5.1 Divisions
The Executive Council is divided into five Divisions, each Division aggregating committees, subcommittees, task forces, and liaisons with related activities. The assignments to Divisions follow.
Education Division
- Accreditation Committee
- Annual Meeting Technical Program Committee
- Education and Training Committee
- Healthcare Symposium Technical Program Committee
- Special Meetings Committee: ErgoX
- Meetings Committee
- Mentorship Committee
- Webinars Committee
Internal Affairs Division
- Chapter Affairs Committee
- Council of Affinity Groups
- Council of Professional Groups
- Council of Technical Groups
- Leadership Development Committee
- Membership Committee
- Practitioners Committee
- Student Affairs Committee
Outreach Division
- Government Relations Committee
- Emerging Topic Fellowship Committee
- Public Outreach Committee
- Representatives and Liaisons Committee
Scientific Publications Division
- Scientific Publications Committee
- Human Factors Journal
- Ergonomics in Design
- Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making
- Human Factors in Healthcare
- Methods Series
Technical Standards Division
- Technical Standards Committee
- ISO Standards Committees
- U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 159
- U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 159/SC1
- U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 159/SC3
- U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 159/SC4
- U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 159/SC5
- HFES 100 Committee
- DoD TAG Liaison
5.2 Council Committees
Council Committees, which report directly to the Executive Council and are not part of any division, follow. As needed, the President may also assign task forces to Council Committees or Divisions.
- Awards Committee
- Risk Management Committee
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Evaluation Committee
- Executive Committee
- Fellows Selection Committee
- Finance and Budget Committee
- Nominations and Elections Committee
- Policy and Planning Committee
5.3 Division Chairs
5.3.1
Division chairs coordinate and manage the activities in the divisions they chair. They serve as a liaison between the Executive Council and the committees within their division. Division chairs (1) convey discussion and action items from each Council meeting and strategic direction to their committees and task forces, (2) convey information in the opposite direction (committee output, both ongoing activities and initiatives in response to strategic direction) to Council. In addition, they (3) coordinate committees within their division to avoid duplication of effort and maximize joint efforts, and (2) serve as a liaison to other division chairs for activities that span divisions.
5.3.2
Division chairs shall attend the annual planning day, the first day of the midyear Executive Council meeting, and both days of the annual Executive Council meeting. Failure to attend at least part of 2 consecutive face-to-face Executive Council meetings for other than good cause shall be sufficient cause to consider that division chair may be failing to perform the duties of office. Executive Council responses to such shall only be discussed in closed sessions.
5.3.3
With the advice of Council, the President shall nominate the chairs of each Division, for approval by the Executive Council. Division chairs are intended serve 3-year terms, with the President formally nominating them for Council approval in each year of their term. Division chairs shall not serve on Executive Council congruently with their term, and their membership on committees and task forces should be limited to ex-officio members. Division chairs shall submit a report on the committees’ recommendations in their division to Council for inclusion in the agenda book for each Council meeting. If a division chair (1) resigns, (2) becomes ineligible after starting a term in office, or (3) is no longer able to perform their duties, a substitute shall be appointed by the President. The Council shall be consulted before an interim chair is appointed (who shall serve until the next Council meeting).
5.4 Division Committees (complete list follows)
5.4.1
The Accreditation Review Committee reviews applications for accreditation and recommends to Council which graduate programs should be accredited. (See Chapter 19.)
5.4.2
The Annual Meeting Host Committee assists the professional meeting planner and Central Office staff on local tours, hospitality, and special events in conjunction with the HFES Annual Meeting. (See Chapter 7).
5.4.21
The Mentorship Committee shall support the members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society by assessing the mentoring needs of the Society’s members, developing and implementing resources, activities, and strategies to meet those needs, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of its activities and making recommendations to the Executive Council on priorities and delivery methods.
The committee shall be composed of at least four members including the chair. Committee members should represent different career stages and different career paths (e.g., academia, industry, government) to be reflective of the members of HFES. The committee shall meet at least quarterly, and additional meetings may be scheduled as needed. Meetings may be held in person or via teleconference.
5.4.3
The Annual Meeting Technical Program Committee s determines the structure, content, balance, and quality of the technical program of each annual meeting of the Society. Specifically, they shall determine the types of sessions to be held and shall schedule these sessions. This includes the selection and invitation of special banquet, luncheon, opening session, and other invited session speakers, subject to the budget and approval by the Executive Council. (See Chapters 18.)
