The Program Chair-Elect serves as a member of the Executive Committee. In some sections the Program Chair-Elect is elected, and in other sections the Program Chair-Elect is appointed. Regardless, the responsibilities of the Program Chair-Elect begin several months prior to the official start of the Program Chair-Elect’s term.
Executive Duties. These include the following:
• Solicits, prepares, and organizes the roundtable coffees/luncheons for the JSM or delegates this function, according to the practice of the Section
• Attends the meeting of the ASA Program Committee at JSM to begin planning the program for the next year's JSM
• Solicits and develops invited session, topic contributed session, and Continuing Education proposals for the year in which this individual will serve as Program Chair
The key to success in this office is planning and adherence to deadlines. Before attending the program committee meeting at JSM, the Program Chair-Elect will receive the Program Committee Manual for the next year’s JSM, for which this individual will be Program Chair. The manual contains a detailed timeline for that JSM, with comprehensive descriptions of the tasks to be performed. The following, in chronological order, are the key activities, beginning seven months before the Program Chair-Elect takes office.
• June (of prior year):
o Shortly after notification of being elected or appointed to Program Chair (or 6 months prior to advancing from Program Chair-Elect to Program Chair), studies the program for the current year's JSM for format and current topics
• July/August (of prior year):
o Attends the JSM
o Consults with the current Section Program Chair and Program Chair-Elect
o Attends Section business meeting
• November/December (of prior year):
o Requests and receives mentorship from the current Section Program Chair-Elect
o Organizes speakers for JSM roundtables (coffee and luncheons) and, if applicable, speaker with lunch
• January 1:
o Officially begins term as Program Chair-Elect
• January:
o Submits JSM roundtable (and speaker with luncheon, if applicable) abstracts
• May:
o Promotes Section roundtable sessions
• May through August
o Solicits ideas for invited session topics and works with organizers to develop proposals
• July/August:
o Attends the JSM
o Attends the JSM Program Committee Meeting with ASA staff to report on preliminary plans, to coordinate these plans with other Sections, and to receive schedules and further instructions for next year's JSM
o Consults with the current Section Program Chair
o Attends Section business meeting
• September:
o Confirms that final invited program proposals—due near the beginning of the month—are submitted
o Assigns invited session proposals to allocated versus competition slots and submits these to meetings@amstat.org by the deadline
o Solicits proposals for JSM Continuing Education courses that would be appropriate for the Section to sponsor
o Prepares article for November Amstat News soliciting poster and contributed paper abstracts
o Votes on invited sessions submitted for competition
• November/December:
o Selects time slots for invited sessions
o Reviews invited program
o Determines if any invited speakers from outside North America will require travel funds
o Secures letters of support for proposals for JSM Continuing Education courses that the Executive Committee has chosen to sponsor
o Solicits proposals for topic contributed sessions
• December:
o Monitors the early submission of abstracts for contributed sessions and posters
Transition Duties. To maintain continuity in the Section’s program for the JSM and any other conferences the Section may sponsor, the Program Chair-Elect:
• Transmits to the incoming Program Chair-Elect any material that will ensure an orderly transition and provides assistance as necessary
• Sends copies of all Section-related correspondence to the Secretary
• Updates this description of the duties of the Program Chair-Elect, as necessary
Section-specific Duties. The Program Chairs-elect of some Sections have responsibilities that are not required of all Section Program Chairs-elect. See the Section charters for details at http://www.amstat.org/sections/charters.cfm.