ACM

SIG Governing Board Best Practice Sessions

Minutes of the SGB Meeting March 2005

 Best Practices - SIG Governance Focus (R. Walker)

Bob Walker requested that the SGB leaders come prepared to discuss their governing structures. Several SIGs have recently modified their bylaws to allow more flexibility with officer positions and elections. Leaders were asked to share their governance goals and intentions with the group.

SIGDA has a 5 person EC with those officers having the right to vote. They also have an appointed advisory board that doesn't have voting rights but comlements the officers. In the past SIGDA found 2 great candidates for each position and it was difficult to lose one of them in the election.

The new SIGDA model allows a slate of 8 plus people with membership voting in the top 6 to the EC. The EC will then vote among themselves for the named positions. That allows the best 2 people stay involved.

Some SIGs have indicated they're grooming someone for Chair and have requested exemptions from the SGB EC to run a single candidate. Other SIGs have a crucial position and have asked to run one person. Some of the bylaw changes now permit SIGs to run single candidates.

SIGCSE has the standard structure of officers but did change length of terms. 2 years was short and they were requesting an automatic extension. Terms are now 3 years with officers being allowed to run again but not permitted to extend.

SIGDOC has the standard officer positions with 2 year terms but now includes 2 or 3 members at large.

SIGCOMM may consider changing their term length. 3 year terms seem attractive. 2 years is not enough and 4 years is too long. They have concerns about all leaders having to agree to renew. It can force an overcommitted leader into a position they don't really want.

SIGMETRICS has the standard structure of officers and appointed officers.

SIGMICRO finds 2 candidates to run for the position of Chair and 5 candidates for a 4 person member at large committee. The distribution of tasks is decided by the Chair and Nominating Committee for continuity

SIGART was a conference only SIG with appointed officers. The new single SIG designation has forced them back into the election process. They will run 2 candidates for each of the 3 officer positions with 3 year terms.

SIGPLAN VC is the conference overseer and for 4 elections in a row and they've asked for an exception to run a single candidate each time. The have modified their bylaws to allow a single candidate for this position. They will run 2 candidates for Chair, 1 or more for VC and at least seven consenting candidates for the remaining six elected positions of the Executive Committee.

SIGCHI has made many changes to governance and has of elected officers run in pairs. The President and VP run as a pair as well as VP of finance and Pubs. SIGCHI also has members at large. Other positions are appointed so that an individual can continue even under a new board. There is a long tradition of an extended executive committee of who at any given time 4 or 5 are active. SIGCHI is lucky to have a long list of willing volunteers and the officers are being encouraged to delegate.

SIGMIS has a standard structure of 3 officers with 2 year terms. Three year terms may be better so the SIG may consider this in the future. They also may want to separate the positions of Secretary/Treasurer.

SIGOPS has a standard structure of 3 officers with 2 year terms. The EC position of Chair plus Members-at-Large may be a better way to govern. SIGOPS may consider a change in the future.

SIGACCESS has a standard structure of 3 officers with 2 year terms.

SIGIR runs 2 candidates for each of the 4 elected offices for a 2 year period. They often extend so they are considering moving to a 3 year model. They have no trouble securing candidates. There are lots of opportunities for involving people making a nice advancement path.

SIGACT has 3 named officers and 2 members-at-large. They will run at least 2 candidates for chair and 5 candidates for the other named positions.

SIGAda has a large slate of officers: past chair, VC for conferences, VC liaison, Secretary, Treasurer, Int'l Rep. Terms were always 2 years and 2 candidates for each.

SIGAPP was a conference SIG so the current 4 officers were appointed. They are up for election and are running 2 candidates for each position. Terms are 2 years. The slate includes 3 of the current officers that are standing up for reelection. All people that lose will be appointed to a committee.

SIGSAM experienced a problem with the requirement to have all officers renew. This could force a SIG to bring along someone that doesn't want to renew.

Some SGB members suggested that there be no automatic renewals just longer terms.

The SGB will look at this topic again with the expectation that the SIG leaders that have modified their structure provide an update on how it is working.

Draft Minutes of the SGB Meeting October 14, 2000

 Best Practices During the best practice session, SGB leaders were encouraged to share their successes and failures with their colleagues.

SIGCHI is having an image analysis done by the Institute of Design in Chicago. Members will be interviewed via focus groups. This is a graduate student project. The end result will be a report to indicate what the SIG is doing to meet their goals and service their community. Part of the issue is actually defining the community.

SIGPLAN had a program committee for the current year and year end-10 to select the best paper from 10 years ago. Gives wisdom and insight.

SIGCOMM pulled together all winners of the SIGCOMM award for a panel session. It was so popular that they are going to take a subset of student paper award winners and do the same.

SIGCOMM and SIGDA are giving new members access to the ACM DL. It is being offered to the SIG at ½ price. Will allow students the ability to tap into ACM's most valuable resource.

SIGAPL has granted all current and past winners of their annual award a lifetime SIG membership.

SIGCOMM is making an effort to nominate their award winners to become ACM Fellows.

SIGGRAPH is trying to promote organizational identity. Values of excellence and integrity are supported through membership. There are member only lines at the conference and member badges. They are raising the awareness of their organization.

SIGKDD and SIGMOD have added checkboxes to their conference registration forms allowing attendees to join the SIGs. SIGCHI has developed a SIGCHI Fellow program already approved through the ACM Awards Committee.