5.4.4
The Awards Committee recommends candidates for Society awards. (See Chapter 12.)
5.4.5
The Chapter Affairs Committee (1) promotes the formation of chapters, (2) assists members in organizing chapters, (3) determines whether requirements for affiliation are met, and (4) helps chapters to coordinate among themselves and with the Society. It shall include at least 3 members, 2 of whom shall be chapter presidents. The management company employee responsible for member services shall be a nonvoting, ex officio member of the committee. (See Chapter 6.)
5.4.6
The Risk Management Committee develops plans to deal with rapidly emerging situations that (1) affect the success of major meetings (e.g., Annual Meeting, Healthcare Symposium) or other events, (2) occur immediately before or during the meeting or other event, and (3) put the health of the society, especially financial, at risk. Examples include a hurricane or flood at the meeting site, strikes of airline personnel or air traffic controllers, government sequesters, visa/immigration constraints, pandemics, and terrorist attacks. Those plans shall be reviewed annually and that review shall be included in the committee’s annual and midyear reports to the Executive Committee.
5.4.7
The IEA Fellow Award Nominations Committee shall be appointed by the President and consist of no more than 5 five members of HFES who shall review and make recommendations regarding nominations for the IEA Fellow Award. See section 12 for the IEA Awards process. This committee shall consist minimally of three HFES Fellows (when possible, these committee members shall themselves be prior recipients of the IEA Fellow Award).
5.4.8
The Mentorship Committee shall support the members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society by assessing the mentoring needs of the Society’s members, developing and implementing resources, activities, and strategies to meet those needs, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of its activities and making recommendations to the Executive Council on priorities and delivery methods. The committee shall be composed of at least four members including the chair. Committee members should represent different career stages and different career paths (e.g., academia, industry, government) to be reflective of the members of HFES. The committee shall meet at least quarterly, and additional meetings may be scheduled as needed. Meetings may be held in person or via teleconference.
5.4.6.1
The Committee chair is a member-at-large of the Executive Council who has been on Council for at least 1 year, either currently or in the past and is on the Executive Committee. It also includes the Secretary-Treasurer, at least 1 other Executive Council member-at-large (1 of whom can serve as the chair after the term of the current chair ends), the chairs of the committees responsible for all major, recurring meetings (e.g., Annual Meeting, Health Care Meeting), and as ex-officio members, the Executive Director, the management company member responsible for meetings, and the Annual Meeting Planner.
5.4.6.2
To support their planning activities, the Secretary-Treasurer shall share details of the Society budget with this committee as well as information generated by subcommittees (e.g., Investments, Net Assets) of the Finance and Budget Committee.
5.4.7
The purpose of the Digital Communication Committee (DCC) is to monitor and assess the HFES websites (i.e., all websites directly associated with HFES) and related digital communication (e.g., email, technical group communication platforms, social media posts, digital messaging, and conference app), to ensure usable, useful, and accessible sources of information about HFES and the field of human factors / ergonomics for members and the public.
The Digital Communication Committee shall:
- Work with the HFES digital design team and/or company engaged by HFES to maintain and manage the Society’s digital communications to ensure all digital communications adhere to:
- a modern design standard
- UX best practices
- Inclusive design best practices
- Serve in an advisory role with respect to locating and presenting content that requires a new area to be added to the website(s).
- Provide updates to the Executive Council (EC) for the Midyear and Annual Meetings on:
- traffic to the Society’s website ecosystem (web analytics such as page counts and page durations),
- what is working well, and
- what could be improved
- Active (e.g., surveys) and passive (e.g., comments from users) methods should be used to determine (b) and (c), as well as expertise internal and external to the committee.
- Propose solutions to address identified problems with an understanding of tradeoffs between cost, schedule, and quality.
- Review proposals for costly redesign efforts or other significant changes as needed. These proposals could be from a company engaged by HFES to manage the Society’s digital communications, outside contractors, and/or volunteers.
- Engage with any and all parties involved in (4) to ensure appropriate resolution of the problems. In performing these tasks, the Digital Communication Committee shall consider the usefulness, ease of use, maintainability, and ease of updating Society digital communications, as well as cost and schedule. All contractual matters relating to these communications shall be managed by the HFES Executive Director.
