THE CONFERENCE FORUM PLANNING AND REVIEW PANELS (CF PRPS) And Process

The Conference Forums Planning and Review Panels (CF PRPs) contribute to the quality of the SIW by actively soliciting abstracts for papers and presentations from appropriate sources. Submitted abstracts are made available to the CC and all CF PRPs as soon as they are received.

The following steps outline the normal Forum Planning and Review Process.

  • After authors submit abstracts to specific CFs, the CC members may review submitted abstracts and recommend them for one or more related CFs for further review as possible candidates.
  • The CF PRPs review all abstracts assigned to their Forums. They may access and read additional submitted abstracts, as well. 
  • All abstracts are classified using the following categories:
    • outright rejection
    • conditional acceptance based on suggested modifications
    • tentative scheduling for presentation at one Forum
    • tentative scheduling of multiple presentations at several Forums
    • tentative scheduling for presentation at a joint Forum
  • The PRPs review the final papers as they are received, accepting those that meet SISO's high quality standards and are relevant to their Forums.
  • The PRPs propose final agenda for their Forums and submit them to the CC for review, reconciliation, and approval. 
  • As part of the reconciliation process, the CC may reassign papers, or establish joint Forum sessions in order to balance the presentations.
  • Approximately four weeks prior to the start of the Workshop, the CC publishes the final Workshop program, including the Forum agendas.
Panel Officers
The PRPs elect from their membership a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Secretary, each of whom serves a term of one year commencing at the end of the Fall SIW. PRP officers are chosen within thirty days of election during each annual election cycle. Members eligible for office and members eligible to vote are those that will be on the PRP for the coming year. The functions of the Vice Chair and Secretary may be performed by a single individual if the PRP elects to do so, but each PRP must have at least a Chair and a Vice Chair/Secretary.
Panel Members
The members of each CF PRP are elected by eligible voters of SISO. The CC establishes the size of each PRP (normally ranging from three to nine members) based on the nature and expected activity level of the Forum.  Members of the CF PRP shall maintain membership in SISO through the entire term of their membership on the CF PRP.
Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the CF PRP Chair

The Chair of the CF PRP  coordinates the overall planning for the Forum, including the following responsibilities: 
  • Active recruitment of presentations and papers on topics of interest to the Forum
  • Feedback coordination from relevant PDGs
  • Candidate recruitment for new PDGs
  • Formulation of issues to be raised as Product Nominations to the SAC
  • Establishing major goals and milestones for the Forum
  • Ensuring adequate reviews of presentations and papers
  • Chairing the Forum session(s)
  • Reporting to the CC regarding the Forum's activities and recommendations at the Workshop wrap-up session.
If Interim Forum meetings are necessary, the Forum Chair ensures an agenda is developed and distributed along with a timely announcement regarding the time and place of the meeting.

Responsibilities of the CF PRP Vice Chair

The CF PRP Vice Chair assists the CF PRP Chair in the performance of the duties, and he or she acts in place of the Chair when the chair is unable to be present. When a Chair is unable to continue serving as the Chair for any reason, the Vice Chair serves as Chair pending a special election to fill the vacancy. 

Responsibilities of the CF PRP Secretary

The CF PRP Secretary assists the Chair and Vice Chair in the performance of their duties. He or she also ensures timely announcements are posted to all relevant SISO reflectors, and minutes regarding any PRP meeting or teleconference published. 

Responsibilities of the CF PRP Members

Each CF PRP is responsible for developing a coherent plan of Forum activities at each Workshop and soliciting papers, presentations, demonstrations, panel discussions, and other appropriate activities in support of the Forum's purposes and objectives, as indicated in the most recent call for papers. These plans are submitted to the CC for approval before a Call for Papers is issued. This normally occurs within a month of the end of the preceding Workshop, i.e., approximately five months in advance of the Workshop to which they apply.
 
In order to ensure an appropriate level of quality for all Forum activities, each Forum PRP member is expected to actively participate in the selection and final review of presentations and papers.
Tracks & Forums

Learn about all the Tracks & Forums SISO supports, and the elected officials for each!