SC Decisions Voted On and Passed
a. The name of VL is changed to the IEEE Symposia on Human-Centric Computing Languages and Environments (HCC)
b. The mission is:
Design, formalization, implementation, and evaluation of computing languages that are easier to learn, easier to use, and easier to understand by a broader group of people.
This includes all research aimed at the above mission, regardless of whether they use entirely visual technology, text, or instead use sound, taste, virtual reality, the web, or any other technologies. Examples of research addressing this problem include but are not limited to language/environmental design aspects, theory that supports the many media used toward this goal, implementation aspects, empirical work, software comprehension aspects (including software visualization), and software modeling and/or software engineering aspects.
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The General Chair's additional responsibilities regarding ICSs are listed in Charter point 6. --------
a. The conference will consist of "Individual Contained Symposia" (ICSs), each of which has a strong sub-theme, integrated with some common paper presentations, keynote presentations, and special events. Each ICS will have its own Program Chair and its own Program Committee, who will be coordinated by the General Chair, and who will follow the HCC conference standards and rules.
The General Chair organizes the overall conference, and provides services to the ICS Chairs, including providing for a common proceedings, registration, management of the financial aspects, the social program, a paper submissions mechanism, a review tracking mechanism, local arrangements, tutorials, and publicity. The General Chair may appoint additional chairs as desired (such as a Finance Chair, Tutorials Chair, etc.) to assist in these matters.
ICS Program Chairs' responsibilities are to put together a Program Committee (to be approved by the Steering Committee), to put together an announcement of the particular ICS to be used for publicity, to encourage high-quality technical submissions, to manage the ICS Program Committee through its review process, and to attract program attendees. ICS Program Committees have an independent paper selection process and have primary responsibility for the organization of their program, subject to appropriate coordination with the General Chair over common events and general conference operation. ICS Program Chairs will suggest papers, keynote speakers, panels, special events, etc., to the General Chair, who will select from and coordinate such ICS suggestions as is appropriate for the general conference.
b. Over time, some ICSs will be eliminated and others will be added, as interest in subareas evolves. There is no prescribed limit to the number of ICSs that the conference will support, and hence, adding an ICS need not require elimination of another. Still, to continue to be present at HCC, an ICS must adhere to the HCC paper acceptance rates (see conference guidelines) and have enough paid attendees to pay for itself (computed as a fraction of total HCC conference expenses based on the ICS's number of days) in one out of every two consecutive offerings of the ICS. In addition, any ICS that is not, in the opinion of the Steering Committee, contributing to the overall success of the conference may be cut regardless of current or prior performance; however, such occurrence should be rare if ICSs are chosen appropriately initially. When practical considerations limit the number of slots, for a continuing ICS to be selected to continue over other ICSs competing for its "spot", it must be reasonably expected, based in part on its past history, to continue to attract at least as many paid attendees as proposed ICSs competing for its slot.
c. After HCC 2001, proposals for new ICSs must be submitted to the Steering Committee at least one year in advance of the first proposed occurrence of the ICS. Proposals should include the ICS's planned strategy for fulfilling the above requirements.