- Review all technical group, affinity group, local chapter, and student chapter websites annually to determine if the sites are active, need to be updated, or contain inappropriate content (e.g., inappropriate ads). Reports shall be shared with the Council of Technical Groups, Council of Affinity Groups, Chapter Affairs Committee, which will follow-up on any problems.
The DCC chair is a Society member selected by the President. For coordination purposes, the committee shall include the chair of the Education and Training Committee, the Education Division chair, and the Outreach Division chair. The HFES staff person responsible for external communications shall be an ex-officio member of this committee. Other members of the committee shall be selected by the committee chair.
5.4.8
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee supports and encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion within HFES and society at large, recognizing and celebrating the variety of characteristics that make individuals unique. These characteristics encompass a broad range, including, but not limited to: age, belief system, cognitive style, culture, disability status, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, geographic background, job type (e.g., academic, industry, government/military/aerospace, consulting), language, marital/partnered status, national origin, physical appearance, political affiliation, race, religious beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, theoretical perspective and veteran status.
5.4.8.1
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee serves to support the Society’s ongoing efforts to attract, retain, and promote outstanding human factors professionals by fostering a culture of inclusion, belonging, and mutual respect. The DEI Committee is responsible for identifying relevant initiatives that its members will take on, which may include independent (or integrative with other committees): assessment activities, program development, outreach, training, and interventions. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is responsible for fostering an inclusive and active environment among its members, and providing guidance to support the executive council, leadership, and other HFES committees’ initiatives as needed and relevant to the scope of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
5.4.8.2
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee shall consist of two co-chairs; a member of the Executive Council, the Chair of the Council of Affinity Groups (or their designate), and other volunteer members as desired.
5.4.9
The Early-Career Professionals Committee supports networking and mentorship activities and initiatives focused on HFES members in the first 5 years following graduation. The Committee (1) collects data on their needs, (2) plans and conducts activities to address those needs, (3) recruits early-career professionals to join the Society, and (4) works with membership committees to retain them. (See Chapter 11.)
5.4.10
The Education and Training Committee promotes, guides, and provides education and professional training in human factors and related fields to Society members and nonmembers. The Education and Training Committee (1) assesses educational and training needs for Society members, (2) develops and implements proposals to meeting them and (3) makes recommendations to the Executive Council on priorities and delivery methods. In addition to the committee chair, there shall be a minimum of 3 additional members on this committee.
5.4.11 Fellows Committee
The Fellows Selection Committee administers procedures for the nomination and election of Fellows. The Committee (1) evaluates the eligibility, merits, and qualifications of candidates for Fellow status and (2) reviews and recommends criteria and procedures for election to Fellow status. (See Chapter 16).
5.4.13
The Finance and Budget Committee (1) reviews the Society’s financial status between annual meetings including net assets; (2) makes recommendations concerning budgetary revisions, expenditures, and sources of income; (3) reviews the next annual budget for submission to the Executive Council, and (4) makes recommendations about Society investments. The Committee shall be chaired by the Secretary-Treasurer and include the President, President-Elect, the Secretary-Treasurer-Elect, the Immediate Past Secretary-Treasurer, and can include other members elected by the Executive Council. If the Committee believes that additional financial expertise is desired, the Committee can include nonvoting independent financial advisors or financial advisors from the Society management company.
5.4.13.1
For convenience, the Finance and Budget Committee can allocate initial efforts for each of these 4 tasks to subcommittees of its members, with investments specifically being assigned in to a defined subcommittee 9.8.3. In its review of investments, the Committee shall consider the current and future assurance of holdings, the rate of return, the desired distribution of holdings, and other financial considerations. The net assets shall be reviewed in a manner consistent with the Society Net Assets Policy document.
5.4.13.2
In the event of an emergency that puts the finances of the Society at risk, the Committee shall immediately provide a status update and plan of action to the Executive Committee.
5.4.14
The Government Relations Committee collects, evaluates, and disseminates information on public policy that is of interest to human factors/ergonomics and related fields. It also provides advice on what the staff, Executive Council, and members should do in response to those policies. (See Chapter 21.)
5.4.15
Healthcare Symposium Technical Program Committee is responsible for the structure, content, balance, quality, and financial viability of the technical program of each Society Healthcare Symposium. (See Chapter 18.)
5.4.16
The IEA Fellow Award Nominations Committee shall be appointed by the President and consist of no more than 5 five members of HFES who shall review and make recommendations regarding nominations for the IEA Fellow Award. See section 12 for the IEA Awards process. This committee shall consist minimally of three HFES Fellows (when possible, these committee members shall themselves be prior recipients of the IEA Fellow Award).
