NOTE: AT THE PRESENT TIME, THE ATTACHMENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE
ELECTRONICALLY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ATTACHMENT, PLEASE CONTACT ELLEN
HEISER AT THE AMS HEADQUARTERS BY EMAIL (ehh@ams.org) OR TELEPHONE (800-321-4267).
AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MAY 10-11, 1996
PROVIDENCE, RI
MINUTES
A joint meeting of the Executive Committee of the Council (EC) and the Board of
Trustees (BT) was held May 10-11, 1996 at the American Mathematical Society
Headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island. The following members of the ECBT
were present: Roy L. Adler, Hyman Bass, Michael G. Crandall, Robert
J. Daverman, Robert M. Fossum, John M. Franks, Arthur M. Jaffe, Maria M. Klawe,
Donald E. McClure, Cathleen Synge Morawetz, Andrew M. Odlyzko, Franklin
P. Peterson, Marc A. Rieffel, and B. A. Taylor. (It is noted for the record
that, since Secretary Fossum's return from sabbatical was imminent, both he and
Acting Secretary Daverman attended this meeting.) The following member of the
ECBT was unable to attend: Steven G. Krantz. Also present were: Donald
G. Babbitt (Publisher), Gary G. Brownell (Associate Executive Director [AED]),
John H. Ewing (Executive Director [ED]), R. Keith Dennis (Executive Editor),
Timothy J. Goggins (Development Officer), Ellen H. Heiser (Assistant to the ED
[and recording secretary]), James W. Maxwell (AED), and Constance W. Pass
(Controller). Patricia A. Morgan (Director of Production and Electronic
Products and Services) and Ralph E. Youngen (Associate Director of Electronic
Product Development) were present during the Friday-evening discussion session.
President Morawetz and Board Chair Adler presided.
Items occur in numerical order, which is not necessarily the order in which
they were discussed at the meeting.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - INFORMATION ITEMS
1I.1 Secretariat Business by Mail.
Minutes of the Secretariat business by mail during the months
November 1995 - March 1996 are attached (#30).
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES - ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS
2.1 Report from Committee on Education (COE).
The ECBT received the attached report on the May 5, 1996 COE meeting
(Att. #44).
2.2 Report from Committee on Meetings and Conferences (COMC).
The ECBT received the attached report on the April 27, 1996 COMC
meeting (Att. #36).
2.3 Report from Committee on the Profession (CoProf).
The ECBT received the attached report on the March 30-31, 1996 meeting
of CoProf (Att. #6).
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 2
2.3.1 CoProf Review of AMS Public Awareness Activities.
The ECBT received the attached report on CoProf's review of AMS public
awareness activities (Att. #7). Regarding recommendation 5 of the report, the
ECBT suggested that the need to communicate with ALL of the policy committees
about public awareness activities should be stressed to the CoProf
subcommittee.
2.4 Report from Committee on Publications (CPub).
It was noted that CPub had an informal meeting in Orlando in January
1996, and the ECBT received the attached minutes of the April 20, 1996 CPub
meeting (Att. #34). Regarding item 1 of these minutes, the EC endorsed the
policy statement on rejection of papers and abstracts that CPub is recommending
to the Council. In addition, the ECBT asked that CPub recommend a similar
statement on book reviews and rebuttals to book reviews to the 11/96 ECBT.
2.4.1 Resolution on Simplicity.
CPub forwarded a resolution on simplicity to the 11/95 ECBT. The ECBT
referred this resolution back to CPub for reconsideration, with the hope that
it could be reformulated to recognize that simplicity is a goal that has to be
weighed agaist financial considerations in many cases. CPub discussed this at
their April meeting, and a revised resolution can be found on page 6 of
Att. #34. The ECBT voted to recommend this resolution to the Council, with the
following changes (that appear in solid caps) to the last line:
Ease of access and use is one of the main attractions of
electronic publications. For the AMS to gain a significant
role in electronic information dissemination, and to provide
service to all mathematicians, especially those with inadequate
communication and computing facilities, it is important that
AMS electronic products should strive to be as user friendly as
possible. In particular, we urge that access by email be
provided and that as many input and output formats be accepted
as ARE financially PRUDENT.
2.5 Report from Committee on Science Policy (CSP).
The ECBT received the attached report on CSP activities since the last
ECBT meeting (Att. #19).
2.6 Report from MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS Editorial Committee (MREC).
The ECBT received the attached minutes of the March 27-28, 1996 MREC
meeting (Att. #11). One of the main items was the proposal to add the review
texts for the 1940-79 MR reviews to MathSci (see item 3E.6).
