes also called PDU (Professional Development Unit).

    Virtual Meetings
    Not all sections can have in-person meetings on a regular basis. In order to accomplish many of the same goals as in the educational formats above, sections may organize virtual presentations.

    The section can provide an exchange of ideas and information that delivers value to your members by coordinating a speaker or a panel discussion, facilitating a presentation and follow-up Q&A.

    Your section may also consider requesting permission from the speaker to be recorded and then the content of that presentation be shared with the members who could not attend. This will add value to section members that may live farther away and unable to attend a live presentation, or a member that has another obligation and unable to attend.

    Section Sponsored Educational Trainings
    Sections can provide a valuable opportunity to current and prospective members to expand their technical knowledge through section sponsored educational trainings, while earning revenue for the sections. Your section can earn a percentage of the registration fees from a successful training event. The greater number of registrants, the more revenue to gain.

    Your section will take the lead role in promoting the course offering(s) and assist ISA as necessary in planning and executing the event.

    Plant Tours
    Not all section meetings have to be in a meeting room. Arranging a plant tour is a good way to gain practical knowledge, problem solving strategies, and real-time solution applications. Depending on time and location, this event may be combined with a meal. Since a plant tour can run longer than a usual meeting, your section may only run one or two a year.

    Certification Reviews
    ISA offers multiple certifications and certificate programs. Many sections organize a review class or series of classes for their members in a group setting. This is a great opportunity for you to engage members that may not have been previously involved your section.

    Fundraising Events
    Some sections are dedicated to giving back to their community or a specific cause. Sections may choose to raise money to award scholarships for students preparing to enter the automation profession. Whatever fundraising activities your section choose, be sure to review any guidelines in your section’s bylaws.

    Social Meetings
    Many sections organize social meetings/gatherings. This is an opportunity for you to add some “fun” to your section offerings. Your members will have the opportunity to create a community, discuss employment opportunities, research and projects, and even develop friendships among their peers.

    Student Programming
    If the section has a chapter, be aware of what the student volunteers are doing and attend, when possible, their activities.

    Regardless of whether the section has a chapter or not, it is recommended that sections invite students to section activities and hold activities at the university for students.

    Here are some ideas for activities that may be useful in planning student activities:

        • Tech talks with guest speakers
        • Field trips/plant tours 
        • Career planning and mock interviews
          • Panel Discussion
            • Example: Automation Career Pathway Talks
              • Can feature diverse engineers and professionals, sharing their experiences, offering guidance on academic and career planning, and providing up-to-date industry information. This event provides students with insights into different career paths, industry trends, and practical advice for their professional development. Content for the program could include educational background, professional profiles, and project experiences of panelists. The event could also provide tips to help students with their course selections, career paths, potential companies for employment, market trends, and CV tips.
              • Planning & Logistics
                • The orientation talks are held either virtually, at the school, a designated venue or at a host facility. Specific dates and times for the orientation talks will be scheduled and communicated in advance. Please keep in mind the academic year and course schedules. The panelist could be former students from the school and local professionals from different sectors and backgrounds. Different ages with varied experiences.
                • Examples of panelists:
                  • Engineering working for solutions in automation company
                  • Engineer working as project leader in a big engineering company.
                  • Department manager in engineering company
                  • Human Resources technician in an engineering company
                  • Engineer in chemical engineering department in big engineering company
                  • Junior engineer in automation solutions compan
                • The Section Program Chair and other relevant Section positions identify and invite panelists. Define key topics for each panelist to cover. Prepare a structured format for discussions and Q&A sessions. Coordinate with the school or venue for booking.
              • Helpful Tips:
                • Students should update resumes and dress business casual
                • Professionals should be ready to engage and represent their company.
                • Determine how many companies should attend. You want there to be diversity in career paths and industry but not too many where it can be overwhelming and there are more companies than students.
                • Reach out to your section members to see if they can engage their company to attend the event.
                • Review local industry job boards to see if any companies are hiring. Invite these companies to your event.
        • Networking activity with section
          • Example: Industry Connection Night
            • Allow students to bring resumes. This event features speed networking, company tabletops, and possible food and beverage. This program can create a mutually beneficial environment where both students and professionals can engage, learn, and grow within the industry. Students can learn about the companies that make up our industry, ask experienced professionals questions about automation, get job hunting advice and make connections. Automation Professionals can meet future talent, represent your company in a positive way and give back to our industry.
            • Planning & Logistics
              • This can be hosted one evening for about 2 hours on a campus or at a host facility. Make sure the address is clear and share parking instructions. Be sure to create a detailed schedule for the night to share with attendees.
                • Example Agenda:
                  • 5:30pm: Check-in, appetizer buffet, and mingling
                  • 6:15pm: Welcome Address
                  • 6:30pm: Speed Networking
                  • 7:30pm: Event Wrap
              • Create an event webpage with event details and link to register. You could choose to charge or not. A good practice would be to ask students for a USD 15 deposit (refundable at check-in). Professionals register for free.
            • Helpful Tips:
              • Students should update resumes and dress business casual
              • Professionals should be ready to engage and represent their company.
              • Determine how many companies should attend. You want there to be diversity in career paths and industry but not too many where it can be overwhelming and there are more companies than students.
              • Reach out to your section members to see if they can engage their company to attend the event.
              • Review local industry job boards to see if any companies are hiring. Invite these companies to your event.