5.4.17
The IEA Representatives Committee is the communication link between HFES and the International Ergonomics Association. It (1) sends delegates to the IEA executive council annual meetings, (2) communicates the views of the Society at those meetings, (3) submits reports to the HFES Executive Council as requested, (4) informs the membership about relevant IEA activities (e.g., web site and Bulletin articles), and (5) submits nomination materials for IEA awards. This Committee is chaired by the HFES President. It shall include 4 members – the President, President-Elect, Immediate-Past-President, and the Executive Director. (See Chapter 14.)
5.4.17.1
Each delegate shall receive an allocation for travel expenses as established in the annual budget and be subject to the rules governing travel reimbursement.
5.4.18
The Leadership Development Committee shall (1) identify potential HFES and HF/E leaders and (2) develop a plan for them to improve their leadership knowledge, skills, and diversity. In fulfillment of these objectives the Leadership Development Committee will prioritize diversity and the inclusion of underrepresented groups as part of the leadership identification and development process(es), thereby creating a culture of diverse inclusion within HFES over time. Potential leaders can be identified by development initiatives at the annual meeting (e.g., special sessions) and other activities throughout the year including direct contacts. The plan for each potential leader shall include assignment to a committee, task force, or project. Plans for each potential leader shall be evaluated annually prior to the annual meeting, with the review including input from the chairs to whom they were assigned and the potential leaders. The potential leaders shall receive feedback annually as part of that process.
5.4.18.1
The Leadership Development Committee shall consist of a Chair; the Leadership Volunteer Coordinator; one member of the HFES Mentorship Committee; a member, or an identified representative, of the HFES Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee or a member of the HFES Council of Affinity Groups;1 and a minimum of two additional members from various domains of HF/E. One member of the Leadership Development Committee shall be responsible for the coordination of individual plans for the identified potential leaders. All committee members must be HFES members.
5.4.19
The Meetings Committee (1) provides strategic oversight for all meetings and (2) supports the development and evaluation of special meetings. Major recurring meetings (e.g., HFES Annual Meeting, HFES Health Care meeting) are evaluated by the technical program committee of each recurring meeting (Chapter 7).
5.4.19.1
Thus, the Meetings Committee:
- Advises the Executive Council regarding strategic directions for all future meetings
- Reviews (a) all meeting policies, procedures, and practices, and (b) recommends changes to them except when delegated elsewhere (e.g., to the Annual Meeting Technical Program Committee (chapter 18), the Executive Director (chapter 4), and the meeting planner (chapter 7))
- Solicits topics for special meetings
- Creates or reviews meeting applications (including requests for joint meetings)
- Guides chairs and co-chairs of special meetings concerning content, scheduling and format,
- Recommends to the Executive Council which meetings should be offered
5.4.19.2
The committee shall be chaired by the President-Elect and shall include the chair of the Internal Affairs Division, the chair of the Technical Program Committee of each recurring meeting, the chair of the Education and Training Committee, 1 at-large Executive Council member, and as ex officio, the Executive Director.
5.4.20
The Membership Committee shall engage in annual planning of and conducting activities to (1) recruit new members and (2) retain existing members. That plan shall (1) include retention and recruitment numerical targets for all HFES membership categories (Members, Student Members, Early Career Associate Members, Fellows), as well as targets for practitioners and diversity and (2) describe activities to achieve those targets.
5.4.20.1
The Membership Committee shall consist of a chair, the chairs of each membership subcommittee, (Retention, Practitioner Engagement, Recruitment, and Evaluation), and the chairs of the Student Affairs, Early-Career Professionals, Diversity, Fellows Selection, and Education and Training Committees. The HFES staff person responsible for membership shall be an ex-officio member of this committee. (See Chapter 11.)
5.4.20.2
The Recruitment Subcommittee shall (1) identify individuals and groups that should belong to HFES and (2) encourage them to join HFES through direct contact, networking, special events, and other activities. This subcommittee shall focus on initiatives to enhance the diversity of HFES membership. The subcommittee chair shall appoint a minimum 4 additional members who are from different HF/E disciplines including 1 member from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
5.4.20.3
The Retention Subcommittee shall (1) identify individuals and groups that are not as likely to remain HFES members (2) determine member needs (both met and unmet) to retain them, and (3) develop methods and initiatives to meet those needs and retain members. The subcommittee chair shall appoint a minimum of 4 additional members from different membership backgrounds (e.g., students, early-career professionals, practitioners, research/education, fellows).
