IVYSEC Charter & Bylaws

Definition: IVYSEC is a non-governing collective, not a legal entity, brand, or corporate structure. It does not seek to subsume, control, or rebrand any member organization.

Autonomy: All member organizations retain full independence. IVYSEC does not impose directives, enforce curriculum, or mandate participation in any activities.

Scope: IVYSEC facilitates intercollegiate collaboration through events, communication channels, shared educational initiatives, competitions, and rotating security conferences.

Eligibility: Any student-led organization operating within an Ivy League university may seek membership in IVYSEC, provided their focus includes cybersecurity, cyber policy, ethical hacking, information security, cryptography, digital forensics, privacy, trust, cyber law, or security research.

Institutional Membership Flexibility: IVYSEC permits multiple member organizations from the same university. Membership is not limited to one club per institution.

Application & Admission: Interested organizations submit a brief statement of intent and overview of their mission. Existing members conduct a majority vote to approve new members. New members may begin participating immediately upon approval.

Voluntary Membership: Organizations may enter or leave IVYSEC at any time. Withdrawal requires written notice but no vote.

Decentralization: IVYSEC operates on consensus or simple majority among currently active members. There is no central governing board.

Point of Contact: Each organization must designate a primary point of contact, known as an IVYSEC Representative, for communication purposes.

Support Structures: Member organizations are permitted and encouraged to create internal support structures under their designated IVYSEC Representative. This can include teams or subcommittees that assist in coordinating IVYSEC-related activities, planning travel logistics, managing communication, or developing educational content. The internal structure and delegation of responsibilities remain at the discretion of each member organization.

Voting Process: Each member organization holds one vote. Decisions regarding conference hosting, new initiatives, or structural adjustments must be proposed and discussed via IVYSEC’s shared communication platform.

Collaboration: Members are encouraged, but not required, to co-host events, share educational resources and documentation, invite peers to university-specific events, and contribute to intercollegiate Capture-the-Flag competitions.

Engagement: Members should maintain regular communication and respond to collective proposals or updates.

Representation: When representing IVYSEC externally, members must clearly distinguish between their organization and the IVYSEC collective.

Annual Conference: IVYSEC aspires to host an annual security conference rotating among Ivy League campuses. Hosting responsibilities are voluntary and proposed by member organizations.

Working Groups: Temporary or long-term working groups may be formed around topics of interest such as curriculum building, research publication, or outreach.

Shared Infrastructure: IVYSEC may maintain shared digital infrastructure such as a website, resource hub, mailing list, or communication channel hosted by volunteers from within the network.

Proposal Process: Any member organization may propose amendments to this document.

Approval: Amendments require a two-thirds majority vote by all active member organizations.

Review: This document should be reviewed annually to reflect the evolving needs and values of the collective.