2.6.1 Royal Society of London Catalogue of Scientific Papers (1800-1900).
During the last century and the early part of this one, the Royal
Society of London put a great deal of effort into making a comprehensive list
of the journal literature in the sciences. The result was an author index
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 3
published in 19 volumes. Their original intent was to publish 17 subject
indices according to a science classification scheme developed in the early
part of this century. However, only those in mathematics, mechanics and
physics were ever published. The catalogue contains approximately 21,000 pages
(19,000 author, 2,000 subject) listing more than 900,000 items, of which 40,000
are in mathematics.
The Royal Society Catalogue contains an almost complete list of the
journal literature for the 19th century in astronomy, biology, botany,
chemistry, geology, mathematics, mechanics, and physics, among other sciences.
As such it is of interest not only to those who study various aspects of the
history of science, but also to those in fields where this information is still
relevant to current work such as geology and mathematics, for example.
The 1996 Operating Plan included a project to convert this catalogue to
an electronic database with an estimate for the costs included in the 1996
budget. Permission for republication in electronic form has been received from
both the Royal Society and Cambridge University Press.
It is expected that the returns on CD-ROM sales will pay for the
project.
The ECBT voted to give final approval to this project, with a budget as
outlined in Att. #12.
2.7 Report from Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC).
The ECBT received the attached report on the January 1996 meeting of
the LRPC with Policy Committee Chairs (Att. #18). The LRPC met again on May
10, and Marc Rieffel, Chair of LRPC, presented a brief report on that meeting.
2.8 1997 Journal and Book Pages.
The ECBT authorized the following numbers of pages for 1997:
BULLETIN........................640
CONFORMAL GEOMETRY AND DYNAMICS.400
GEOMETRIC THEORY OF
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS.......400
JOURNAL OF THE AMS............1,000
MATHEMATICS OF COMPUTATION....1,750
MEMOIRS.......................3,200
NOTICES.......................1,400
PROCEEDINGS...................3,520
REPRESENTATION THEORY...........400
TRANSACTIONS..................5,000
SUGAKU..........................240
It is noted that an appeal for an 8% increase in pages for PROCEEDINGS OF THE
AMS was considered, but was not approved on the grounds that it is very
important for the health of the AMS and the library community to control the
costs of journals.
The ECBT also noted that the following numbers of pages are currently
the staff's best estimates and were included in the version of the 1997 budget
presented at this meeting:
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 4
ABSTRACTS..........................775
CURRENT MATHEMATICAL
PUBLICATIONS.............3,156
MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS
Issue pages..............8,142
Annual index pages.......4,006
Total MR pages..........12,148
ST. PETERSBURG...................1,361
THEORY OF PROBABILITY AND
MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS....244
TRUDY MOSCOW.......................294
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION IN THE
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES......275
2.9 1997 Journal Prices.
The BT (in consultation with the EC) approved the following list prices
for 1997 journal subscriptions:
ABSTRACTS...............................$ 83
BULLETIN................................$ 267
CONFORMAL GEOMETRY AND DYNAMICS.........$ 125
GEOMETRIC THEORY OF DIFFERENTIAL
EQUATIONS............................$ 125
JOURNAL OF THE AMS......................$ 184
MATHEMATICS OF COMPUTATION..............$ 307
MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS Products:
CURRENT MATHEMATICAL PUBLICATIONS....$ 439
MR SECTIONS..........................$ 107
Data Access Fee......................$5,200
MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS (paper).........$ 370
MATHSCIDISC..........................$1,975
MATHSCINET...........................$1,775
MATHSCINET and MATHSCIDISC...........$2,600
MEMOIRS.................................$ 414
MOSCOW..................................$ 297
NOTICES.................................$ 286
PROCEEDINGS.............................$ 679
REPRESENTATION THEORY...................$ 125
ST. PETERSBURG..........................$1,098
SUGAKU..................................$ 124
THEORY OF PROBABILITY AND
MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS.........$ 422
TRANSACTIONS............................$1,101
2.10 Special MathSci Disc Price for Certain Developing Countries.
For the 1996 subscription year, institutions in the former Soviet
Union, Eastern Europe, Peoples Republic of China, Cuba and Africa (excluding
South Africa) were eligible to purchase MathSciDisc at their second copy
prices; i.e., $520.00 for each of the three discs, provided they had paid half
of a Data Access Fee (DAF) for 1996. The ECBT approved staff's recommendation
that this provision be replaced for 1997 by the following:
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 5
All institutions in the above that have paid an appropriate
1997 DAF are eligible to purchase all SilverPlatter MathSciDisc
products (including network licenses) at 1/2 of the list price.
For non-networked discs, using 1996 prices, this will be:
Current Discs $987.50
Backfile (1980-1987) 450.00
Backfile (1940-1979) 950.00
2.11 Member CD-ROM.
The 11/95 ECBT voted to establish a presidentially appointed Task Force
on a Member CD-ROM. The Task Force is to act as an "editorial board" to
recommend what should be included in the CD-ROM. Its deliberations will be
aided by an informal market survey that has been carried out by the AMS
Marketing Department. At this time, Augustin Banyaga, Harold Boas, Joseph
Lipman, Stanley Sawyer and William Ziemer have agreed to serve on the Task
Force, with Boas as Chair.
