Proposals for the Expansion and Re-focusing of ISAC

Addressing changes in scientific direction

ISAC began to evaluate this issue in 2000 under the leadership of President Lisa Staiano-Coico. The organization approved a proposal to begin to integrate Cytomics into the platform of the organization. We propose to revisit this important policy and re-invigorate it by ensuring that it is implemented. The policy is a good one and needs to be supported.

Public Policy - A New Standing Committee

The funding available for high technology comes from the constant understanding that technology is needed in the scientific community. The only way adequate funding is provided is to ensure that we, as an organization constantly address these issues in the various funding domains. Currently there is no official committee charged to address this issue. Our policy will be to establish such a committee.

Recognition and New Awards - Technologists should be better recognized

We propose to create some new awards and to establish longevity and identification for groups that are currently unrecognized. For example, we hardly recognize the technolgists that perform the most complex experiments, and run the most complex instruments in research.

• ISAC Outstanding Technologist (Biological Sciences)
• ISAC Outstanding Technologist (Clinical Sciences)

These two awards will be offered at every Congress in perpetuity. They will recognize the vitality and importance of the high quality of training and technical capabilities that technologists must obtain and maintain for many years. ISAC is dependent upon maintaining a considerable number of technologists that operate complex technologies to produce scientific data necessary for discovery using associated technologies.

ISAC Fellows - An exciting new program to raise the number of student members

The ISAC Fellows program is a new program designed to maintain membership in the organization by younger members. By applying to become an ISAC Fellow, members will have an opportunity to continue to participate in the scientific activities of the organization during their scientifically formative years.

Recipients of fellowships:

• Recipients will be named "ISAC Fellows"
• Students in their 3-6 year of graduate school will be eligible
• if they are existing postdocs they can receive 3 years as an ISAC Fellow
• They receive 5 years of full ISAC membership which should carry them through at least postdoc and first job
• Received by application - with documentation
• No extension over 5 years allowed
• The honor of “ISAC Fellow” may only be used by those receiving this award

Education and Training - A New Standing Committee

The Society should maintain a library of resources available to the membership and those outside the organization. For example the Microscopy Society of America maintains a library of 276 Video tapes and DVDs of all tutorials and special training sessions within the society. Tapes or DVDs will be purchased from the Society for a fee ($15-25 range). Between its annual meeting, ISAC essentially plays no role whatever in education or training of its members. This is not an acceptable situation. With the current ability of many members to obtain electronic access to the Society Journal, one wonders what these members need the Society for. The Society must start to consider what its role in education and training is.

Fiscal Issues – Costs of Meeting and Operations

Other meetings seem to cost far less than ISAC meetings. Previously, ISAC has attempted to create a “complete package” meeting that allows attendees to spend the maximum amount of time at the meeting engaged in meeting activities, visiting exhibits, and participating. However when reviewing the chart below of other meeting costs, it is clear that ISAC meeting costs are far exceeding an acceptable level to many members. While there are features of the ISAC meetings that definitely add value, we still need to visit this issue because it is definitely one that is concerning members. Below are some examples of meetings that have significantly lower costs. While the purpose is not to compare the value, it does open up the discussion as to how we can limit the meeting costs to something that is affordable.

Core Managers-Directors Committee - A New Standing Committee

I will propose that the Core managers committee become a Standing Committee of the Society. This will require a significant effort as this must be passed by a majority of members in a formal vote. However, I believe that this will enhance the value to the Society. Core managers need support and the Society needs to create new opportunities for the interaction between this vital group of members of our Society.

What is required to establish A New Standing Committee in ISAC?

We believe that there must be a rethinking of the structure of the organization. If one believes that changes should or could be made, one should identify the most efficient or most effective way of implementing that. ISAC has not changed is underlying structure for many, many years. We do not propose to make change for change's sake. On the contrary, we must raise the level of some areas of the Society that either are so important they should be standing committees, or they are so neglected, that we need to identify ways to make them effective. We will bring to the Society members a proposal for the creation of 4 additional standing committee to deal with important issues at a higher level of activity.

Why do we need these standing Committees?

1. Data standards & Information Management Committee: This has been a crucial committee of this society for many years. The issue of data and file standards is not one that is contested by anyone. In fact, it is something that bring order to the field. Further, since this is a Society committee, this means that the Society members maintain control over the notion of standards within our field of cytometry. The committee has been reinstituted every congress for many years. It is our belief that the committee is so important that it should be a Standing Committee. By so doing, we are recognizing and perhaps even raising the importance of this committee.
2. Core Laboratory Managers Committee: For over 20 years the notion of core-laboratories has been an institution within the field of cytometry. Core laboratories provide unique services in universities, hospitals, research institutions, and corporations around the world. These laboratories have some of the most expensive technologies used in scientific research. Core laboratories provide training to faculty, staff and students. They maintain instruments in operating fashion. They develop techniques, they assist in reporting, analysis and troubleshooting. Core managers deal with every possible situation and then some. This group of individuals provide a vital service to the field. Without them, we would all be is serious trouble. It is time that this group be directly represented as a standing committee within the society. Currently, they have nothing at all. This needs to be changed.
3. Public Policy Committee: Many of us ignore public policy. However, it is public policy that makes decisions as to where funding goes. Without strong public policy involvement, and sometimes intervention, a society can inadvertently deny its members the support they need to do their science. This Society must join with other societies in joint activity in trying to participate in the public policy debate. Such policy drives the amount of funding that is provided for high technology instrumentation. This funding is always in a balance and it is vital for organizations to constantly push for raising the support level.
4. Education Committee: ISAC has never raised the issue of education to the level that it deserves. Why is this so? This is unclear. We do have workshops at meetings. We have meetings themselves. But, between congresses, there is a deafening silence with regard to education. This is unacceptable in an international society that deals with complex technologies for which constant training is necessary. As technology expands, it is crucial that members have more than ample opportunities for educational development. This is a responsibility not a possibility. Within ISAC, education is relegated to the Member Services Committee. This committee has a variety of obligations to members. Education should be separated from this committee and raised to the same level as a standing committee. Any organization that fails to provide quality education will not maintain student members, will struggle to assist technicians as they attempt to maintain knowledge in new technological developments and will not be able to educate the public on the importance of the field.

What is the Process to Achieve This? Can it be done?

The Standing Committees of the Society are established by the Bylaws, which specify that there are 5 of these with specified duties. Thus, to add to the list of five, or even to change the current ones, a vote of the full membership is required. The procedure is as follows:

• Amendments to the Bylaws may be initiated by a member of Council and approved by Council or may be initiated by a petition to Council signed by 5% of the members of the Society (about 75 members).
• Proposed amendments to the Bylaws must be approved by two-thirds of Council (there are 10 councilors), must then be discussed at a Business Meeting of the Society, and must finally be submitted by mail ballot to the membership for ratification. Ratification of proposed amendments to the Bylaws requires approval of a simple majority of those members of the Society who vote on the amendments.

ISAC Coalition for Change