In-Cooperation Eventsissues and challenges

Alex Wolf

SGB Chair

Benefitsrelatively lightweight mechanism

SIGs and SIG members– community involvement, promotion, and

coordination– reduced registration fee

Event organizers– credibility and exposure– use of ACM and SIG logos– access to ACM publication program (ICPS)– dissemination via ACM DL

Concernsuneven and questionable practices

Requests for cooperating status after ACM publicized as the publisher and promoting the appearance of the proceedings in the DL

Status rescinded by SIG after finding out that other SIG leaders chose not to cooperate

Cooperation being granted to events sponsored by organizations producing events of “uneven” quality

Concernsuneven and questionable practices

Chapter chartered by an individual who worked for a conference management firm began requesting cooperating status from various SIGs to promote the proceedings as an ACM publication and increase attendance– chapter was placed on probation and the

individual offered their resignationMembers and volunteer leaders reporting

ACM-branded activities for questionable practices

ResponseNeed to refocus effort on vetting requests

Share best practicesDocument SIG-specific criteria/guidelinesPublicize on ACM web site

Good examples:

SIGPLANhttp://www.sigplan.org/sigplan_incooperation_proposal__.htm

SIGCSEhttp://www.sigcse.org/sigcse-conferences/policies/incooperation-status

Criteriasome things to consider

Dates– is there conflict with other related events? – is there potential overlap of audience?– is it a good time of year with regard to workload

of the proposed audience?Finances

– who is taking the financial risk?– is there a profit or other financial motive?– are there other sources of funding?

Criteriasome things to consider

Organizational quality– are the organizers and sponsoring organization

credible in the technical area?– do you know the organizers and do they have

the time to make this event a success?– is this audience part of your membership?– will the attendees of this conference be sought

as members of your SIG?

Criteriasome things to consider

Technical quality– are you familiar with members of the program

committee?– will the technical content attract the audience

that the organizers have in mind?– does this event substantially overlap with an

existing event, enough to impact on it?– will the proceedings meet the quality standards

of ACM publications?

Action items

Review/renew your policies and process for considering cooperating status

Document the policies and process– make them visible on your web site– provide them as part of your yearly report

Designate a point person for executing the process