5.4.20.4
The Practitioner Engagement Subcommittee shall (1) identify practitioner needs for translating and applying human factors/ergonomics science into practice and (2) develop initiatives for those purposes. The subcommittee chair shall appoint a minimum of 4 members who are practitioners from different HF/E applications. For coordination purposes, 1 member of the Practitioner Engagement Subcommittee shall be a member of the Retention Subcommittee. **move to Practitioner Professionals Committee?
5.4.21
The Mentorship Committee shall support the members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society by assessing the mentoring needs of the Society’s members, developing and implementing resources, activities, and strategies to meet those needs, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of its activities and making recommendations to the Executive Council on priorities and delivery methods.
The committee shall be composed of at least four members including the chair. Committee members should represent different career stages and different career paths (e.g.l acadamia, industry, government) to be reflective of the members of HFES. The committee shall meet at least quarterly, and additional meetings may be scheduled as needed. Meetings may be helf in person or via teleconference.
5.4.22
The Nominations and Elections Committee administers the procedures for the nomination and election of candidates for the offices of the Society. (See Chapter 10.) The committee shall be chaired by the Secretary-Treasurer-Elect and include the President-Elect and at least 1 other Full Member who is ineligible for election to a Society office (i.e., the President-and/or Secretary-Treasurer or other members of the Council whose term does not expire in the current year).
5.4.23
The Policy and Planning Committee reviews Society operations and recommends changes to the Executive Council. The committee shall:
- Study the critical issues facing the Society in the near term, including all issues referred to the committee by the Executive Council, and make recommendations regarding their resolution to the Executive Council.
- Recommend to the Executive Council specific projects to be undertaken by the Society during the president-elect's term as president.
- Recommend to the Executive Council the assignment of projects to standing and special committees, the formation of new committees, and the staffing of proposed projects and committees.
- Recommend to Executive Council changes to Operating Rules and amendments to Bylaws.
5.4.23.1
The committee shall present a progress report to Executive Council at the midyear meeting, and a final report at the annual meeting. The final report shall include recommendations for continuing or abandoning activities. The incoming committee shall consider these recommendations in planning its activities.
5.4.23.2
The Policy and Planning Committee shall consist of the President-Elect (chair), the President, and the immediate-Past-President, and at least 3 members, each of whom shall serve 3-year terms. The President-Elect shall be the chair and shall appoint 1 member, whose term shall coincide with the term of that President-Elect as they move through the sitting president positions (i.e., President-Elect, President, Immediate-Past-President).
Practitioner Professionals Committee
5.4.24
The Public Outreach Committee conducts activities aimed at increasing the general public’s level of awareness of human factors/ergonomics and the Society. This committee also guides the management company communications staff regarding press releases, social media, and other content to ensure technical/scientific accuracy, appropriateness, and relevance. (See Chapter 13.)
5.4.25
The Representatives and Liaisons Committee coordinates interactions between the Society and nongovernmental organizations, primarily professional societies. As noted in Chapter 14, representatives can speak on behalf of the Society whereas liaisons are for reporting purposes only. (For the government, the Government Relations Committee is responsible.)
5.4.25.1
The committee supports joint activities that benefit the Society, its members, and the profession, and minimizes opportunities for activities at cross purposes with others. Those activities shall support the application of human factors / ergonomics knowledge, the educational/training and research missions of the Society, the employment of human factors /ergonomics professionals, and/or the promotion of the profession.
5.4.25.2
This committee shall (1) recommend the organizations with which representatives and liaisons are needed and the role the Society should have, (2) recommend candidates for those positions to the Executive Council, (3) monitor their activities, and (4) inform the Executive Council of the activities of representatives and liaisons and (5) provide feedback to them from Council.
5.4.25.3
The Committee shall be co-chaired by the President-Elect and a chair appointed by the President and shall include all representatives and liaisons. The Executive Director shall be an ex-officio member. For coordination, the Public Outreach Committee chair and the Government Relations Committee chair shall be invited to Committee meetings as deemed desired by the Representatives and Liaisons Committee co-chairs.