The ECBT received a report analyzing the Market Survey and discussing
production costs.
After the Task Force has completed its work, the ECBT will make a final
decision on this project by mail ballot.
2.12 The AMS-IMS-MAA Annual Survey.
The traditional components that make up the AMS-IMS-MAA Annual Survey
continue to provide important baseline information on the state of academic
mathematics. In addition, with the endorsement and guidance of the AMS-IMS-MAA
Data Committee, staff in Professional Programs and Services have supported
recent survey efforts of MAA's SUMMA project, the NSF-funded 1995 CBMS Survey
of Undergraduate Instruction, and an update of the longitudinal study of the
1990-91 cohort of new doctoral recipients. AED Maxwell is representing the AMS
in a collaborative effort with six other scientific societies to improve the
information available on supply and demand for doctoral scientists. This
three-year effort is under the direction of the Commission on Professionals in
Science and Technology and is being funded by the Sloan Foundation.
The upcoming 1996 Annual Survey will include a survey of research
libraries at institutions with a PhD-granting department of mathematics. This
is a repeat of a survey last conducted in 1990. In addition, current plans are
to expand the information gathered on graduate enrollments and faculty
recruitment. There is particular interest in knowing more about the
longer-range impact on the future production of PhD's of the steady decline in
the size of first-year classes of graduate students and the possible increased
attrition during graduate school.
For information.
2.13 Mass E-mail to Members.
The 8/95 Council, in the form of the following resolution, requested a
mass mailing to all AMS members:
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 6
The situation concerning federal investment in scientific
research is of sufficient concern that the Council authorizes
the Committee on Science Policy and/or the President of the
AMS to use the e-mail addresses of members collected by the
AMS to send a message to members concerning whatever actions
on the part of the membership that the Committee and/or the
President believe are politically desirable.
It was pointed out that the 8/95 Council action leaves open the
possibility of future mailings. The ECBT voted to recommend to the Council
that only the President should be empowered to authorize such mailings in the
future. It was noted that this change would not preclude anyone from advising
the President about such mailings.
2.14 Changes in Planning Documents and Process.
For several years the Society has conducted a detailed planning
process, and the resulting document was used both for policy and budget. Now
that planning is part of the yearly routine, it seems prudent to streamline
both the process and the document.
In a series of meetings, staff has developed a new process that is
intended to be simpler and tied more closely to the budgeting process. The aim
is to produce a planning document that is easy to use and understand. At the
same time, the process should be flexible in order to accommodate the different
needs of each division.
The detailed description of the new planning document is contained in
Att. #29, along with a schedule for the planning and budgeting process during
1996. The new operating plan consists of six sections for each division:
1. Mission statement (concise, normally unchanged each year)
2. On-going activities (in bullet form)
3. Trends and issues (an essay of 1-3 pages on important issues)
4. Future projects (in bullet form; justified in section 3.)
5. Financial implications (for the items in section 4.)
6. Report on activities (addressing each item in section 4.)
The last section (6) will be added in November of each year in order to report
on the operating plan for the current year.
Operating plans for different departments in the divisions will be done
in phases so that activities affecting other parts of the AMS can be taken into
account.
It is hoped that the result of the new planning document is a simpler,
more understandable operating plan. This is meant to be a working document,
rather than a list of activities to be ratified.
For information.
2.15 Site for November 1996 ECBT Meeting.
The ECBT voted to change the site of the November 22-24, 1996 ECBT
meeting from Providence, Rhode Island to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
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2.16 Washington Office Activities.
The ECBT received the attached report (#9) on activities of the
Washington office. It was noted that the Washington Office continues to
increase its level of activities, including interaction with other discipline
societies, educational organizations, and government agencies, as well as
helping to develop agendas for the Committee on Science Policy and the
Committee on Education, and staffing the Task Force on Underrepresented
Minorities and the AMS-SIAM-Sloan nonacademic employment project.
For information.
2.17 Task Force on Participation for Underrepresented Minorities.
The ECBT received the final report of the Task Force on Participation
for Underrepresented Minorities (Att. #37). This report contains several
recommendations; the one given the highest priority by the Task Force was the
establishment of an office of minority affairs in Washington (see the next
item).
2.18 Office of Minority Affairs.
As mentioned in the previous item, one of the key recommendations of
the Task Force on Participation for Underrepresented Minorities was the
establishment of an office of minority affairs. The AMS was approached first
by the Mathematical Association of America, and then by the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, and asked to establish such an office jointly with
those organizations. In two separate meetings, representatives from the three
organizations discussed the details of such a possible arrangement. The second
meeting was held on March 22-23, and involved 12 representatives who also
represented various constituencies in the minority community.