SIGIR holds its main conference outside of North America every other year. During those years the conference moves from sponsorship to cooperation so there's no loss or gain for the SIG. This year there were long delays in the payment of program committee support. This posed a problem for SIGIR's image. Participants didn't realize SIGIRs non-financial commitment so when the bills were not getting paid, the attendees went to SIGIR. The leaders of SIGIR were prepared to make good on the promised reimbursements. The payments worked out in the end.

Minutes of the SGB EC Meeting February 5, 2000

SIGGRAPH is having their 1st campfire. It's not quite a workshop. They will define an area, get 30 or so people together in the hope it will build into a small conference.

SIGCPR sought strategies for developing interaction with folks that publish on your topic but don't have interest in collaborating with the SGIG. It was suggested that they invite them to the conference and place the program in other journals to build a name.

SIGGRAPH's student travel grants have been endowed. Their Chapters Chair continues to encourage the start up of SIGGRAPH Student Chapters.

SIGIR provides student travel grants.

SIGOPS has found it is not difficult to get money from corporations.

SIGARCH has been giving out student travel grants for sometime. They recently decided that only SIGARCH student members would be eligible. The ISCA conference co-sponsored by SIGARCH has a traditional banquet and tends to be more costly than the student fee. For many years it was not included in student conference registration. SIGARCH is allowing members to pay for students to participate in the banquet.

SIGPLAN supports paying for students to go to their banquet.

SIGSOFT co-sponsors conferences with IEEE showing support for the community.

Minutes of the SGB Meeting October 2, 1999

10.0 Best Practices Session

A best practice session was held. All SGB members were encouraged to participate. The goal of this session was to share ideas both good and bad on their SIG's: SIGGRAPH is pioneering a new award called the Young Pioneers Award. It has nothing to do with age.

SIGARCH established a new award - Recent Practitioner Award - it focuses on time in the field (15 or 20 years). The title is the Maurice Wilkes Award. SIGARCH endowed it. The money was taken out of their fund balance and placed in ACM's Endowment Fund. ACM is responsible for managing that fund, relieving the SIG from worrying about funding from year to year.

SIGMOD Anthology - they are moving toward their 2nd volume. All SGB members were sent the 1st. The next one will have journal papers including TODS. In addition, they are working on another publication called Tech Talks. It's a CD-Rom of tutorials; submitted, evaluated and digitized. They'll be videotaped, tutorials will be produced specifically for them.

SIGDA was videotaping major panel sessions, found out capturing slides didn't work and the audio didn't work. SGB members were advised to be cautious and careful.

SIGDA gives graduate student scholarships. They've recently had fewer applicants. Scholarships are given to graduate students that apply with advisor support. They have trouble getting people to apply. The scholarships are given to Institutions where there is need and associated with young faculty members. Must be in research area of DA.

SIGOPS is seeking proposals for best paper awards for conferences held previously (10 years).

SIGSOFT is conducting interviews with members that are named ACM Fellows. The interviews are printed in their newsletter (usually 2 per issue).

SIGCPR's Chair and Secretary/Treasurer are reviewing the last 10 years of proceedings. They will summarize their findings and research questions. The project is helping the new Chair see how much has been done and gives them better handle on where to start to add value.

SIGCHI hired information science types to do a cross-citation study of last 10 years of proceedings.

SIGCHI supports CHI Kids. It is not a childcare program. They accept children that are between 8 and 14. They sign up and register for the program. CHI receives donations of computer equipment from companies. They produce a newsletter for the conference and are an integrated part of the event. Participants are part of the closing session. It was advised that if you're holding an event to do with children be sure you can do it annually.

SIGSOFT prepares a newsletter each evening during the ICSE conference (6-12 pages). There are interviews with keynote speakers, updates, etc. Students produce it at night and they're ready for the morning session. They can then be posted on line.

SIGGRAPH is celebrating its 30th year and trying to focus on the organization. In addition, The Story of Computer Graphics is headed for distribution (movie entirely financed by SIGGRAPH funds).

SIGAda has a booth that they take around to various trade shows. They usually trade space or advertising.

SGB members were asked for input on volunteer development and recognition:

SIGMOD had a limited edition mug made.

SIGPLAN wrote letter to supervisors/departments, thanking individuals.

SOFT had special T-shirts made up for volunteers. Some conferences provide free sleeping rooms and complimentary registration. SIGAda gives plaques.

SIGPLAN has a travel fund for columnists that contribute to the newsletter.

SIGIR has an active student volunteer program, which provides free registration, T-shirts, subsidized travel.

SIGWEB provides student volunteers with free registration and volunteer T-shirts.

SIGCHI asks students whom they'd like to have lunch with and then they go and grab that individual from the conference.

SIGCSE puts out a pitch for volunteers to attend a BOF. So many people participated that the leaders didn't know what to ask them to do.

SIGCHI has a Chair of Volunteers to match individual strengths with the needs of the SIG.

SIGGRAPH's key volunteers meet on Wednesday afternoon during the conference to meet prospective volunteers to match their area of expertise with possible positions.

SIGAPL had volunteers at each session during their annual conference designated as session chairs to announce speakers and give warning about time so people didn't run over.


Revised by: The Office of SIG Services (MDN)