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We have identified the people who are essential to SIGCHI's continued successful evolution. Congratulations! You are them! Here's what we need you to do. Vote on the proposed changes to the ACM Constitution!
In past columns, we have given you updates on progress in creating Societies within ACM and in transitioning SIGCHI to be a Society. In this column, we will review the motivations the past and present Executive Committee had in initiating this effort, describe the current state of this effort within ACM, and project where this will lead SIGCHI in the future. Most important, we ask for your help in realizing that future.
Before we begin, one meta-level comment on how organizations change. While this comment could probably fairly be described as "preaching to the choir," we think it important to be clear. Changing (or designing) an organization is a lot like changing (or designing) any system involving people, technologies, and current work practices. Basically, the components involved in the system are complex and evolving, guaranteeing that the system itself will also evolve. So, (and as the choir knows quite well!) we do not try to design things to be "right the first time"; rather, we design them so that we can send them off in the right direction, monitor their performance, and guide their evolution. We believe we are moving in the right direction; we believe we know what to monitor; we ask your help in guiding the evolution.
In the spring of 1996, the SIGCHI EC initiated discussions with the ACM Executive Director to explore a new relationship between SIGCHI and ACM and a partial or total society-based restructuring of ACM. The goal of the ACM Executive Director was to explore ways in which the 30+ SIGs might be restructured. Our goal was to create a self-governing, self-managing substructure within ACM, with its own separable but related identity and to do so in such a way that partnership between SIGCHI, ACM, and other ACM units would be strengthened and that all ACM units would benefit. After several discussions, and at the request of the ACM Executive Director, we initiated discussions with Stu Zweben, then ACM President. From this beginning, similar and often parallel discussions have occurred among ACM SIG Services staff, the SIG Chairs, the SIG Board, and the Adhoc Committee on ACM Societies commissioned by Chuck House, the current ACM President.
Our goal remains to create a self-governing substructure within ACM, with its own separable but related identity. The first motivation for this goal was the recognition that SIGCHI supports a highly interdisciplinary field. HCI has a strong grounding in IT (represented by ACM) and integral involvement from other non-IT fields: psychology, anthropology, linguistics, graphic design, and many more. While many HCI professionals identify closely with ACM, many receive their primary benefit from association with the HCI community in SIGCHI. We wanted, therefore, an identity that encompasses both the HCI and IT communities. Second, we recognized the need for additional, dedicated professional staff to help us implement programs to benefit HCI and SIGCHI's membership. While our volunteers can and do define needed and valuable programs, we lack the staff support to implement them. Currently, our primary support staff is managed by the ACM HQ staff. As a self-managing organization, we should have more control over our support staff.
We have made progress in several areas. Last summer, David Riederman replaced Diane Darrow as our Program Director. During Diane's tenure, we shared a Program Director with other SIGs and repeatedly requested that ACM assign us a full-time Program Director to better support our volunteers. We are grateful to Donna Baglio, Director of SIG Services, that David was assigned as our full-time Program Director. We appreciate the additional time that David is able to devote to SIGCHI's programs. Also, Paul Henning and his company who have helped with the logistics of several CHI conferences are now handling more of the administration of the conferences. Paul also supports the operations of SIGCHI's Conference Management Committee.
Making SIGCHI a Society within ACM would require changes to the ACM Constitution and Bylaws. During the past two years, discussions of restructuring ACM have proceeded with the deliberation that is due. No one, of course, wants to make hasty changes to a prestigious professional society. Still, change is necessary for our professional society to grow and to continue to serve our disciplines and the membership. Soon, you will be asked to vote on the changes to the ACM Constitution and we urge you to do so.
We view the proposed changes to the ACM constitution as very positive and hope you do, as well. The changes we think most positive relate to increased representation of the technical communities in ACM governance, increased autonomy for SIGs, and the flexibility to form Societies, or other structures, as well as the current SIGs.
ACM is governed by a Council and, for some decisions, by a smaller Executive Committee. Currently, SIGCHI and the other technical communities of ACM have, collectively, one representative on Council and one non-voting observer on the Executive Committee. The proposed Constitution, provides for four seats on the Council and one voting seat on the Executive Committee. As a result, decisions should better reflect the positions and concerns of the technical communities. Candidates will be elected to these positions by the leaders of the technical communities.
SIGCHI and the other technical communities will gain more autonomy. Previously, many levels of approval were needed for some actions. For example, the SIG Chairs are expected to attend two SIG Chairs meetings a year, and this travel is included in our annual budget. Similarly, our annual budgets reflect the conferences we plan to conduct. Although these activities were included in a budget that required approval of the ACM Council, conducting these activities required additional approvals. The SIG Area Director approved travel to each SIG Chairs meeting and the SIG Board Chair and ACM Council approved conferences. The proposed Constitution and Bylaw changes simplify such processes by eliminating additional approvals for previously approved activities. Similarly, we will now be able to set our dues and define our classes of membership without the requirement for additional reviews and approvals.
The ACM Council can define rules for forming Societies, or other technical communities, as well as SIGs. We intend to continue working with Council to define a self-governing structure that fulfills the motivations that caused SIGCHI to seek a structural change.
Bylaws changes provide for, in addition to a variety of governance changes, proportional voting based on membership. The current changes still require that each of the technical communities have one member on a board; currently, this is the SIG Board. Currently, SIGCHI and each of the other 36 communities has one vote on governance issues. The four largest communities (SIGPLAN, SIGSOFT, SIGGRAPH,and SIGCHI) represent 36% of the 65,000 technical community memberships and have 11% of the votes on governance issues. Under the proposed bylaws, voting will be proportional to membership, better reflecting the size of the individual technical communities.
In January, these changes were discussed and endorsed by the SIG Chairs. As we write this column, they are being discussed by the ACM Council. Soon, they will come to you in a ballot.
In summary, the proposed changes do permit us to move toward the creation of a self-governing community that reflects and supports the interdisciplinary membership that forms SIGCHI.
We need your support in enacting these changes, above all to vote in the coming ballot. We are grateful for the support and actions of many people in getting to this point -- on the volunteer side, Austin Henderson, Clare-Marie Karat and Jim Miller, who helped champion this initiative for SIGCHI, Stu Zweben (past ACM President), Chuck House (current ACM President), Doris Lidtke (SIG Board Chair), the SIG Board, and the SIG Chairs; on the staff side, Joe DeBlasi and the ACM HQ staff, Donna Baglio and the SIG Services staff. Thank you!
As we move toward a new structure for SIGCHI, there is both challenge and opportunity. In particular, there is the opportunity for a new leadership to take up the challenge to define and lead our society. Next year at this time, we will be electing a new Executive Committee. This new EC will have a tremendous opportunity to institute beneficial change. Soon, we will begin recruiting candidates for office. Would you like the opportunity? Are you up to the challenge? We believe so. You are the people who are essential to SIGCHI's continued successful evolution!
OK. Just one final final word. Vote!
Mike & Guy
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