Computer society connection - IEEE president-elect candidates address computer society concerns

70 Computer

C O M P U T E R S O C I E T Y

C O N N E C T I O N

Within the computing field,the IEEE Computer Soci-ety has established a rep-utation for excellence.As a component of the

IEEE, the Computer Society’s activitiesparallel those of 40 other societies andcouncils serving the engineering andcomputing disciplines. Representing byfar the largest IEEE society contingent,the Computer Society has more than 92,400 members, approximately 74 percent of whom are full IEEEmembers.

Recognizing the influence and con-trol the IEEE wields over our Society

and in turn the power of Society mem-bers’ votes to influence the IEEE lead-ership, we posed five questions to thisyear’s candidates for IEEE president-elect. Because this election determineswho will serve as president-elect in2003, president in 2004, and past pres-ident in 2005—vital positions withinthe IEEE’s governing body—our mem-bers must cast informed votes.

Our volunteer leaders have identifiedthe following questions as essential tothe Society, the IEEE, and the Society’srelationship with the IEEE. The firstresponse to each question states theComputer Society position. These posi-

tions synthesize the views of our mostsenior leadership: the Society’s current,past, and incoming presidents, and thedivision directors who represent theSociety on IEEE governing bodies.

We present these questions andanswers to help you make your decisionin the IEEE election, which closes 1November. We also remind and encour-age you to cast your vote for ComputerSociety leaders by 4 October in ourSociety election.

—Stephen L. Diamond, IEEE Computer Society

president-elect

IEEE President-Elect Candidates AddressComputer Society Concerns

1 Vibrant societies are essential to the IEEE’sspirit of innovation and the introduction of newproducts and member services. In the past,societies funded new products and services

with their own financial reserves. Recently, societieslost effective control over use of their liquid reserves,and the IEEE adopted a system of central control overand approval of all new initiatives valued over $50,000.

As president, how do you see the IEEE balancingthe need for minimal, prudent financial controls withthe need for organizational nimbleness and societyempowerment?

1Many IEEE society leaders believe that, because thereserves they built have been redirected to cover continu-

ing central IEEE deficits, they are losing the ability to developnew products. The approval process that new IEEE businessrules impose may delay the launching of products and ser-vices and cause the societies to miss opportunities or losetheir competitive edge in providing top services to profes-sionals.

One way to balance financial controls with organizationalempowerment is to delegate decision-making authority toresponsible societies, allowing those with proven track recordsto operate within agreed-to guidelines. Societies that have ahistory of prudent financial management should be madeaccountable for their strategic decisions and projects. Up toa certain threshold, they would report new initiatives to theIEEE, rather than request approval.

The limit of $50,000 for new initiatives is too low for thelarger societies; the size of the society’s budget should be fac-tored into this limit.

Question Computer Society Position

September 2002 71

1The Computer Society, the largest ofthe IEEE societies, has an extremely

good volunteer and staff structure.Computer Society leadership is capableof determining and executing what theybelieve to be of most value to theirmembers.

However, the same cannot be said formany of the other societies. IEEE leadersneed to update the strategic plan, thendetermine what resources are needed tocarry it out. They also must establishmetrics and perform a cost/benefit eval-uation of current spending trends.

Volunteers should assert greater con-trol over what the IEEE should be doingand can afford. While the corporateIEEE has legal control of the organiza-tion’s funds, the IEEE Board needs todelegate greater authority to the soci-eties, allowing them to use their portionof the overall IEEE budget at spendinglevels commensurate with that delega-tion. If the $50,000 spending limit is toolow, I would recommend that the Boardraise it.

1During the Wall Street bull market, noone cared about these details. Returns

on our investments were sufficient to takecare of initiatives and cover part of ouroverhead. The market drop brought withit a new reality, and societies have had tobear the weight of the ensuing changes.

Societies are the backbone of the IEEE,and they produce our intellectual prop-erty. Therefore, they must have enoughfinancial reserves to continue producingproducts and services for our membersand for the society of professionals weserve.