Following that meeting, a tentative proposal for establishing a joint
office was formulated by e-mail; that proposal is contained in Att. #15. The
ECBT voted to approve the proposal in principle, but recommended further
exploration to look for a structure that will ensure that the objectives set
forth in the final report of the AMS Task Force on Participation for
Underrepresented Minorities in Mathematics are met.
2.19 Report on Opportunities for Nontraditional Employment - Sloan Grant.
The AMS-SIAM Careers Web page has been available since November.
During December and January over 24,000 files have been transmitted from the
Careers page. Each month four new profiles of mathematicians working in
industry are posted. These mathematicians have agreed to take part in a
question and answer forum page. Linda Thiel, project director, made a
presentation on the AMS-SIAM Careers Project at the Annual Meeting in January,
drawing a standing room audience of mostly young mathematicians.
At the request of the Sloan Foundation, the project will add
information for undergraduate mathematics majors through the development of a
CD-ROM. The Sloan Foundation has indicated it will provide additional funding
for this component, and MAA has been asked to participate in this phase of the
project.
For information.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
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2.20 WONDER SCIENCE.
WONDER SCIENCE is a publication of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
and the American Institute of Physics (AIP), aimed at elementary school
children and their parents. There are eight issues a year, each of which is
devoted to a single theme in science (for example, Estimation, Air Pressure,
Vision, etc.). Each issue is usually about eight pages in length.
This is an effort by the research community to instill healthy
attitudes about science in young students. Because this is the research
community making the effort, the AMS has been asked to participate in the
project. In a meeting with representatives from the ACS and AIP, an agreement
was reached for the AMS to play an advisory role for the academic year 1996-97,
helping the WONDER SCIENCE writers to integrate appropriate mathematics into
the issues when possible. There will be no attempt to produce issues solely
devoted to mathematics, nor any attempt (at present) to incorporate separate
sections on mathematics.
For the next year, AED Rankin will serve as coordinator of this effort,
working with the staff at ACS and AIP who produce these volumes. With a year's
experience, the AMS will be in a better position to judge the best way in which
to participate more fully in the future. The ECBT voted to support continuing
efforts along these lines.
2.21 Frequency of Committee Meetings.
Many of the standing committees of the Society, including the policy
committees and the MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS Editorial Commmittee, plan to meet
twice yearly in order to conduct business. While every committee puts together
a full agenda, many of the items discussed are continuing concerns rather than
urgent business. Both because the policy committees are undergoing review
during the current year, and because the Society is seeking ways to reduce
governance costs, the optimal frequency of meetings was considered.
The costs of meetings include both direct expenditures for travel and
lodging of volunteers as well as staff support. An accounting of those costs
is contained in Att. #33. This accounting includes the direct costs of staff
to support the commitee (for clerical work and correspondence, for example),
but it does NOT include the considerable time of administration devoted to
these committees. This is especially important to note at the present time,
since there have been cuts in the Providence administration making it more
difficult to provide that support.
In addition to the monetary costs of twice yearly meetings, a few
individuals must invest considerable time for travel and preparation. The
President, Secretary, and Executive Director attend almost every meeting, and
since each of these people has many other responsibilities, this places a
substantial burden on their schedules.
Can business of these committees be properly conducted with fewer
meetings? By scheduling a single meeting each year, but of slightly longer
duration (for example, two days instead of one), the costs of travel could be
greatly reduced. E-mail discussions, organized listservs, and phone
conferencing could augment the yearly meeting. Routine business could be
conducted by regular mail when necessary.
By additionally staggering the committee meetings between spring and
fall, the burden on those people who are common to almost all committees would
be greatly reduced.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
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The ECBT voted to recommend to the Chairs of the Policy Committees and
the MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS Editorial Committee that their respective Committees
consider meeting once a year.
2.22 State of the AMS.
The ECBT received the attached report (#17) on the "state of the AMS"
that the ED had presented to the 1/96 Council.
For information.
2.23 Summer Meeting in the Year 2000.
(Note: This is actually a continuation of item 2I.13.)
The ECBT received a report on the April 9, 1996 meeting of the Blue
Ribbon Committee on the World Mathematical Year 2000, at which a plan to
organize a one-week meeting in the Summer of 2000 was formally approved.
For information.
2.24 1997 ABC/ECBT Meetings.
The ECBT approved the following dates and sites for 1997 ABC and ECBT
meetings:
ABC March 15, 1997 (Saturday)...............................Providence, RI
ECBT May 9-11, 1997 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)...............Providence, RI
ABC October 4, 1997 (Saturday)..............................Providence, RI
ECBT November 21-23, 1997 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).........Providence, RI
2.25 Johnson/Turner Program to Produce More Minority Mathematcians.
(Note: this item was not on the printed agenda, but was introduced at the
meeting.)
