PODC Steering Committee Structure and Rules

The SC consists of 7 members. The Committee provides leadership to the PODC community and serves to represent the community in the broader landscape, to interact and forge ties with related conferences and research venues, and to work with ACM on all relevant issues. All decisions of the SC are confirmed by a majority vote. The SC is composed of the following members.

Steering Committee Chair

  •  The Chair is elected at the PODC Business Meeting for a 3-year term at the conclusion of the term of the then current Chair.
  • Provides overall leadership.
  • Leads the selection of locations and Organizing Chairs for future PODC.
  • Serves as the main point of contact for interactions and ties with other related conferences and workshops, with ACM, and other organizations.
  • Works with the DISC SC in facilitating the continuity of the Dijkstra Prize and the Doctoral Dissertation Award.
  • Chairs Business Meetings and SC meetings.

 Troika of the Current and Two Previous PC Chairs

  •  The Steering Committee includes the following 3 PC Chairs: the PC Chair of the next PODC, and the PC Chairs of the two preceding PODCs.
  • The Troika is reconstituted at the conclusion of each PODC.
  • The next PC Chair is determined by the SC as follows.
    1. Any current SC Member can nominate the next PC Chair candidates to the SC (candidates cannot be current SC members); the candidates are then discussed within the SC.
    2. If there are more than two candidates at the conclusion of the discussion, the Troika of PC Chairs selects the final list of two candidates.
    3. The next PC Chair is then elected by a majority vote of the SC (the elected PC Chair subsequently replaces the oldest serving PC Chair).

 General Chair and Treasurer

  •  The SC includes the General Chair and the Treasurer of the next PODC, each serving a one-year term in that capacity.
  • The General Chair provides leadership to the Conference Committee (consisting of Organizing Chair(s), Treasurer, Publicity Chair(s), and PC Chair).
  • The Treasurer, working with the General Chair and Organizing Chairs, develops and manages the budget, and interacts with ACM in developing TMRF (Technical Meeting Request Form) and getting it approved.
  • At the conclusion of the current PODC, the Treasurer becomes the next General Chair, providing continuity.
  • The Treasurer for the next PODC is elected by the SC.

 SC Member At-Large

  •  The additional SC Member serves to provide further guidance and to vote on all Steering Committee matters.
  • This member is elected for a two-year term by the PODC Business Meeting and replaces the previous Member At-Large whose two-year term ends at the conclusion of the current PODC.

 Additional Rules and Responsibilities

The PC Chair Role and Responsibilities

  •  The PC Chair is a position of leadership and prestige, and it is filled by a well-known, accomplished, and respected researcher in the area.
  • The PC Chair ensuring the technical quality of the symposium.
  • The PC Chair is the ultimate authority on the technical aspects of the symposium.
  • The PC Chair forms the Program Committee; the PC Chair may consult with the SC on selecting the PC and invited speakers.
  • The PC chair formulates and issues the Call-for-Papers (the logistical aspects of the CFP are confirmed with the SC).
  • The PC Chair is in charge of the process for selecting papers for any special issue or other journal publication.
  • The PC Chair serves on the Dijkstra Prize Award Committee (see Dijkstra Prize).

 The General Chair Role and Responsibilities

  •  The General Chair heads the Conference Committee, manages all aspects of conference logistics through the Committee, provides
  • organizational continuity from one conference to the next, guides the Treasurer, and interacts with industrial and other potential sponsors in helping secure support for the conference.
  • The Conference Committee for the current PODC consists of the Organizing Chair(s), Treasurer, Publicity Chair(s), and the PC Chair.
  • The General Chair may include additional members in the Committee (e.g., to assist with student travel grants).
  • The General Chair consults with the SC on any relevant issues as needed.

 Choosing PODC Locations and Organizing Chairs

  •  The Steering Committee decides on the future PODC locations and the corresponding Organizing Chair(s).
  • The Organizing Chair(s) are typically members of the broader community and they are responsible for all local organizational and logistical aspects of the conference.
  • The decision process is as follows:
    1. The SC Chair invites proposals for hosting PODC in future years. The SC also includes unsolicited proposal in the consideration.
    2. At the PODC Business Meeting the SC Chair asks whether there are any additional volunteers or proposals to host PODC.
    3. The plurality of proposals are the presented (or represented) at the Business Meeting..
    4. PODC participants vote on the proposals at hand (if any) at the Business Meeting. The SC aims to follow the “sense of the community,” however, the decision rests with the SC, who is ultimately responsible for the decision based on the vote at the Business Meeting and other considerations.