CMC Minutes Feb. 8, 2016

CMC Meeting February 8, 2016

In attendance: Chance Sterling (GML), Amy Steiker (NSIDC), Brandi McCarty (CSL)-Guest, Lucia Harrop (ESRL), Nate Campbell (Admin), Craig Hartsbough (GSL), Matt Price (CIRES IT)-Guest, Robin Strelow (Comm.), Rick Tisinai (CSL), Carrie Morrill (NCEI), Michele Cash (SWPC), Mimi Hughes (PSL), Christina Holt (GSL), Anne Perring (CSL), Chris Clack (GSL)

Delay getting to the room due to late set up by The Taj

Got seated in the back room of The Taj and then went to the buffet.

The group photo was taken by Matt Price.

The meeting was called to order at 12:43

Director’s award - Chris is trying to contact Waleed and Lornay for their feedback and there has been no response. Chris will continue to press for an answer. Ann suggests giving them a one-week deadline then forget about it until June. So much depends upon Waleed’s interest. There is no separate interface on the Web site for CIRES members to suggest Director’s Award nominations. Chris summarized the situation saying there are “many different avenues” to pursue.

Rendezvous updates - Amanda could not make it, but told Christine that things are progressing nicely. There will be no Graduate Student Award this year.

Rick described the need to ask the CIRES Directors to review the poster quota for the tent - how many would really represent their science? The benefit could be that there would somewhere around 80 posters that would all fit in the tent. Rick will ask the Directors this following week.

Brandi also said that there is a problem where scientist don’t make themselves available to talk about their posters.

Ann described that it be about scientists that want to show a poster and represent it, and let that determine how many posters are submitted.

Nate described the new way to list poster contributors and their affiliations on the web site by way of pulldown menus.

OPA update - nothing now until nominations appear! Chris gave an update on the site noting, that there needs to be a sentence explaining that people that provide references for the OPA nominee may be from outside NOAA and CIRES, such as NASA, colleges, etc.

A very tight timeline for Linda Pendergrass - April 4th might be the real deadline date. March 7-11 will be the week to do the final choices, which will provide time to accommodate Waleed’s chance to choose contenders.

We will need a CMC meeting or email exchange to discuss the decisions, then March 25th will be the final decisions given to Waleed. The week of the 4th of April will be the appeal start time.

Chris said he will need to develop the committee to make the OPA decision.

Chris has had people wanting to nominate him, and he feels it is a conflict of interest, so should he be ineligible? Should he step down from the committee? Also, how many times or how many years does one need to wait before being eligible to be nominated again? We need to have something written down to accommodate this sort of conflict.

Ann felt that it would be appropriate to post the names of the OPA committee to be sure that there is adequate transparency. These rules might be listed on the old documentation from Deanne. Brandi said that there was some big effort in a notebook, and Anna and Chris said they saw no notebook. Brandi will try to find the material and get it to Chris.

(Follow up - Rick had it, and it was delivered to Chris by Brandi!)

Nate will allow access to the OPA web site for the OPA committee members.

By-Laws Committee

Rick said the first part of the By-Laws have been combed through, but it needs to be finished and sent to the CMC for review.

Lucia mentioned that in addition to email correspondence already allowed in the By-Laws, that we will be adding “e-meetings” - where we could attend online.

Skype for Business is available through CU as per Nate. Amy said NSIDC has used “Zoom.” Ultimately, it will have to be a university owned service, allied by NOAA. Rick and Nate will discuss what methods can be used to legally enact an “e-meeting.”

Lucia said there will be some ASA training, especially for those scientists that don’t really interact with their science advisors!

CIRES Feedback page: Lucia said that the feedback page input needs to be reviewed, though right now it is somewhat underused. She advocated that the CMC look at the responses. We do have to get back to those people!

Membership Chairperson role: Chance described the position requirements.

1.      To ensure that we have a full representation.

2.      Meeting with new CMC members to familiarize their place on the CMC.

3.      Survey with outgoing members.

Rick said the By-Laws will have a provision to require the outgoing person to find their own replacement, but can ask the Membership Chair to help.

Chance then got more details on his list from the CMC members on their affiliations, etc. Lucia has an updated list of CIRES members in each Lab which was good codetermine how many reps should be allotted.

Mimi needs to find one more person for PSL.

Carrie needs to find one more person from NCEI.

Chance will assist them if needed.

Nate asked for the chance to update the CMC mailing list. Lucia did do that recently, removing some old names, so the list should be up to date.

PSD Reorganization

Christina brought up the question or the PSL purchasing requirements and Mimi said the decision was that the current “non-decision” will stand indefinitely! That did not go well with PSL members.

Christina suggested that the only thing that CMC can do for now is to insist that updates to the PSL status is posted.

Mimi is doing the Colorado Leadership Program with CIRES administration and looking at the Cooperative Institutes employees roles in ESRL: are they aligned with the mission? Are there advancement opportunities? How is morale versus government employees?

Mimi is looking for input from CMC and all CIRES members, but perhaps maybe CERA, etc., as well.

Mimi would like to promote a Mentoring Program in CIRES - one thing that seems to be lacking! Should CMC promote that? No vote taken at this time.

Mimi has a document that shows the questions she is asking the Lab directors and Christina will share that.

Lucia said that with the CIRES Review, CMC may be asked to participate in it. April 18-20.

Brandi requested that CIRES employees, having to accommodate building damage, have some way to get support and materials (such as chairs), and office space. CMC can remind the Lab directors that there can be facilities for CIRES members in a disaster situation.

Meeting adjourned at 1:52pm