The ECBT reviewed the attached highlights of the Johnson/Turner program
to produce more minority mathematicians (Att. #45) and approved the expenditure
of up to $20,000 from the Program Development Fund to finance the preparation
of a proposal for outside funding for this program.
2.26 M: The Invisible Universe.
(Note: this item was not on the printed agenda, but was introduced at
the meeting.)
The ECBT reviewed the attached request for endorsement of "M: The
Invisible Universe," a mathematics television series that is being produced for
public television by WQED in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (see Att. #46).
The ECBT voted to endorse efforts (such as this series) toward broader
public appreciation and understanding of mathematics.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES - CONSENT ITEMS
2C.1 Individual Dues for 1997.
According to the method approved by the Council, the ECBT set 1997
individual dues at $124 for the high dues category and set the break point
between low and high level dues at $45,000.
2C.2 Institutional Dues for 1997.
The current version of the 1997 budget assumes a 3% overall increase in
dues from institutional members. The ECBT agreed that both the minimum and
maximum dues for 1996, $640 and $3,640 respectively, should be increased
similarly. It was noted that, assuming no drop in the number of institutional
members, the median increase in dues would mirror the 3% overall increase.
2C.3 November 1995 ECBT Meeting.
The ECBT approved the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee
and Board of Trustees held November 17-18, 1995, in Providence, Rhode Island,
which had been distributed separately. These minutes include:
ECBT open and executive session minutes prepared by the Providence staff,
BT closed executive session minutes prepared by the Secretary of the Society
on behalf of the Secretary of the BT.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES - INFORMATION ITEMS
2I.1 Actions of the Agenda and Budget Committee (ABC).
At its March 16, 1996, meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, the ABC
took the following action. The number in curly brackets is the ABC agenda item
number.
2I.1 {2.24} Schedule for May 1996 ECBT Meeting. The ABC decided the
schedule for the May 1996 ECBT meeting and agreed that the topic for the
Friday-evening discussion session should be: Long Range Prospects for Journals
and MR.
2I.2 NOTICES Editor Search.
Hugo Rossi's term as Editor has been extended to the end of 1997, when
he will have completed three years as Editor. In order to make a smooth
transition, a recommendation for a new Editor needs to be approved by the 1/97
Council. A Search Committee is being appointed by the President; confirmed
members to date are: John H. Ewing, Robert M. Fossum, and Jill P. Mesirov.
Hugo Rossi will serve as consultant to the Committee.
2I.3 The Employment Register in Today's Job Market.
The large number of candidates in the shrinking academic job market,
and the low number of employers making use of the January Employment Register
in recent years have been the subject of discussion recently, most particularly
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 11
at the Joint Committee on Employment Opportunities (JCEO) meeting in Orlando.
Numerous operating improvements in the last four years have enhanced the
Employment Register service to employers, probably averting a collapse of the
system. The JCEO has decided to offer both the current structure and an
alternative non-scheduled format to employers in 1997 in an attempt to draw in
employers who have typically not made use of any employment services at the
Joint Meetings.
2I.4 Congressional Fellowship in the Mathematical Sciences.
It is still too early to make a decision on whether or not the AMS
should sponsor a Congressional Fellow. There are two possibilities to be
considered: a regular Congressional Fellow participating in the program
administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),
or a Congressional intern who would work directly with the AMS Washington
Office. The AAAS Congressional Fellow is assigned a position independent of
the sponsoring society and has only indirect contact with the sponsoring
society. On the other hand, an intern works directly for the sponsoring
society on projects arising from the society's activities. Several societies
have such interns on a regular basis. In either case the sponsoring society is
expected to provide financial support.
At this time it is prudent to continue to study the Washington
situation, with the eventual possibility of sponsoring some type of
Congressional Fellowship.
2I.5 January 1996 Council Meeting in Orlando.
The Council met in Orlando, Florida on 9 January 1996. Minutes have
been distributed to all members of the ECBT and are also available on the Web
(at ). Attached (#26) is a list, in brief format, of actions taken
by the 1/96 Council.
2I.6 April 1996 Council Meeting in New York.
The Council met in New York City on 13 April 1996. Minutes have been
distributed to all members of the ECBT and are also available on the web (at
). Attached (#41) is a list, in brief format, of actions taken by
the 4/96 Council.
2I.7 Search Committees for Secretary and Treasurer.
Committees to conduct searches for replacing two key AMS officers and
officials are being formed. Committee members confirmed to date are:
AMS Secretary Search Committee: Roy L. Adler (Chair), John M. Franks, Ronald
L. Graham, Cathleen Synge Morawetz and Marc A. Rieffel. Robert M. Fossum and
A. Everett Pitcher will serve as consultants to the Committee.
AMS Treasurer Search Committee: John H. Ewing and B. A. Taylor (Chair).
Franklin P. Peterson will serve as consultant to the Committee.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
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2I.8 1996-97 Centennial Fellowships.
