ICER Policy on Replacement of Program and Site Chairs

Approved 25 August 2020

Should a previously-approved ICER Program or Site Chair no longer be available or willing to serve for any reason, this policy will govern how their replacement will be identified.

Vacancies for any reason should be reported to both the ICER Steering Committee and the SIGCSE Board as soon as they arise to ensure that a replacement can be named in a timely manner.

For clarity the term “senior” in this document is meant to indicate the Chair who is currently in their second year since appointment, and the term “junior” is meant to indicate the Chair who is within their first year.

Site Chair

When selecting a site, one criterion that the ICER Steering Committee will apply is that there is more than one active SIGCSE member willing and able to take on the role of Site Chair in the circumstances that the named Site Chair is unable to continue. When a Site Chair is unable to continue in the role, they should immediately notify the ICER Steering Committee and the SIGCSE Board. Upon notification, the ICER Steering Committee will:

  • Work closely with the alternate SIGCSE member to ensure smooth continuation of conference organisation.
  • Notify all affected ICER organizing committee members, with appropriate adjustments to the website and proceedings to follow.
  • In extreme circumstances (such as pandemic or other natural disasters) the ICER Steering Committee will coordinate with the SIGCSE Board on an appropriate response.
Program Chair

When an approved Program Chair is unable to continue in the role during their 2 year term, they should immediately notify the ICER Steering Committee and the SIGCSE Board. Upon notification, the ICER Steering Committee shall:

  • Appoint an interim Program Chair from the ICER Steering Committee membership to assist with immediate decisions as needed relative to the current conference timeline.
  • Notify all current conference committee members of the vacancy.
  • Begin a 30 day search period to identify a member of the research community who is able to serve out the remainder of the term caused by the vacancy. This candidate will be submitted to the SIGCSE Board for approval.
    • If the vacancy occurs for the senior Program Chair role, a strong preference will be given to candidates who have previously served as a Program Chair for ICER. Further, in this situation, the appointed Steering Committee member will remain an ex officio member of the organizing committee to provide guidance on managing consistent processes per the established practices of ICER.
    • Vacancies in the junior Program Chair role will be filled using standard selection criteria for the role. Special consideration for prior experience with leadership roles in managing reviewing processes will be given when the vacancy occurs one month prior to the current conference submission deadline through the conference itself.
  • Upon approval from the SIGCSE Board, all affected ICER organizing committee members will be notified, with appropriate adjustments to the website, EasyChair, and proceedings to follow.