Conference Committee Meeting -- Minutes

Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, September 17, 2011

Attendees

Mark Hoffman (MH) (Chair)
Mark Bailey (MB)
Lawrence D'Antonio
Brian Dorn (BD)
Bob Dugan (DB)
Frank Ford (FF)
Michael Gousie (MG)
Nadine Hanebutle (NH)
Johathon Hill (JH)
Susan Inberman (SB)
Stan Kurkovsky (SK)
Darran Lim (DL)
Bonnie MacKellar (BS)
Scott McElfresh (SM)
Lisa Michaud (LM)
Jim Teresco (JT)
Paul Tymann (PT))
Karl Wurst (KW)
Richard Wyatt (RW)

I. Introductions

II. Review of Roles and Deadlines

a. Papers

Paper Submission Deadline: November 21, 2011.

Acceptance Notification: January 11, 2012.

Camera-ready Copy Due: January 31, 2012.

b. Panels, Demos, Tutorials and Workshops

Abstract Submission Deadline: December 5, 2011.

Acceptance Notification: January 11, 2012.

Camera-ready Copy Due: January 31, 2012.

c. Faculty Posters

Abstract Submission Deadline: January 20, 2012.

Acceptance Notification: January 26, 2012.

Camera-ready Copy Due: January 31, 2012.

Additional Remarks

There was much discussion about Faculty Posters. In particular, it was noted that the various dates are constraining because we get paper rejects submitted as posters. The Papers Chairs should therefore notify the authors of rejected papers that they may want to submit their work as a poster. It was further noted that almost all such submissions would be accepted.

Allowing only six days to review the faculty posters is cutting it a bit fine, but is nonetheless doable as it is CCSCNE persons who are doing the reviewing.

d. Student Posters

Abstract Submission Deadline: March 6, 2012.

Acceptance Notification: March 21, 2012.

Additional Remarks

We should allow 40 (± 5) student posters.

The poster size should 3 ft by 4 ft.

For presentation, table tops are not satisfactory. So either easels are necessary or some alternative such as wall foam board, tape or curtains.

Tables are, however, needed for laptops.

It might be possible, one person observed, to have students build their own easels.

III. Status reports from Committee Chairs

a. Hotel Accommodations

The hotel is at exit 12 on I95.

The conference Rate is $92.

There is one complimentary room per 25 rooms booked.

We have reserved 40 rooms for the Thursday, 50 for Friday, and 30 for Saturday.

b. Catering

Few details were given but it would seem that matters here are under control.

c. Room Arrangements

Few details were given but it would seem that matters here are under control.

d. Parking Arrangements

There will be about 150 spots available.

e. Signage

Will be done for the conference.

f. CCSCNE 2012 Website

Paul is reconstructing it.

Mark requested that the various chairs review the information describing their role and send any updates to him, Mark, and not directly to Paul. Mark will send them all to Paul afterwards.

IV. Other Issues

Program Sessions

The program and the time slots for the sessions are to be determined by the Papers Chairs.

The session moderators should be determined early enough to get their names in the published program.

It is one of the tasks of the Papers Chairs to select the session moderators. The deadline is the program publication date, which is tentatively set (at present) for April 1.

Uniformity among the various moderators is to be strongly encouraged. Some instruction, possibly written, is to be provided.

Panels

The Panels Chairs should review recent Board decisions relating to panels.

It was agreed that from now on moderators are required for panels.

It was agreed that panels whose participants are from diverse institutions are to be favoured. It was further agreed that panels whose participants are all from the one institution are to be strongly discouraged; however, such panels are not banned outright.

It was agreed that panels should have a separate person (that is, someone distinct from the moderator) to enforce time.

Speakers

Ed Lazowska (University of Washington) and Sally Fincher (University of Kent, UK) are the speakers.

They will receive complimentary rooms and a stipend. We also cover their reasonable expenses.

Student Posters

[The reader is referred to II(d) above.]

These posters should be one page only.

It was noted that power should be available at the presenters' tables.