    The section will need to add student activities to the section community page. Communicating with students is available in the section community. It is at the section’s discretion whether to add a student volunteer to the section board to be able to send emails and add events.

    Increasing Attendance

    The BEST way to increase attendance is by word of mouth from past attendees. To encourage your attendees to recruit other professionals to attend future section non-training technical activities, be sure the programs are relevant and provide value to attendees.

    Meeting invites must be sent far enough in advance to allow members to respond, and, if necessary, adjust their schedules. At the same time, they should not be sent so far in advance that members ignore them.

    The location of the activity can make a difference too. Some sections believe that having their activities at the same place each time allows members to become comfortable with their travel, the facility, etc. Other sections prefer to move their activities around, so that no one group of members must travel too far each time. Other factors that can have an impact on attendance includes cost of attending (registration fee), day of the week, time of day, and program topic/speaker.

    Finding Speakers

    The Expert Directory on ISA Connect allows you to search and review an expert’s credentials to find and connect with the perfect speakers for your section’s programs and activities. Access expert profiles complete with contact information, bios, areas of expertise, location availabilities, and more! 

    Do you know a great speaker? Invite them to join the expert directory! Members and non-members can create a profile.

    5. Foundational

    A section with vibrant leadership, effective operations, engaged members, and valuable offerings will have:

    • At least 77% retention in membership
    • At least 8% growth in membership

    Membership

    Each ISA member may choose to affiliate with a section. These are the members of the section. The section does not have the authority to modify or create membership classes. Sections are expected to welcome all members from around the world at their activities.

    ISA membership is on an anniversary cycle. Members can join at any point throughout the year and their membership would be good until the next year at the same time when it is up for renewal. If a member does not renew their membership by the end date, they will then lose access to all ISA member benefits.

    Sections are strongly encouraged to run renewal campaigns to ensure members renew to avoid a lapse in their membership and benefits.

    ISA offers a wide range of membership benefits. For sections wanting to grow and retain their membership, it is important to educate both members and non-members about the advantages and value of ISA membership. Gaining an understanding of the specific needs and circumstances of your section members and the industry in your area can help sections highlight what those members and potential members would be interested in most.

    Students

    For any section who sponsors student chapters, the graduating students are a great pool of new talent and can also help the section grow their overall membership. Sections should play an active role in coaching their student chapters and help them develop a recruitment and retention strategy, as ultimately the sections will benefit from strong student chapters later.

    Every student member of ISA is affiliated to a section based on the location of the university on record. Students are not members of the section. It is recommended that student membership in ISA be required for participation in the section’s student chapter. The section, nor its student chapters have the authority to modify or create membership classes.

    It is recommended that sections include a certain number of student members in their chapter criteria. It is not required for all student members to attend the same university.

    Student to Professional Transition

    Recent and soon-to-be graduate student members are eligible for a free year of professional membership. It is recommended that sections help build awareness of the free offer with student members and student chapters affiliated with their section to ensure a smooth transition from student to professional member.

    Marketing materials provided for section use.

    Recruitment

    Understanding your membership demographics can help you find new members.

    • The goal for membership is 8% growth
      • Are there industries in your geographic area that are relevant but perhaps underrepresented by the members you currently have?
    • Running the section member roster can give you a quick overview of your membership data.

    Send Welcome Messages

    Sections are strongly encouraged to send a welcome to new members once a month.

    • To the right of the section name, click ‘Settings’
    • Click ‘Email Community Members’ - This will take you to a page to create your email message
      1. In the "To" dropdown, choose 'ISA_Section_Welcome to New Professional Members AND Student Affiliates Last 30 Days'
      2. Customize the template for your section and remove red instructional text

    Roster

    • Roster reports are available to section officers for ISA business.
      • In your section’s community: 
        • To the right of the section name, click ‘Settings’
        • Click ‘Reports’ - This will take you to a page with a list of community reports
        • At the bottom of the list is the Member Roster Report, click ‘View Report’
      • Member information should not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those related to section activities.

    Retention

    Finding new members is one thing but keeping them will be the next challenge.

