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Vol.28 No.1, January 1996
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Past activities of the EC revolved around issues of membership growth, getting conference-related processes and finances under control and launching activities in electronic publication and electronic communication with members.
Reported on the status of email distribution lists and provided a list of current open and fixed (closed) distribution lists. A pending issue is the migration of the accounts which currently are supported by Xerox to ACM-based support.
Reported on the experiment of putting the Bulletin on the World Wide Web. The process currently involves about one day of extra effort. Access to an improved way of automating conversion from paper-publishing form to html would facilitate the process. Important issues are copyrighting, usability and impact on income. The ACM organization will expect a follow-up report on the experiment.
A representative from the GSA had asked about the possibility of guidelines or standards for purchasing computers that would incorporate access for those with special needs. It is concluded that because other groups are already involved in this process, SIGCHI's role should be one of education and increasing the visibility of the standards work.
Ongoing issues that need to be addressed by the newly-composed committee include the following: corporate/organization sponsors at the local SIGCHI level, the CHI Plus initiative to allow members to select a customized array of publications to receive, a group logo, the nomination/election process, our relationships with cooperating societies, an outward focus for the organization (such as a computer users' Bill of Rights and a presence in popular publications such as Consumer Reports), member and volunteer development, a review of the vision items from the past officers, student volunteers, and potential value-added to members (such as trade shows and continuing education).
Commendation. A motion to commend the outgoing executive committee on their service passed by acclamation.
Committee members should review the ACM Officer's Manual carefully. Officers should be aware of the special tax status of the organization and be responsible in following the requirements of this status. Copies of Leadership magazine and a "Handy Dandy Officer's Survival Kit", developed by Darrow, were distributed.
The FY 1996 budget was reviewed and the concept of fund balance was explained. Responsibility for overseeing subareas of the budget should be taken on by champions from the committee. A written policy on how to use funds which exceed fund balances should be developed.
The current Conference Management Committee (CMC) evolved from the old Conference Planning Committee, due to the size and complexity of CHI. The ideal composition of the CMC is about 6 to 7 people plus the professionals. It should include some prior chairs of the conferences, and possibly a representative of the Pacific Rim. In the budget for CHI '96, there is a release on the ceiling for plenary speakers. This will bring the honorariums more in line with those offered by other large conferences. The budget does not include funds to produce a CD-ROM version of the conference proceedings. Problems with the CD-ROM published with CHI '95 included cost of production (effort and money), usability issues, and the inability to correct problems. The positive aspects of publishing via CD-ROM are the ability to include more types of media than can be handle via paper or Web and the greater availability of CD-ROM readers than Internet access for some members.
Darrow will work with Lynch to ensure that information concerning SIGCHI sponsored/cosponsored/or in cooperation meetings and conferences is passed on to Pemberton for publication in the Bulletin in a routine and timely manner.
Concerns were expressed that the cost of tutorials had been increased at a greater percentage rate than the technical portion of the conference, and at a rate in excess of inflation. It was felt that cost might become a significant risk factor for financial success. However, the budget committee would have a very difficult time adjusting any of the rates, due to the many factors that interact in determining the budget line items.
Motion. To approve the CHI '96 Budget. To send a letter from the chairs explaining the concerns of the committee and instructing them to dedicate $70,000 of the contingency funds to nonrealization of income from tutorials. Vote: 7 0
Originally, videos from CHI conferences were sold as part of the SIGGRAPH video series. SIGCHI received very little back from the sale of the videos. Recently, each video has been published as a separate issue. The pros of publishing the videos as our own series relate to recognition and library acquisition. The cons relate to the added publishing overhead from maintaining a series. Perlman, working with Darrow, will report in more detail at the next meeting.
Following lengthy discussion, the following broad goals for the EEC in the next two years were identified.
A number of areas for action, including possible deliverables, were identified. Each area of action was assessed to determine that it would be possible to articulate measurable objectives. Members of the committee were assigned to each area for follow-up work. The areas of action for each goal, and the assigned EC member (using the member's initials) included:
The winter meeting will be held December 8-10 at ACM Headquarters. The spring meeting will be held April 18-20, 1996, following CHI. The date and location for the next summer meeting are yet to be determined.
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