Our bylaws state that all reservesbelong to the IEEE. I am working on aproposal to change the IEEE bylaws toallow societies to retain part of the reservesthey produce. This would empower soci-eties to continue their work. While thiswill not improve the IEEE’s financial situ-ation, it would allow societies to investpart of their reserves in new products andservices.

1The IEEE Computer Society is alarge society with excellent manage-

ment infrastructure. For several goodreasons, the Computer Society andother societies should control their ownbudgets, and central control should beminimal. This sense of ownership isessential for societies to carry out theirmissions of introducing new productsand remaining vibrant.

Our technologies are becomingincreasingly integrated. The IEEE shouldmaintain the role of encouraging soci-eties to work together to develop inter-disciplinary member services.

As your president, I will support suchinteraction. I will work to eliminate cen-tral impediments, bring about societyempowerment, and build strategic rela-tionships among the societies. The realchallenge here, of course, is to work fora common vision: to offer the best ser-vice to our members and customers. Ifwe keep this in mind, the IEEE’s soci-eties and distributed management reallyare strengths.

Vijay K. Bhargava Luis T. Gandía Arthur W. Winston

Vijay K. Bhargavais president of Bi-nary Communica-tions and holder ofthe Canada Re-search chair inBroadband Wireless

Communication at the University ofVictoria. His IEEE experience includesleadership in technical, regional, andeducational activities and as presidentof the IEEE Information TheorySociety. He received a PhD in 1974from Queen’s University.

For information on his candidacyfor IEEE president-elect, visit http://www.ece.uvic.ca/~bhargava/ieee.

Arthur W. Winstonis an IEEE Life Fel-low with extensiveIEEE experience upto and includingvice president. He isa member of several

IEEE societies, including the Compu-ter Society. His 40 years of industrial,academic, and senior managementexperience include responsibility forthe Temperature Measurement Systemfor the Apollo spacecraft. Winston iscurrently the director of the GordonInstitute of Tufts University.

For information on his candidacyfor IEEE president-elect, visit http://www.arthurwinston.com.

Luis T. Gandía is thefounder and presi-dent of L. Gandía &Associates, Inc., a40-year-old manu-facturer’s representa-tive firm serving the

electrical and telecommunicationindustries in the Caribbean. His IEEEexperience includes leadership roles inthe IEEE Board of Directors as vicepresident, secretary, Division VI direc-tor, and regional director.

For information on his candidacy forIEEE president-elect, visit http://www.luistgandia.com.

72 Computer

Computer Society Connection

2 Budgeting at the IEEE seems to be largely amatter of significantly increased corporatespending while generating too little revenue tocover that spending, and then balancing the

budget through taxes on the societies and other suc-cessful IEEE units.

What would you do as president to manage the IEEEexpense budget, including reducing corporate spend-ing?

2 The Computer Society is very concerned that corporatecosts are endangering the IEEE’s viability. While Com-

puter Society leaders agree that we should pay our fair shareof corporate support expenses, we want reassurance that cor-porate expenses are reasonable and are managed efficiently.

IEEE societies generate the majority of IEEE intellectualproperty and revenue. Redirecting funds to cover central IEEEdeficits threatens the societies’ ability to serve members. TheIEEE must enforce market discipline of balancing revenueswith minimal overhead and bureaucracy.

The IEEE president should support the work of the Oper-ations Review Committee, a group charged with reviewingcorporate infrastructure costs and making recommendationsfor change. The president should direct the IEEE executivedirector to reduce corporate infrastructure charges and imple-ment new financial practices, such as considering best-of-classcosts when evaluating expenses.

The IEEE should eliminate operations best done by orga-nizational units closest to the members.


3 The Society Board has passed a resolution urging the IEEEto investigate the applicability of export restrictions and

to maximize the dissemination of open public scientificknowledge by all technological means. Through IEEE-USA,the IEEE should urge the US Congress and concerned gov-ernment agencies to adopt more enlightened laws in this area.These policies should balance legitimate intellectual prop-erty rights and security concerns with the overarching needfor the kind of open communication that sustains advancesin scientific and engineering fields. These advances will inturn sustain democratic government.

