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Igor Alexeff
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There are several issues that are very important for this Society. First, there is the scheduled revision to the NPSS Constitution and Bylaws from committee as chaired by Peter Winokur. Second, there is the revision of our operating arrangements with the Particle Accelerator Conference, PAC as will be reported on by Matt Allen. Third, there are the directives from IEEE headquarters concerning proxies and contracts. The first and second items will be discussed at this meeting. The third item is reported on below.
One problem that came up with PAC was a DOE directive that stated that if DOE employees has a significant input into a conference, then the conference must be run under DOE directives. Fortunately, Ned Sauthoff was able to contact high-ranking DOE representatives, and obtained a letter stating that such regulations in general are not applicable to IEEE sponsored conferences. In a memorandum to DOE Field Office Managers the following clarification is made:
The directive on proxies from Mary Ward Callen states that proxies cannot vote, with the new exception of proxies that are also elected ADCOM members. The list includes President Elect, Vice President, Past President, and possibly the Treasurer, if elected. The discussion continues.
The directive on contracts from Richard Schwartz now states that IEEE Headquarters must approve all contracts over $ 25,000. I mentioned to him the problem we had with a hotel contract in Florida some years ago and he stated that this problem is quite common.
Other items of interest concern a study I did for the IEEE Publications Committee on what is a "Good Paper", and how to insure that only "Good Papers" are published. My study suggests that multiple reviews prevent "Bad Papers" from being published, but almost assuredly assures that no "Excellent Papers" in terms of innovation are published either. It appears immediately below.
Concerning the Publications Committee, I helped in the review of the publications of the Professional Communications Society, and wrote the report on the review. Except for some "fine tuning" of operations, The review was very favorable.
The term of the present editor of the "Transactions on Medical Imaging" is expiring, and the question of extending the term of the president editor, Dr.Vannier, came up. A letter of understanding between four societies defines the term, and this letter puts term limits on the editor. We had a luncheon meeting at TAB to consider making a one-time exception for Dr. Vannier, in light of his excellent track record. The results of the meeting are still under discussion.
TAB is holding a 3–day retreat in Dallas next month, to try and evaluate what should be done to make the organization more effective. Both Peter Winokur and I will attend, to insure that your interests are represented.
TAB acts as a sort of IEEE Congress, with the Society Presidents acting as representatives. The Directors, each of who represent several societies, act as Senators. (There are some exceptions to these generalizations.) To acquaint NPSS with TAB, I enclose a photo of the TAB Caucus in session. TAB meetings are open to all, with the exception of the occasionally closed "Executive Session", in which extremely controversial topics are discussed, such as "Do we fire the following headquarters staff person?" The answer is generally "no", but the discussion would be painful to that person, and so is suppressed.
If my report presents a busy and rather confusing personal agenda, you have the right idea. However, I am always open to comments and input from everybody, and will do my best to put things right. Send your input to i.alexeff@ieee.org.
Best Wishes.
Igor Alexeff, the NPSS President, can be reached at the Electrical Engineering Department, Ferris Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2100; Phone (865) 974-5467; Fax: (865) 974-5492; E-mail: i.alexeff@ieee.org.