This article is published in the November 2022 issue.

Candidates Sought for CRA Board of Directors

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BoardThe Computing Research Association seeks your help in recruiting candidates for its Board of Directors. We want individuals who have time, energy, initiative, and resources to work on CRA issues on behalf of the entire CRA community. We have a working Board, and all members are expected to work on community issues.

Members of the computing research community who are interested in serving on the CRA Board should nominate themselves by completing this form by December 16, 2022.  Nominees do not need to be affiliated with a CRA member organization.

More details provided below about:

  • The CRA Board and Board Member Expectations
  • The Election Process and Timeline

The CRA Board and Board Member Expectations. CRA Board members serve on various committees, including the CRA Conference (aka Snowbird), Leadership Training, Awards, Taulbee Survey, Finance, Communications, Elections committees, and much more. In addition, issues affecting computing research arise unexpectedly, and Board members must take the initiative and lead CRA’s responses. Many CRA committees and initiatives involve year-round attention, regular conference calls, communications with lab directors and department chairs, document writing, and sometimes travel.

The CRA Board, as a whole, meets twice a year, with travel and hotel costs paid by the individual members. (CRA will consider covering travel and hotel costs for individual Board members in exceptional circumstances.) Board members serve staggered three-year terms. At the discretion of the Elections Committee, and based upon a member’s proactive service record during the expiring term, CRA Board members wishing to stand for re-election may be included on the draft ballot. There is a three term limit.

Recent Board activities include:

  • Working with the computing research community to envision the future of computing research,
  • Developing white papers and best practice documents that benefit the computing research community,
  • Increasing the participation of women and other groups minoritized in computing research,
  • Thinking strategically about computing education and its impact on the research enterprise,
  • Testifying before Congress and meeting with policymakers to explain the role of computing and computing research,
  • Developing workshops on issues critical to computing research and/or researchers,
  • Planning the CRA Conference, which takes place every other year, and
  • Conducting the annual CRA Taulbee Survey.

Additional information on CRA and its activities is available at http://cra.org/about/.

The CRA Board Election Process and Timeline.

  • Members of the computing research community who are interested in serving on the CRA Board should nominate themselves by completing this form. Nominees do not need to be affiliated with a CRA member organization.
  • The deadline for receipt of nominations is December 16, 2022.
  • The Elections Committee will carefully consider all nominations, with the aim of a final ballot slate containing about twice as many candidates as there are open slots.
  • Important criteria considered by the Elections committee includes distribution of candidates and current Board members among member institutions, distribution among types and sizes of institutions, evidence of leadership, diversity, and evidence of interest in and capacity for service beyond what is expected of all faculty members and researchers.
  • In January, the Elections Committee will announce the draft ballot. Additional names may be added by the CRA community (as described below).
  • On February 6, 2023, nominations by petition are due. Each such nomination must be signed by the chairs/heads of at least five constituent member organizations that are current in dues payment. Current CRA members are listed at http://cra.org/about/membership/member-list/
  • On February 8 ,2023, final ballots will be distributed to CRA chairs/heads/deans and lab directors. Each will have one vote for each open slot on the CRA Board.
  • In late February 2023, election results will be announced.

Click here to complete the nomination form. Questions can be sent to elections [at] cra.org.