SIGACT Program Review

SIGACT SGB MeetingMarch 8, 2010

Financial Summary

• 2009 Fund Balance $743,628 – $134,969 required– $65,238 increase from 2008– Using some funds for student conference travel

• 1,631 Current members (163 students)– Down 69 from 2008

• Free membership to student conference attendees

• 8 Sponsored and co-Sponsored Conferences– Specialized conferences overseas 1/3 of time

SIGACT Member Benefits

• SIGACT News, quarterly, print & online

• Access to SIGACT proceedings in DL

• Reduced registration rates

• Reduced rate for membership in EATCS

• Notification of critical information through mail and the SIGACT electronic member mailing list

• Distinguished Service Award

• Member Plus: Sponsored Conference Proceedings

SIGACT Community Benefits• Publicity: SIGACT web site, Theorynt E-mail

• Awards and Grants

– Including Knuth Prize (joint with TCMFCS) andGödel Prize (joint with EATCS)

• SIGACT Committee for the Advancement of Theoretical Computer Science

– Funding & publicity; helps place theorists in NSF

• Sponsored new journals ACM TALG and ToCT

• Represents theoretical computer science community to the ACM and beyond.

SIGACT GoalsBuild Community

• Role of STOC as Flagship Conference– Competition with other meetings for time and money

– Many attend conference only if one has a paper there

– Need to rethink purpose and role of conferences

• No clean way to communicate with community– Problem cutting through the noise– Individual blogs and twitter taking this role

• Make SIGACT relevant in lives of community

SIGACT GoalsHelp Theory Community

• Funding– CATCS works with NSF and other agencies– Need better pipeline of theory into funding agencies

• Jobs - Help those stuck in tight market

• Promote theory outside community

• Preserve rich history of theory community

• Professional Development