ACM Crossroads Staff Policy
Updated: July 18, 2001
In October 1997, the ACM Publications Board voted to move ACM Crossroads magazine from the realm of Member Services into the realm of the Publications Board.
- Editor-in-Chief
- Managing Editor(s)
- Editors
- Online Editor
- Graphics Editor(s)
- Copy Editor(s)
- Publicity Manager
- Special Editors
Editorial Board Members
The Crossroads Editorial Board is composed of people who are currently students or who have been students within the past six months. Every member of the Crossroads Editorial Board must be or become a student member of the ACM. In addition to the enumerated responsibilities associated with their specific positions, members of the Editorial Board are responsible for:
- Helping to solicit submissions for Crossroads
- Meeting all deadlines to ensure the timely production of Crossroads
- Providing a professional atmosphere for all members of the Crossroads community by adhering to this staff policy and the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct found at http://www.acm.org/constitution/code.html
- Participating actively in discussions
- Reviewing and voting upon all articles submitted for publication
- Keeping the editorial board informed of all absences of five days or more
- Understanding the work process of the Crossroads Editorial Board by reading this staff policy and the job descriptions of others on the board. This includes reading and understanding the internal FAQ documentation
- Submitting to the Crossroads Editorial Board formal progress reports every two weeks (on the 1st and 15th of each month), detailing work that has been accomplished during that two-week period.
The Editorial Board positions are further enumerated below. Multiple people may hold each position.
The EIC oversees all Crossroads activities with the help of the Editorial Board, who report to the Editor-In-Chief. For a list of specific duties and responsibilities, see the Editor-In-Chief job description. The Editor-In-Chief may rely on other members of the Editorial Board to perform some of the duties listed; however, the Editor-In-Chief has the ultimate responsibility for the content and presentation of Crossroads.
The Managing Editor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the operation of Crossroads. For a listing of the specific duties and responsibilities, see the Managing Editor Job Description page.
The General Editors are responsible for the solicitation and collection of articles and columns. The General Editors perform the first rounds of shepherding and editing for articles that have been selected for publication. Specific responsibilities are listed on the General Editor Job Description page.
The Online Editor is responsible for site maintenance, web development and releasing online versions of Crossroads. Specific responsibilities are listed on the Online Editor Job Description page.
The Graphics Editor is responsible for soliciting and editing all Crossroads graphics. Specific responsibilities are listed on the Graphics Editor Job Description page.
The Copy Editor is responsible for preparing all articles for production. Responsibilities are listed on the Copy Editor Job Description page.
The Publicity Manager will coordinate activities to promote Crossroads. Responsibilities are listed on the Publicity Manager Job Description page.
Special Editors will be tasked with developing, maintaining and publicizing a particular area of the ACM Crossroads website. Responsibilities are listed on the Special Editors Job Description page.
Editorial Board Policies
This section describes policies specific to the interaction among Editorial Board members.
If the EIC chooses to receive Crossroads Editorial Board input on an issue, the EIC will call for a discussion and vote on the question. A majority vote of the Editorial Board, where each member of the Editorial Board (except the EIC) gets one vote, will decide the question. A majority vote is defined as half of the members plus one (50% + 1). The Editor-In-Chief does not vote except in the result of a tie. The Editor-In-Chief sets a reasonable time period for voting. The time period can be extended at a request of a majority.
The Editor-In-Chief may veto any decision made by majority vote of the Editorial Board.
All Editorial Board members will help solicit applicants. Current staff members may also apply for a vacant position. If a current staff member applies for an open position, they cannot participate in the selection process for that position. The vacant position will be announced to the Crossroads Announcement mailing list and other appropriate places. This announcement must include a closing date and must describe the responsibilities of the position as enumerated in the Staff Policy and Job Description .The Editorial Board will discuss and vote on the applicants, but the EIC has the final decision about appointment. Decisions must be made and applicants notified within three (3) weeks of the closing date. The appointment is then submitted to the head of the ACM Publications department, who will send an appointment confirmation email to the new board member.
The Editor-In-Chief is appointed by the ACM Publications Board, taking into account the recommendation of the Crossroads Editorial Board Search Committee (which includes members from the Crossroads Editorial Board and at least one member of the ACM Publications Board). Accordingly, searching for a new EIC should begin at least three months in advance in order to ensure sufficient time for Publications Board review. The Publications Board must be informed at the time a search is initiated for a new EIC so that the Publications Board may appoint a representative to participate in the EIC selection process and to schedule a review of the search committee's recommendation.
Creating New Staff Positions
The creation of new staff positions is decided by the Editor In Chief. A specific set of duties will be listed.
General Policies
If a staff member wants to resign, they should inform the entire Editorial Board at least one month before the actual resignation takes place. This will ensure that the resigning staff member can finish his or her responsibilities for the issue that is currently being produced. The one month period also gives the Editorial Board time to find a replacement for the vacated position. Resigning staff members may help recruit their replacement and vote if they are still members of the editorial board (if their resignation has not taken effect).
If the EIC wishes to resign, they must notify the ACM Publications Board a minimum of three months in advance so that a search committee can be created.The EIC can dismiss any Crossroads volunteer member. Dismissal is effective immediately. Grounds for dismissal include but are not limited to:
- Failure to perform duties required of the position as specified in this staff policy and in the job description and FAQ;
- Unprofessional conduct as partly defined in the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct;
- Actions which damage the reputation of Crossroads and its staff in the eyes of the public, the readership, or of ACM HQ.
The EIC can only be dismissed by the ACM Publications Board.
Advisory Board
An advisory board made up of former Crossroads staff members, ACM staff members, ACM board members, and other appropriate people exists to advise the Crossroads staff. The Crossroads Editorial Board can appoint and remove people from the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board has no vote.
Amending this Document
This document and any further official document may be amended by the Editor In Chief. Changes to this staff policy must have approval from the ACM Publications Board.
Suspension of Rules
Any part of this document, except the portions describing the policies for appointing the Editor In Chief, may be temporarily suspended with a unanimous vote of the Editorial Board including the Editor-in-Chief. The reasons and time limit for the suspension of rules must be provided at the time of requesting the suspension of the rules.