Rather than change our operations to meet legal require-ments, IEEE lawyers should advise the IEEE as to how tomaintain our usual publishing operations as much as possiblewhile still satisfying new laws.

Because the societies generate the majority of IEEE intel-lectual property, volunteer leaders from within the societiesshould be involved in any proposed decisions to change IEEEcopyright policies.

3 The IEEE is a global professional organizationthat serves a body of professionals and hashistorically been committed to the free andopen communication of public scientific

knowledge. Recent actions by the IEEE IntellectualProperty Rights Office have eroded that commitment,and many researchers could decide to publish else-where rather than submit to IEEE copyright restric-tions.

What specific steps would you take to ensure thatthe IEEE’s traditional role in scientific communicationcontinues?

Question

September 2002 73

2 It is reasonable to question the cur-rent level of corporate expenditures.

IEEE leaders should establish metrics todetermine what program areas andexpenses are most important for achiev-ing the IEEE’s strategic mission. Cur-rently, the Board is not involved inreviewing either staffing levels or orga-nizational structures that would best useour resources. Also, staff members oftendo not provide the kinds of timely anduseful information that would enablethe Board to make effective decisions.

As president, I will encourage theBoard to become more actively involvedin these matters. I will work with othervolunteers to reduce expenses further byreviewing meeting venues, schedules,and support staff to bring spending inthis area to a more reasonable level. Wemust approach this issue in a busi-nesslike fashion, bearing in mindchanges in the marketplace and in worlddynamics.

2 To develop a budget, it’s necessary toplan ways to reduce costs, often by

integrating similar operational tasks andeliminating redundancies. Ideally, theIEEE will be able to bring expenses in linewith income and still preserve the qual-ity of services. This becomes the jointresponsibility of staff and volunteers. If areduction in staff is required, it should bemade based on well-defined objectives.

As president, I would recommend areview of our operations so that volun-teers and staff can work more effectivelyto advance our programs within bud-getary restrictions. As we invest in newprograms, we need to consider the long-term implications of those investments.

Additionally, I would focus attentionon considering the IEEE’s priorities sothat funding can be available for intro-ducing new products and meeting theneeds of our members. Our prioritiesneed to take into account the value thatwould be gained from each investmentof time and money.

2 IEEE budgeting is currently an annualexercise. As your president, I will first

conduct a thorough and independentreview of all internal operations, exam-ining accounting controls, informationsystems charges, institutional researchcosts, travel services ledgers, legal fees,marketing costs, and operational ex-penses. I’ll then plan a multiyear budget.

To reduce corporate spending, weneed to: a) make our internal operationscompetitive with external providers, b)prioritize all activities and focus resour-ces on those that are relevant, c) workwith societies to simplify business rules,d) consider outsourcing when it is costeffective, e) have volunteer oversight onIT expenses, and f) approve major pro-grams only after examining their valueand long-term financial implications.

Implementing sound budgeting prin-ciples will ensure that the operationsbudget is balanced, new initiativesspending is limited to a portion ofinvestment income, and direct and indi-rect cost allocation is equitable.


3 At the June Transnational Com-mittee meeting, we discussed the

copyright issue, and the consensus wasto oppose the restrictions. We were toldthat the restrictions would be removed.It is my understanding that most of theoriginal IEEE copyright form has beenrestored.

The form has been split into twoparts, so that the consideration ofexport control has been removed formost authors. However, IEEE leadersand US government representatives areworking on the issue of export controlfor military or defense-related material.I believe that such security restrictionswould apply to any organization orpublication. But we should not let theserestrictions creep in where they are notnecessary.

Staff apparently acted without sensi-tivity to volunteer needs in this case.This incident shows the danger of beingled by staff without volunteer oversight.