Upon recommendation of the Centennial Fellowhip Committee, fellowships
were awarded to the following individuals (institutions where they plan to use
the awards appear in parentheses):
Yi Hu, University of Utah (UC Berkeley)
Robert McCann, Brown University (Brown University)
Alexander Voronov, University of Pennsylvania (MIT)
Jiaping Wang, Stanford University (MIT)
There were about 25 eligible candidates. The Chair of the Fellowship
Committee commented that this number seemed rather small, noted some confusion
in the community caused by the redirection of the Centennial Fellowships by the
AMS Council, and suggested that more effective advertisement clearly seemed
desirable.
2I.9 December 1995 Meeting of the Conference Board for the Mathematical
Sciences (CBMS).
At President Morawetz's request, ED Ewing represented the AMS at the
December 1995 CBMS meeting. Attached (#24) is his report.
2I.10 December 1995 Meeting of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
No representative of the Society attended the December 1995 CSSP
meeting.
2I.11 Report on e-MATH.
A detailed report on e-MATH is contained in Att. #5. The new e-MATH
reorganization, e-MATH usage, e-MATH awards, and new and revised e-MATH
products and services are discussed.
2I.12 Meetings in the Year 2000.
In August 1994, the AMS-MAA Joint Meetings Committee approved the site
and dates for the January 2000 meeting. Contracts were negotiated with the
Sheraton and Shoreham hotels in Washington, DC based upon the normal
requirements for the January Joint Mathematics Meetings. When it was learned
that this might be a joint meeting with SIAM, staff investigated the
possibility of obtaining additional meeting space at the Hilton, the next
closest hotel of any size. Unfortunately, they are fully booked with another
group, and the only other feasible way to obtain additional space would be to
move the entire meeting to the Convention Center downtown. The cancellation
clauses in the hotel contracts call for penalties should the AMS and MAA cancel
their agreements. In the case of the Shoreham this could amount to about
$46,800. In the case of the Sheraton, the estimate is about $113,400. Given
these penalties, it would seem that the best plan for meeting jointly with SIAM
would be to ask the Joint Program Committee to devise a program to fit the
available space, which is considerable, but not enough to allow for the
layering of SIAM's annual meeting on top of a normal AMS/MAA program. SIAM has
been provided with this information and is considering what to do.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
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2I.13 Summer Meeting in the Year 2000.
Plans continue to be formulated for a week-long summer meeting in the
year 2000. The theme of the meeting will be the future of mathematics in the
coming century. In a series of plenary talks throughout the week invited
speakers will cover topics in all parts of mathematics. Each talk will focus
on the FUTURE of that topic, rather than on a summary of the past. Felix
Browder is currently forming the organizing committee.
The MAA was invited to participate in this meeting, but after some
discussion has decided that it will not do so. (While mathematics education
will play a role in the conference, it is unlikely to play more than a minor
role.)
See also item 2.23 of these minutes.
2I.14 Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE).
The Advance Program and registration forms for the July 1996 CESSE
Annual Meeting have been mailed to the CESSE membership, and from all
indications interest in this meeting is high. AMS staff are continuing to work
with members of the hospitality industry in Rhode Island to ensure that all
aspects of the planning are carried out, and to enlist additional assistance as
required. CESSE has agreed to reimburse the host organizations (AMS and the
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) for all direct
costs.
2I.15 Report on Rochester.
The Rochester Task Force of the American Mathematical Society, formed
to lead the AMS effort to support the University of Rochester Mathematics
Department in its resistance to the severe cutbacks scheduled for it in the
University's Renaissance Plan, has been fully operational since late January.
A final list of its members appears in Att. #8. Support for the work of the
Task Force was provided initially by Development Officer Goggins and his staff
and, since mid-January, has been provided by the staff in Professional Programs
and Services, augmented by temporary secretarial support through March, with
coordination by AED Maxwell. A selection of documents relating to the issue is
available on e-MATH. A budget for support of the marginal costs to AMS for
support of the Task Force's work has been approved by the BT, and page 5 of
Att. #8 presents estimated actual expenses as of April 22.
As has been well publicized by now, a favorable resolution to the
Rochester situation was reached at the end of March. Plans for follow-up
activites related to Rochester are described in item 3.5 of these minutes.
2I.16 Report from Task Force on Excellence in Mathematics Scholarship.
A report on the activities of the Task Force on Excellence since the
last ECBT meeting is attached (#20).
BOARD OF TRUSTEES - ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS
3.1 Discussion of Fiscal Reports.
The BT received and discussed various fiscal reports. It was noted
that approval of the 1997 budget will be requested at the November 1996 ECBT
meeting.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 14
3.2 Capital Expenditures - Approval of Specific Purchases.
Requests for authorization to make specific large purchases (items
costing $50,000 or more) are included under this item. No such request was
presented at this meeting.