    • The goal for retention is 77%
    • Engage and support your members, make them feel valued
    • Build a close relationship with your members to create a greater awareness of what is going on within your community and the automation industry
    • Make it a habit to report on the membership statistics during the section meetings
    • A good way to aid in retention is to message lapsed members at the beginning of the new year. Use the Community Members Joined and Left Report in your reports in Connect to find these former members and send them a message encouraging them to renew.

    Track the section's progress monthly by using the membership statistics report.

    Send Renewal Reminders in Quarter 4

    Sections are strongly encouraged to send reminders to those needing to renew at the end of the year.

    • To the right of the section name, click ‘Settings’
    • Click ‘Email Community Members’ - This will take you to a page to create your email message
      1. In the "To" dropdown, choose "ISA_Section_Professional Members AND Students Needing to renew (October/November/December email). Be sure to select the appropriate list for the month you are sending these, as there are three different ones.
      2. Customize the template for your student section and remove red instructional text

    Protecting Membership Data

    The protection of membership data is extremely important and should be at the forefront of all your activities as a section.

    How to protect your members:

    • Do not maintain ISA membership rosters
      • It is against policy for sections to maintain membership rosters
      • We provide you membership rosters and they are updated in real-time
        • The maintenance and time required to maintain section membership rosters is nearly impossible due to volunteer capacity
        • Members change information frequently and they have the right to be forgotten (unsubscribe)
        • Members are free to move into and out of your section
        • Members exit the industry and membership is no longer relevant to them, so we must respect their decision
      • Do not maintain email distribution lists of members
        • It is against policy for sections to maintain an email distribution list of members
        • We provide you a way to email your members through ISA Connect
        • ISA has the infrastructure and ability to maintain communication and marketing consent that are in line with laws and regulations. Sections must respect a member’s choice to opt out.
        • Marketing emails sent without the ability to unsubscribe are against laws and regulations
      • Delete old membership rosters regularly
        • Once you have used the information you need, it should be deleted, and never stored longer than necessary
        • The information on the reports change frequently, so you must pull a new roster when you need it
      • Do not email member rosters to board members or external parties
        • The section officers have access to the member roster and can download the reports directly from the section community if needed
      • Do not retain attendance records for longer than deemed necessary
        • Do not maintain event attendance records with email addresses or phone numbers
      • Do not retain credit card numbers
        • ISA does not store any financial information for members or sections. All information is destroyed after use, and we are fully compliant with PCI protections. Sections and should follow this example.
    Bulk Dues
    Manual bulk membership processing is available to sections when there are mitigating circumstances that prevent individual members from joining or renewing online with payment. If you are interested in participating in this program, please email sections@isa.org

    6. Resources

    Volunteer Communities

    Access Your Volunteer Community in ISA Connect

    Collaborate and share best practices with fellow section and student section volunteers around the world. Here are some helpful resources to get you started:

    • Discussions
    • Volunteer Resources
    • Section Operations Manual
    • Month-end Membership Statistics
    • Volunteer e-newsletters

    And, your section is a part of much larger geographic area known as a district. There is a district community for you to communicate with your District Vice President and collaborate with the other section volunteers in the district. You will also receive invites to district meetings and your leadership conference from this community.

    • Click the down-facing arrow in the top right-hand corner of the page next to the image icon
    • Click 'Communities’
    • Click your respective district community

    Section Connection

    ISA sends an e-newsletter to all officers to keep them abreast of key information. Included are tips to help you operate your section. Most importantly, these updates include reminders of deadlines, announcements of new resources, and upcoming events. The e-newsletter is emailed out roughly every other month. If you missed it in your inbox, it is also posted in the section volunteer community library.

    Marketing Materials

    Official section logos, brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials are provided in the library folder of the volunteer community on ISA Connect.

    For sections to make use of ISA intellectual property, they must:

    • Always use the section name, and not merely “ISA” alone, in any communications with the public or other parties, including promotions and contracts
    • Use the ISA logo, name, and acronym “ISA” with the section name to show identity and affiliation with ISA
    • Use the ISA logo, name, or acronym in a way that does not cause confusion regarding whether the section or the Society is responsible for that use
    • All other uses of the ISA logo, name, acronym, and other ISA trademarks (such as InTech) by sections require specific prior permission from the ISA Executive Board, which also reserves the right to review and approve any use of the ISA logo, name, acronym, or other ISA trademark
    • Not allow another group or organization to use any ISA trademark
    • Include registered trademark notices with all uses of ISA trademarks in accordance with ISA logo specifications
    • Not register an ISA trademark independently of ISA
    • Require a specific license from the ISA Executive Board for all other uses of ISA trademarks
    • Obtain permission before using ISA copyrighted materials in any form, including but not limited to ISA books, journals, proceedings, videos, software, standards and any other materials published by ISA

    Please reference the ISA Intellectual Property and Brand, Reputation, and Public Interest Policy Policies for complete details.

    For further guidance, check out on section onboarding session on marketing and communications here.