Minutes of the April 26, 2001
SGB EC Conference Call

Participants:

Donna Baglio
Alan Berenbaum
Alain Chesnais
Jim Cohoon
Carla Ellis
Rick Furuta
Stephen Hayne
Mark Scott Johnson
Bruce Klein
David Notkin
Mary Lou Soffa

Absent

Stuart Feldman

1) The following actions were reported as completed:

Action: Baglio to inform appropriate staff that a SIG 2 or more issues behind in its publication schedule be automatically placed in transition effective June 11, 2001.(3/11/01)

Action: Klein to inform Fajman that SIGUCCS has been placed in transition and request revitalization plan by May 1st.(3/11/01)

Action: Baglio to issue appointment letter to name Mike O'Donnell Chair of SIGSOUND. (3/11/01)

Action: Chesnais to bring SGB endorse pricing proposal to ACM EC to request a bylaw change. (3/11/01)

Action: Chesnais to bring SGB recommendation to dissolve SIGBIO to the ACM EC for endorsement and to ACM Council for final action. (3/11/01)

Action: Klein to let SIGCUE leaders know that The SGB EC suggested and endorsed the idea that SIGCUE membership be extended for 1 year and the newsletter carry the next volume and issue in the sequence with the current date. A letter is to be issued with the newsletter explaining all of this. (3/22/01)

Action: E. Johnson to prepare draft of letter for SIGCUE members to be issued with their next issue explaining volume and issue numbering and extension of terms. (3/22/01)

Action: E. Johnson to inform appropriate HQ staff of SIGCUE's extension of terms. (3/22/01)

The following action items were reassigned: Action: Baglio to work on SOR update to include a "trigger" listing for troubled SIGs based on the HQ report on viability.(8/8/00). Reassigned to Baglio from Notkin (3/22/01)

Action: Hayne to lead effort to choose a conference manuscript tracking tool, arrange access, support and enhancement, and develop a business plan, within the next 3 months. (3/11/01). Reassigned to Hayne from Cohoon (4/26/01)

The following new action was noted:
Action: Klein to let Fajman know that revitalization plan is due May 1.

2) SGB action on allocation from SGB meeting

Chesnais reported that a number of small SIGs are in financial jeopardy with the new allocation scheme. The SGB could merge them but it's not clear that it solves many of the problems. What they're doing and where they fit into the structure is the issue. The SGB EC needs to define the type of structures we can adapt to keep these small SIGs running. Several approaches can be considered. A plan needs to be put into place to determine what will happen after the 3 year period preventing SIGs from being dissolved as a result of financial hardship brought on by the new allocation scheme. Without a plan in place there is no way they will survive. ACM could consider using the IEEE TC working group model. This would mean that some SIGs would have sub-SIG relations rather than ACM/SIG relationships. We could also consider bringing them into a central authority with a single budget. Another possibility would be to simply merge SIGs or cut-back services or not have them exist anymore. Perhaps there's a SIG-lite possibility or other types of SIGs.

There is also another set of issues like changing the entire notion of SIGs and membership. The SGB EC should be thinking long-term not quick fix. The structure and membership issue is paramount.

Niederman is seeking an exception for SIGCPR but where would we draw the line? The SGB decided on the allocation what would it mean to grant several exceptions to their decision? The SGB EC made it clear that both a short and long term answer was needed. A committee will be established to make a recommendation to the SGB on how to handle the SIGs that will have a $0 fund balance within the next few years. The plan will be presented within the next 6 months.

For the short term it might be appropriate for the SGB EC to make decisions on supporting these small SIGs from the SGB fund balance. In addition, the committee needs to immediately define what it means to sink and make it clear that we're not going to let them. For the short term the SGB would be willing to cover allocation for a SIG that cannot.

Action: Chesnais to name SGB members to committee to look at short term and long term plan for working with small SIGs and allocation issues. Mark Scott Johnson, Alan Berenbaum and Bruce Klein have agreed to serve on behalf of the SGB EC. A report is to be issued within 6 months.

3) New SIG on Uncertainty and Artificial Intelligence -

No report.

4) Publications Meeting Report and Publication action items assigned to the SGB -

Cohoon reported that the Pubs Board agreed to make the SIGGRAPH Proceedings an issue of TOC as an experiment.

The Pubs board is looking at tracking software. Unfortunately it's very expensive. They want the SGB EC to continue to encourage the SIGs to propose new publications. The viability of the DL will depend on this. The newsletters are being captured for the DL.

5) Other issues

Furuta reported that he is monitoring the election process. 2 SIGs have not turned in their slates: SIGGROUP and SIGecom. Furuta spoke with Stephen Hayne and it appears that SIGGROUP has the situation under control. They've been soliciting nominations from their membership. Furtua has not been able to get in touch with Feldman to determine what the status of their nominations are. Furuta spoke to Feldman during the March SGB meeting and he'd indicated that running for office was of interest to several members of the community.

Ellis reported that the SGB EC nominating hopes to have a complete slate in 1 week. The SGB has an additional rep on Council this year so we must come up with at least 3 nominees.

ACM SGB-EC Minutes April 26, 2001 by Gina M. Murillo