3.3 Indemnification of Volunteers.
Item 2.12 of the 11/95 ECBT minutes requested staff to find out what
other organizations do in terms of indemnification of volunteers and report
back at the next ECBT meeting. The specific sections of the 11/95 minutes to
be addressed in this item are:
2. The draft procedures "mandate" that members of COPE and
members of any subcommittee appointed by COPE be indemnified
by the Society, and there is a related question as to the
level of indemnification the Society provides for any member
of its vast assortment of committees.
Regarding item 2, the BT asked the Executive Director to find
out what other organizations do in terms of indemnification of
volunteers and report back at the next ECBT meeting.
In addition, item 3.6 of the 11/95 ECBT minutes reported that in
general, the Society, its staff, and volunteers are covered (under liability
insurance maintained by the Society) for liabilities arising out of activities
carried out in their official capacity, subject to standard exclusions. Such
exclusions include illegal activities and liabilities involving volunteers
driving their own vehicles.
In this context it is important to remember that indemnification and
insurance are not the same thing. Indemnification means that the Society
assumes the risk of a volunteers potential loss. Insurance means that the
Society has paid an insurance premium to transfer a risk to an insurance
company. The types and amounts of risks assumed by the Society and the types
and amounts of risks transferred to an insurance companies may not be the same.
A number of other Council of Engineering and Scientific Society
Executives (CESSE) organizations were contacted regarding indemnification of
volunteers, and although there are a variety of practices, it is common among
the larger societies to indemnify volunteers through provisions in their
bylaws. The Bylaws of the AMS currently provide indemnification to Officers,
Trustees, and Council members. These organizations typically also insure for
the risks they are indemnifying; AMS already has the insurance in place.
The BT decided to maintain the status quo, with the understanding that
this means that the question of indemnification of volunteers not specifically
mentioned in Article XII of the Bylaws would be considered on a case-by-case
basis.
3.4 Short-Term Investments.
The Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) is now above goal. As a result,
it is now possible to begin to address certain other issues relating to
financial reserves. In 1991, a report was delivered from an ad hoc committee
that was formed to develop a policy on the Society's financial reserves. The
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 15
report discussed appropriate levels of the ESF and other related matters. One
of the committee's recommendations was that the Society should have as a goal
the development of a balance sheet in which current assets equal or exceed
current liabilities. Current liabilities represent those debts which must be
paid during the following year; current assets are those liquid assets and
other assets which can be expected to be converted to cash over the next year,
and are therefore available to pay current liabilities. As of December 31,
1995, current assets were approximately $2,700,000 less than current
liabilities. The following general principles for the management of the
Society's funds were approved:
1. Earnings of the ESF should continue to be reinvested in the ESF.
2. Cash generated from operations and available for investment should be added
to the ESF if the value of the fund is below its target of 75% of one year's
operating budget plus the value of the Society's unfunded liability for post
retirement medical benefits computed in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles.
3. Cash generated from operations and available for investment which is not
needed for the ESF should be maintained in the Society's short-term investment
portfolio so as to achieve and maintain an approximate equality of current
assets and current liabilities.
It was pointed out that, as a result of these changes, there will now
be an opportunity to diversify the short-term investment portfolio. Possible
options include federal government agency securities, more or different bond
funds, or perhaps an equity-income type of stock fund. Any such recommendation
will be forthcoming in the Fall.
3.5 Mathematics Advocacy Task Force.
The 4/96 Council passed the following resolution concerning the
Rochester Task Force, which had been appointed by President Morawetz and
chaired by President-elect Jaffe:
... that the AMS Rochester Task Force be continued for the
next two years under the name "Mathematics Advocacy Task
Force" (MATF). The purpose of the MATF would be to bring
together prominent representatives from mathematics, sciences,
technology, and business in order to address the role of
mathematics in universities and society at large. The MATF
will collaborate with policy committees and the Council of
the AMS on specific goals. The Council further recommends
that the internal straucture of the Rochester Task Force be
retained and that the MATF strive to build on the momentum
achieved by the RTF over the past two months. During the
second year, the Executive Committee of the Council will
review the MATF.
This recommendation was accompanied by a request that the Board of Trustees
provide funding for the Task Force.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 16
The BT authorized the expenditure of up to $10,000 from the Program
Development Fund for the MATF for 1996. Funding for 1997 will be considered by
the 11/96 ECBT.
3.6 Possible Change in Reimbursement for Council.
The BT considered a request to increase the level of travel
reimbursement for Council members to attend Council meetings. The present
policy is contained in Att. #28. In particular, it was suggested that the
present policy of providing for only one night's lodging might be unrealistic
at many meetings, where members must fly to the location the day before, and
limitations on ground transportation might also be unrealistic for people who
require long trips to airports. The present policy provides some flexibility
by giving the Secretary discretion to make exceptions, but some Council members
view this as unsatisfactory.
