Councilor Activities
Dr. Neil D. Jespersen
1. National Meeting Expenses:
While a member of the Committee on Meetings and Expositions (M&E) I continuously raised the issue of how money was spent at National Meetings and the irrational method of fixing National Meeting Registration Fees. I was also concerned that the membership and meetings computer programs could not share data.
These efforts resulted in three things. First, the accounting for expenses and income from national meetings is much better, but still not perfect. Second, our computer systems communicate better so that your member number can be used to locate your information. Now, time is not wasted by filling out repetitive forms when the ACS has the information for already. Third, and most important, a task force on National Meeting Registration fees was assembled. Decisions made by that and subsequent groups (and ratified by the Council) led to reasonable small registration fee increases annually instead of draconian increases every five to ten years. These decisions also led to ACS focusing on maintaining registration fees in line with, and usually lower than, most other major scientific meetings.
2. Establishing the Committee on Ethics
I was asked to serve on the first task force regarding the need for a Committee on Ethics. I learned quite a bit about ethics, in particular, that the simple view of science as a self-correcting enterprise is not always true. It also became apparent that the new Committee on Ethics must be an educational committee that tries to have ethics on the agendas of all segments of our Society. There were two more task forces on the Committee on Ethics before it came to a successful vote in Council. I look on this as one of the best results of my efforts as councilor.
3. Establishing reasonable funding for divisions
I was asked to join a task force reviewing the funding of Local Sections and Divisions. Soon it became quite apparent that the discrepancy between the funding of Local Sections and Divisions was mainly due to the fact that the two groups used different criteria for calculating their support. Unfortunately, the method used to calculate funding for divisions resulted in a slightly lower percentage increase each year, that, over many years resulted in a major difference. I agreed with my colleagues that this problem had to be addressed and subsequent task forces produced the process we now have.
4. Governance Review
As chair of the Committee on Committees I was asked to participate in a Governance Review task force under the leadership of then ACS President Bill Carroll. A significant amount of work went into reviewing our structure, with some desire to restructure the ACS from the ground up. While that was not to happen, many interesting ideas were generated and evaluated in the process. Changes were made in some areas and these have been reported in C&E NEWS. The major item of interest that ACS members should take from this effort is that the ACS has a structure and member involvement that surpasses all other scientific societies. As a member of the Board of Directors I will work to maintain that status.
5. The Committee Summit
As part of the Governance Review task force, a Committee Summit was organized to take an in-depth look at all committees of the Council and the Board of Directors. This in-depth look was welcomed by ConC as an addition to its activities in reviewing the Council and Joint Board-Council committees on a regular basis. The result of this effort was a series of recommendations, sent back to the committees for consideration and implementation. The major committee change was the recommendation that the Admissions Committee be dissolved with its functions becoming a subcommittee of the Member Affairs Committee.
6. Student Membership
As an advisor to the student affiliate chapter at St. John’s University for over 30 years, this comes as a welcome change. I have supported this change as it made its way through the various channels of the Council. Now I gladly welcome student members as our colleagues and ask all local sections and divisions to make our students welcome.
7. Committee Memberships
Meetings and Expositions: Associate Member 1991Meetings and Expositions: Member 1992-1997
Finance Subcommittee Chair 1997
Committee on Committees Elected member 1998-2002
Committee on Committees Elected member 2003-2006
Elected Chair 2005-2006
Committee on Committees Elected member 2007-2009
Elected Chair 2007
8. COMMITTEE LIAISON APPOINTMENTS
The appointments below have allowed me to have a significant, intimate knowledge of how these committes work, their missions and goals.Joint Board Council Committee on Science
Council Standing Committee on Economic and Professional Affairs
Council Standing Committee on Meetings and Expositions
Joint Board Council Committee onCommittee on Chemical Abstracts
Joint Board Council Committee onCommittee on Publications
Society Committee on Education
Council Committee on Admissions
Joint Board Council Committee on Community Activities
Joint Board Council Committee on International Activities
Joint Board Council Committee on Minority Affairs
Joint Board Council Committee on Women Chemists
Joint Board Council Committee on Younger Chemists
Council Policy Committee (ExOfficio)
Board of Directors (ExOfficio)