It was noted that wireless connectivity should be available to the presenters, and it was remarked that it is indeed available everywhere.

Faculty Posters

[The reader is referred to II(c) above. No additional remarks were made here.]

Tutorials (and Workshops)

Participants should bring laptops.

The Chairs need to know (from the host) exactly what will be available as regards laptops: will their be sound, A/V. etc? Mark will write up information on this and sent it to Paul for posting on the website.

There was discussion on the intended difference between tutorials and workshops. It was agreed that the difference consists in their duration, the extent to which they are "hands on", and the fact that tutorials are held during the conference proper, whereas workshops are held on the Friday morning before the conference.

There was discussion of the possibility of scrapping the distinction between tutorials and workshops. In their instead, the suggestion was made, we might have only tutorials, with short ones of 75 minutes, and long ones of 180 minutes. Either form might or might not have "hands on" components. No decision on this was reached, however. Instead, it was agreed on Larry's recommendation that the tutorial chairs and the workshop chair are to write (or rewrite) the descriptions of their areas.

It was agreed that we would no longer provide lab facilities for tutorials and workshops; participants must bring their own laptop.

There was discussion of whether we should impose a numerical limit on the number of participants of tutorials and workshops, but no limit was agreed on.

Registration

For 2012 we will be using on-line registration via PayPal. Luddites can, however, still send a paper cheque to Frank, at least for the 2012 conference.

Badges, and other items are to be assembles by either the Registration Chair or the Local Arrangements Chair.

The Saturday lunch will be paid for as a separate item, as it was last year.

Vendors

[No one representing Vendors was present; however, the following general remarks were made.]

All appears to be progressing well as regards vendors.

The Vendors Chair should check on local companies to see if any are interested; they should also contact regional companies as well as our current National partners.

Publicity

The publicity brochure is awaiting content.

It is the webmaster (Paul) who sends out the CFP.

Website

The procedure for putting content to the website is: Chairs review content, send it to Mark who bundles it and then sends it to Paul.

Programming Contest

A registration table is needed.

An announcement room is needed.

A place for the Breakfast is needed.

We are now to have only one team from each College/University.

There can be at most (approximately) 30 teams.

A description of the programming languages to be available is needed.

Teams are to arrive at approximately 7.30am, so the rooms need to be ready by then to let them try out the machines.

The number is judges is to be there, which was deemed sufficient.

The judges need a separate room.

The teams should be able to print, should they want to.

Two or three students runners/techs are needed to address problems as they arises.

Birds of a Feather

Karl needs to know the size of the tables that will be available, and how many such tables are to be used for the B-of-F groups. The general view was that we should expect 6-8 tables of about 10 persons per table.

CSTA

It was suggested that we should let CSTA program winners participate in our programming contest. It was agreed that the Program Chairs will try to arrange such participation.

It was suggested that we should invite some CSTA people to CCSCNE-12 "for a chat" to see what mutually beneficial cooperation we might have. The matter of whether we should charge them the conference fee was raised, but no decision was reached. It was also unclear whether we should invite them for the whole conference, for the Friday only, or for the Saturday only. Again, no decision was reached, but Mark will look into it.

Reviewer Assignments

Jim has agreed to mange the reviewer assignments.

Lonnie's Concerns

Lonnie emailed Mark and Larry on a number of matters concerning the conference. These matter are addressed in passing in the above.

V. Demo of CMS

Payment can be done using PayPal, either with or without membership in PayPal. Payment by cheque is also permitted.

The system was deemed "OK" but it lacks some flexibility.

We might ask CCSCEastern about their experience with it, as they are using it this Fall.

Those who should be given administrative access to the system are: Larry, Frank, Paul, and Mark.

It was asked whether we can use ConfTool for paper submissions. The answer is "no"; it is not a feature of the free version. Therefore, is was recommended that we continue to use our current submission system, with PayPal for payments, for the present.

For future conferences, we might look into using CyberChair, EasyChair, or CMT (which is used by CCSCEastern). A subcommittee consisting of David, Jim, and Paul is to look into such systems and report back in Spring 2012.