Charter of the Steering Committee

Charter of the Steering Committee (SC) of the IEEE ISMAR International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR)

Article 1: Purpose

The Steering Committee (SC) of the IEEE ISMAR International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality is established to ensure the ongoing success and prestige of the annual ISMAR conference. The SC’s primary goals are to:

Ensure that ISMAR remains the premier global conference on Mixed and Augmented Reality, while also welcoming high-quality submissions related to Virtual Reality.
Oversee the organization and execution of the annual conference, including the selection of locations, chairs, and the approval of major organizational decisions.
Foster the growth of the XR community, attract high-quality submissions, and maintain high standards for conference publications.
Promote collaboration and manage relationships with relevant academic, industry, and IEEE bodies, including representation in the IEEE VGTC.
Establish a legal entity to manage ownership of conference-related properties such as internet domains and assets.

Article 2: Steering Committee Membership

The SC consists of 9 members. Each member serves a 3-year term, with a maximum of 2 consecutive terms (6 years total). After serving 6 consecutive years, members must pause for at least 3 years before being eligible for re-election.

2.1 Election Process

Each year, three positions on the SC are subject to election.
Elections are conducted by the existing SC members.
Members of the SC may not vote on a position for which they themselves are applying.
The nomination process is at the discretion of the current members of the SC.

2.2 Roles and Responsibilities

The SC will appoint members to the following specific roles, which may rotate or be modified as necessary:

Chair: Leads the SC, manages meetings, and represents the SC at the VGTC Executive Committee.
Vice-Chair: Assists the Chair, takes over their duties when necessary, and typically takes minutes during meetings.
Conference Organization Officer: Oversees the organizational aspects of the current conference in close cooperation with the general chairs.
Scientific Program Officer: Collaborates closely with the program chairs to ensure the integrity and quality of the scientific content and review process for the current conference.
Finance Officer: Works with the finance chair of the current conference to ensure all financial aspects are considered, particularly with regard to IEEE sponsorship.
Sponsoring Officer: Secures sponsorship and maintains relationships with sponsors.
Liaison and Awards Officer: Coordinates liaisons with sister organizations, manages awards, and represents ISMAR in IEEE’s VGTC.
Communications Officer: Manages the conference’s communication strategy, public relations, and outreach.
Conference Location Officer: Organizes the call for bids for future conference locations, provides feedback to proposers, and helps selected proposers prepare for the event.

2.3 Re-election and Vacancies

Members may be elected for a further term of office of three years immediately following their first term of office.
Members may also apply for and be elected to another role after a minimum of one year.
Members may not be elected more than twice in succession (not even in different roles and if one or both terms of office were less than three years). However, they can be re-elected after a waiting period of three years in which they were not a member of the SC.
Vacancies occurring between elections may be filled by the SC on an interim basis by other SC members until the next election. This does not affect their possible re-election.

Article 3: Decision-Making

3.1 Voting

The SC aims to reach consensus on decisions.
A formal vote will only be held if at least one SC member requests a vote, and at least one other member supports the request.
Each SC member has one vote.
Decisions are made by a simple majority.
In the case of a tie, the Chair has the deciding vote.

Article 4: Meetings and Operations

4.1 Meetings

The SC will meet via video calls every four weeks.
The SC will meet in person at IEEE ISMAR and IEEE VR.
Additional meetings may be called by the Chair as necessary.

4.2 Quorum

A quorum for SC meetings is a simple majority of the members.
Decisions made in meetings without a quorum must be ratified at the next quorum-attended meeting.

4.3 Minutes and Archiving

Minutes will be taken during each meeting, typically by the Vice-Chair unless they are required to lead the meeting.
Minutes will be archived and made available to all SC members for review and reference.

Article 5: Responsibilities of the Steering Committee

The SC will:

Issue the Call for Proposals for future conference locations and select the conference location, general chairs, and program chairs.
Provide oversight and approval of all major organizational aspects, including venue, dates, and duration, in close cooperation with the general chairs.
Ensure the quality and integrity of the submission and review process through collaboration with the program chairs.
Represent the conference within relevant IEEE bodies, especially the IEEE VGTC.
Promote community growth, secure sponsorship, and foster high-quality participation.
Seek the establishment of an association as a legal entity to hold ownership of conference-related properties such as internet domains and other assets.

Article 6: Financial Responsibilities

All expenses incurred by the SC, including travel, meeting costs, and operational expenses, shall be covered by the organizers of the annual ISMAR conference. It is the responsibility of the Finance Officer to coordinate with the current conference's finance chair to ensure these costs are adequately planned and accounted for.

Article 7: Amendments

Amendments to this Charter may be proposed by any SC member and must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the SC. Amendments shall be discussed at a regular SC meeting and shall take effect upon approval.

Article 8: Dissolution

In the event that the SC is dissolved, any remaining responsibilities related to the ISMAR symposium shall be transferred to an appropriate governing body within IEEE or its affiliated organizations.

This Charter is hereby adopted by the IEEE ISMAR Steering Committee and will be reviewed and amended as necessary to meet the evolving needs of the symposium and the XR community.