3 This problem was created when staff,without consulting volunteers and

with very conservative advice from legalcounsel, changed the IEEE copyrightform. As soon as our volunteer leadersinvolved with publications found outabout this fiasco, they started workingwith staff and lawyers, convincing themthat this was a great error. As a result, weare back to our old copyright form.

Indeed, this example clearly shows whyvolunteers must be kept abreast of impor-tant matters within the IEEE. Because ourpublications contain a wealth of intellec-tual property, we must make sure that ourauthors are happy to have their worksappear in IEEE publications.

As president, I would look very closelyat these kinds of actions and use my lead-ership position to make sure that key vol-unteers are informed and situations likethis.

3 I assume that this question is drivenby policies of the US Office of For-

eign Assets Control and InternationalTraffic in Arms Regulations. As a resultof these regulations, the IEEE copyrightform was drastically changed tobecome very restrictive. Now that theform has reverted to something veryclose to the original, our traditionalrole in scientific communication shouldresume. However, for our US members,the IEEE US Export Control Compli-ance Form still exists.

Our journals, conference proceedings,books, and short courses—our intellec-tual property—account for 75 percentof IEEE revenues. Protecting andincreasing this income stream is a must.This may include turning the IEEE Website into a portal for related technicalmaterial and brokering cooperativearrangements with other publishers. TheIEEE Intellectual Property Rights Officeneeds to keep these objectives in mindand take steps that will encourage con-tributions from authors.

74 Computer


4 A fundamental tenet of IEEE governance his-torically has been that the IEEE is a volunteer-led and volunteer-driven organization. How-ever, since 2000, IEEE policies and practices

seem to be directed more by legal counsel and cor-porate staff than by volunteer leaders.

In your view, what should be the role of volunteersin the management of the IEEE, and what will you doas president to reinforce that role? How will youaddress concerns that the balance of decision-mak-ing authority in the IEEE has shifted away from its vol-unteer leaders and reverse the trend of increasing cor-porate staff control?

4 A strong professional staff operation is as essential to theIEEE’s success as it is to the Computer Society’s well-

being. However, as a volunteer-driven organization, the pres-ident and the Board should determine IEEE policies and over-all strategic directions. IEEE corporate staff members shouldsupport volunteer leaders and implement volunteer policies.

The IEEE president should clarify and reinforce the rolesof volunteer leaders and their staff counterparts to avoid con-flicts in strategic direction. The president should seek the coun-sel of staff and outside legal consultants, but understand thatthese are recommendations to consider rather than absolutesto follow. Further, the president should use such recommen-dations to manage operations so that they meet legal require-ments, rather than overhaul operations to comply with rigidlegal interpretations. The president should not delegate to cor-porate staff or legal counsel his responsibility to develop poli-cies in the best interests of IEEE members.


5 The Computer Society’s broad array of programs can onlybe sustained through the efforts of many volunteers. Its

volunteer workforce is “paid” in the personal satisfactionderived from contributions to the Society and the profession.But, because of increased IEEE corporate centralization, vol-unteer satisfaction is becoming harder to achieve. Indeed, theComputer Society has already lost senior volunteer leaderswho could not accept unnecessary changes that the IEEE dic-tated. IEEE leaders imposed those changes without consult-ing societies and apparently without carefully thinkingthrough the consequences.

The IEEE president should direct leaders and staff toimprove areas where the lack of authority or failed commu-nication has impaired volunteer participation. The presidentshould require IEEE vice presidents and the executive direc-tor to consult with society volunteers before enacting policiesthat can affect societies. The president should reinforce theprinciple that policies represent prudent controls rather thanburdensome requirements.

5 IEEE societies must have extensive volunteerparticipation in order to meet the needs of theirmembers. A cornerstone of the IEEE economicmodel is the presence of a strong society vol-

unteer base. Simply put, the IEEE and its societiescan neither maintain current products and servicesnor embrace new ones without the dedication andcommitment of a large group of active volunteers.Recruiting and retaining volunteers and volunteerleaders for the societies is becoming increasingly dif-ficult.