The BT voted to retain the present policy, except that if a Council
member feels circumstances in a particular instance require a greater level of
support, they can simply provide an explanation when they submit their travel
voucher (as opposed to having to make a special request to the Secretary
in advance of the meeting).
It was also mentioned that staff is reviewing all travel vouchers and
the BT will be kept informed of any non-trivial changes that are made.
3.7 Registration Fees for the January 8-11, 1997 Meeting in San Deigo,
California.
Based on the information available at this meeting, the BT voted to
advise the AMS-MAA Joint Meetings Committee that the member advance
registration fee for the San Diego meeting be set at $130.
3.8 Trustee Reports on Divisions.
The 1995 annual reports for all divisions had been sent to BT members
in early April. Each Trustee briefly reported on the division(s) for which
he/she acts as liaison trustee:
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION: Klawe, Peterson, Taylor
Facilities and Purchasing
Fiscal
Human Resources
Systems and Operations
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PROGRAMS (Washington Office): Bass, McClure
MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS: Taylor
Administration and Services
Editorial
Reviewer Services
Bibliographic Services
Slavic Languages
Copyediting
Systems
Production
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 17
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES: Adler, Bass
Meetings and Conferences
PUBLICATION: Adler, Crandall, McClure
Acquisitions
Electronic Products and Services
Marketing and Sales
Production
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Morawetz
Development
3.9 Meeting of MR, Inc.
The AMS BT meeting adjourned. The Trustees then
convened as the Board of Directors of MR, Inc. and elected the following
officers:
President of the Corporation: Roy L. Adler
Treasurer of the Corporation: Franklin P. Peterson
Secretary of the Corporation: Donald E. McClure
Directors of the Corporation: Hyman Bass
Michael G. Crandall
Maria M. Klawe
Cathleen S. Morawetz
B. A. Taylor
The meeting of the Board of Directors of MR, Inc. then adjourned, and
the meeting of the AMS BT reconvened.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES - CONSENT ITEMS
3C.1 Trustees' Officers.
The BT named Hyman Bass Chair of the Board, and Michael Crandall
Secretary of the Board, for 1997.
3C.2 BT Business by Mail.
The BT approved the attached minutes of business by mail (Att. #43).
3C.3 Increase in Listing Fees for EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION IN THE MATHEMATICAL
SCIENCES (EIMS).
The BT approved the Joint Committee on Employment Opportunities'
recommendation that the employer listing fees for a standard size ad be raised
from $100 to $120. Staff plan to implement the increased fees for the 1996/97
subscription year beginning in August 1996.
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 18
BOARD OF TRUSTEES - INFORMATION ITEMS
3I.1 Investment Committee Report.
The minutes of the May 10, 1996 meeting of the Investment Committee are
attached (#47).
3I.2 Audit Committee Report.
The Audit Committee met on May 10, 1996 to review drafts of the audited
financial statements, the auditors' management letter, and staff's responses to
the management letter. The audited financial statements for 1995 and 1994 are
attached (#48).
3I.3 Short-term Cash Management.
Att. #27 is a report on short-term cash management for 1995.
3I.4 Human Resources Consulting Project.
As noted at the November BT meeting, the human resources consulting
project was driven by a project team consisting of Ann Renauer (Assistant to
the ED), Lynda Calkins (Director of Human Resources), and AED Brownell. Both
Renauer and Calkins have resigned their positions effective in October 1995.
The consulting project had only just begun, and because of the importance of
having a good project team in place and the importance of the involvement of
the Society's Human Resources Manager, it was decided that the project would be
delayed until some time in 1996, after a new Human Resources Manager is
recruited and on board for while.
This project is considered to be very important, and staff still hopes
to complete this project during 1996.
3I.5 AMS Retirement Plan Benefits Review.
Att. #23 is a summary of retirement plan contributions of several
universities (provided by TIAA) and the AMS. The institutions included are
Brown, California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard,
Princeton, Stanford, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania,
University of RI, and Yale. Although TIAA informed us which institutions were
covered in this "survey," they would not identify an institution's name with a
particular plan. The attachment includes some abbreviations which may not be
familiar to all readers:
TWB - Taxable Wage Base. This is the maximum amount of annual wages subject to
Social Security taxes. It is frequently used in retirement plan design as a
point at which contribution rates increase. It's level in 1996 is $62,700.
SSHBP - Social Security High Bend Point. This is another figure with
significance for Social Security which is often used in retirement plan design.
Social Security computes the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) for Social Security
5/96 ECBT MINUTES
PAGE 19
beneficiaries by a formula that carries over into the PIA three successively
smaller percentages of the worker's Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME).
These percentages remain constant, but they are applied within two annually
increasing dollar limits, the "bend points." The AMS uses the second bend
point to fix the salary level at which employer contribution rates increase.
For 1996, the SSHBP is $31,620.
Robert M. Fossum, Secretary
20 June 1996