As president, how will you reinforce a strong vol-unteer base in societies? What will you do to supportsociety volunteers in their important work and helpmake their jobs easier?

Question

September 2002 75

4 I am on record as having voiced con-cerns that volunteer control over the

organization’s direction has diminished.I witnessed this trend toward being

directed by legal counsel and corporatestaff even before 2000. In the late 1990s,IEEE lawyers effectively hampered stepsthat would have allowed more respon-sibility and authority to be passed downto the organizational units. Similarly, asa past chair of the Audit Committee, Iwitnessed attempts at staff-led financialcontrol.

During my days in business, I firstdetermined what I wanted to accom-plish and then brought in accountantsand lawyers to implement my plan andensure that my company’s actions werelegal. In the business world, I learnednot to allow these consultants to leadthe process or make business decisionsfor my company. As IEEE president, Iwould use the same approach. For deci-sions that involve risk, I would ask legaland accounting advisers for a riskassessment.

4 Without a doubt, our staff leadershipseeks legal advice more now than in

the past. While previous executive direc-tors conducted business without legalcounsel, our current executive directorbelieves in seeking legal advice beforemaking any major decision. This prac-tice increases the IEEE’s expenses, oftenexcludes volunteer input, and couldtransfer important decisions out of ourhands.

In my view, the IEEE Board of Direc-tors should determine the path our IEEEis to follow. The duty of staff membersis to carry out instructions from theBoard, and our volunteers must demon-strate leadership by making sure that thishappens. Volunteers who have manage-ment experience are well suited to pro-viding this type of oversight. Open andimproved communication between keyvolunteers and staff could help make thispossible.

4 I will work with society leaders tocounter the legal and accounting

obstacles that are getting in the way ofeffective volunteer leadership. TheIEEE works best when there is excel-lent synergy between volunteers andstaff and across entities. Communica-tion is the key.

We must remain a volunteer-led andvolunteer-driven organization. I willreinforce this concept by ensuring thatour staff understands it. I would alsoensure that our volunteers understandthat we can count on staff to carry outIEEE policies but that we should notburden them with our occasional near-term, parochial, or tactical requests. Weneed to work as a team to understandthe challenges facing the IEEE. We needto work together strategically, position-ing the IEEE for the future so that vol-unteer policies and staff implementationresult in better products and services forour members.


5 The societies are the backbone andthe volunteers are the muscles of

the IEEE. As president, I will workwith the Technical Activities Board andsociety officers to keep the societiesfinancially viable by controlling cor-porate charges and minimizing exces-sive corporate control. As in all myactivities, I would make myself avail-able to assist the societies in outreachactivities.

5 Indeed, recruiting and retaining vol-unteers and leaders is becoming dif-

ficult. Lifestyles have changed dramati-cally, and employees are often obligatedto work longer hours.

The IEEE has not been particularly suc-cessful in addressing this recurring topic.In order to attract more volunteers andleaders, we must put forth a major effort,articulating our objectives and obtainingadequate funding. Our progress so far hasbeen proportional to our investment, andthat investment has been minimal. Therehave only been sporadic efforts, largelydriven by organizational units.

We have not sold academia or indus-try on the idea that active participation inthe IEEE is beneficial to their employees.Our proposed means of recruitment lackcompelling proof that would convince anorganization that the investment is justi-fied. We need to demonstrate, in veryspecific terms, how our offerings benefitacademia or industry.

5 This is currently one of the topicsthat the IEEE Strategic Planning

Committee is addressing. There is agrowing concern that the IEEE isbecoming an “old boys/girls club.” Weneed to involve more people in IEEEactivities. The people are out there; thekey is to identify them. Society chap-ters could play a strong role in identi-fying new volunteers.

I would also recommend that societyNominations Committees have at leastone representative from Regions 8, 9,and 10 (that is, countries outside NorthAmerica). This will allow us to drawfrom a vast and active member base inthese regions.

We need to expand membershipbeyond the traditional field of electricalengineers. There are tremendous oppor-tunities in information technology andrelated areas. This too should help thesocieties strengthen their volunteer base.I will support these volunteers by work-ing to simplify bylaws and delegatingauthority to counter staff control.

76 Computer

T he IEEE Computer Society,together with the ACM, has hada long history of involvement in

preparing curriculum guidelines andtools for computer engineering acade-mic programs. Updated gradually overmany years, the current curriculumproject, Computing Curricula 2001,collects resources from a wide rangeof computer science and engineeringdisciplines to present model courses,curricula, and body of knowledge doc-uments for use in college programs. A

Draft Computer Engineering Curriculum Volume Available for Review

substantial volume from ComputingCurricula 2001 is now available forpublic review.

The preliminary draft of ComputingCurricula 2001: Computer Engi-neering, available online at http://www.eng.auburn.edu/ece/CCCE/, isopen for comments from the profes-sional community. Academics, re-searchers, and representatives fromindustry are welcome to review thedocument and provide feedback tohelp shape the final volume.


Kelly Named IEEE Computer Society Associate Executive Director

Anne Marie Kelly, longtime member of the IEEEComputer Society staff, was recently selected as associ-ate executive director. In addition to maintaining herrole as the director of volunteer services, Kelly will rep-resent and act in the place of Executive Director DavidW. Hennage when he is not available.

Kelly joined the Computer Society in 1988 as direc-tor of conferences. In 1994, this department wasexpanded to include staff support for the Society’s activ-ities in standards, technical committees, chapters, andstudent and educational programs. Kelly has headed therenamed Volunteer Services Department since that time.However, she stepped aside from those duties for nearlytwo years to serve the Society as acting executive direc-tor, from January 2000 until Hennage’s appointment inNovember 2001.

In 1998, the Society Board of Governors presentedKelly with the Harry Hayman Award for DistinguishedStaff Achievement. One of only five Hayman Awardwinners, Kelly was awarded a second Hayman plaquein 2001 for her outstanding performance as acting exec-utive director.

Edsger Wybe Dijkstra, 1930-2002

Edsger Wybe Dijkstra, a computer pioneer and emer-itus professor at the University of Texas, died in Augustin Nuenen, the Netherlands. Trained in mathematics andphysics as well as a computer science, Dijkstra was per-haps best known for his insistence that computer pro-grams should be based on mathematical logic.

In the late 1950s, Dijkstra contributed to the devel-opment of Algol. For its clarity of purpose and its math-ematical base, many look to this as a model for excel-lence in high-level programming languages.

Noted for the simplicity and elegance of his program-ming, Dijkstra also coined many phrases now common tocomputing parlance, including “structured program-ming.” As noted in the Oxford English Dictionary, he introduced the terms “vector” and “stack” to their use in a computing context.

Throughout his professional life, Dijkstra circulatedtechnical notes, trip reports, and other observations andcommentaries—known to recipients as EWDs—to anaudience that eventually numbered in the thousands.These works are now archived online at http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/.

Dijkstra’s awards and honors include the IEEE Com-puter Society’s Harry M. Goode Memorial Award andPioneer Award, the ACM Turing Award, and the dis-tinction of Fellow of the Netherlands Royal Academyof Arts and Sciences, the British Computer Society, andthe ACM. He was named a Foreign Honorary Memberof the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1975.

Computer engineering is one of fourcontent areas covered by the curricu-lum project. Other planned curriculumdocuments include volumes on com-puter science, software engineering,and information systems.

In addition to the review version ofcomputer engineering, the ComputingCurricula 2001: Computer Science vol-ume is available for purchase at http://computer.org/cspress/CATALOG/cs01499.htm.

Editor: Mary-Louise G. Piner, Computer, 10662 Los VaquerosCircle, PO Box 3014, Los Alamitos, CA 90720-1314; [email protected]

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Computer society connection - IEEE president-elect candidates address computer society concerns