5.4.26
The Scientific Publications Committee provides tactical support for the strategic plan for publications proposed by the Scientific Publications Division chair and approved by the Executive Council. Activities include: (1) conducting surveys about publications, (2) reviewing proposals for new publications (books, series, journals, etc.), (3) reviewing and recommending appointment of new editors and reappointments of existing editors, (4) reviewing the performance of editors on an annual basis, (5) developing standardized policies and guidelines for publications, (6) evaluating the performance of publications, (7) discussing relevant legal issues relating to editorial decisions of publication editors, with major issues to be referred to the Executive Council, and (8) working with the Scientific Publications Division chair in implementing the strategic plan for the Scientific Publications Division. (See sections 8.5 and 8.6 for additional details.)
5.4.26.1
The Scientific Publications Committee shall consist of the Publications Division Chair (serving as the Chair) and three members who, to the extent possible, are representative of the different entities within the Society (e.g., different disciplines; practitioners and academics). The members shall be appointed from the Full Membership at large by the Chair of the Scientific Publications Committee and shall not serve simultaneously as editor-in-chief of a Society publication. The Chair of the Scientific Publications Committee shall be a voting, ex-officio member. The Society Executive Director and the Society management company Publications Manager shall be nonvoting, ex-officio members of the Scientific Publications Committee. The editors-in-chief of Ergonomics in Design, Human Factors, Human Factors in Healthcare, Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, those leading any Society book series, editors of any other regular periodicals published by the Society, shall be nonvoting, ex-officio members of the Scientific Publications Committee. (See Chapter 8.)
5.4.27
The Societal Impact Committee (1) identifies 1-2 important societal issues per year which human factors/ergonomics can help resolve and, in doing so, advance the science and practice of human factors/ergonomics (including extensions to new applications), and (2) creates and monitors a subcommittee for each issue to develop and carry out projects to make progress on those issues. To identify societal issues, the committee shall (1) create a process to solicit and vet suggestions, (2) identify a subcommittee chair, and (3) recommend the subcommittee size and qualifications for subcommittee members.
5.4.27.1
The Societal Impact Committee shall consist of (1) a chair or co-chairs, (2) 3 members of the Society representing industry, government, and academia, respectively, (3) a student member of the Society, (4) a member of the Outreach Committee as ex officio, and (5) a member of the management company staff serving as ex officio.
5.4.27.2
Subcommittees shall be multi-disciplinary and members can be from outside the Society. With input from the Societal Impact Committee, the Government Relations Committee, relevant TGs, and social media, the Subcommittee chairs will generate an open call for subcommittee members with specific backgrounds. Once formed, for each idea, the subcommittee will (1) determine how to make an impact on this topic (e.g., generate ideas for HF Prize, Student Chapter award, Society Plenary, special section of Human Factors, Government Relations Committee position statements, webinars, publications, pod casts, special meetings); (2) propose a project to the Executive Council; and (3) execute the project once approved by the Executive Council. The subcommittee is project-based and will cease to exist when the project is complete.
5.4.28
Special meetings include conferences, symposia or workshops. The Special Meetings Committee (1) solicits topics for special meetings (2) creates or reviews meeting applications (including requests for joint meetings), (3) guides chairs and co-chairs of special meetings concerning special-meeting content, scheduling, and format, and (4) recommends to the Executive Council which meetings should be offered. (See Chapter 22.)
5.4.28.1
The committee shall consist of (1) a chair, (2) a member of the Executive Council to be appointed by the president, (3) the current chair of the Annual Meeting Technical Program Committee, and (4) a member of the HFES staff serving as ex officio.
5.4.28.2
To support a smooth transfer of meeting supervision, 1 year prior to stepping down as chair of the Special Meetings Committee, the President shall appoint a new chair (with suggestions from the Special Meetings Committee current chair) and the new chair shall shadow the current chair for the next year.
5.4.29
The Student Affairs Committee coordinates, recommends policy for, and supports programs and services for students and student chapters. The management company representative responsible for member services shall be a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the committee. (See Chapter 6.)
5.4.30
The Technical Standards Committee oversees all Society technical standards activities and makes recommendations regarding their policies and practices to Executive Council. (See Chapter 20.)
5.4.31
The Webinars Committee (1) solicits topics and presentations for webinars, (2) generates ideas for webinars and recruits presenters for them, (3) clears webinar ideas with the Central Office staff, (4) coordinates the presentations of webinars with the Central Office staff, which includes the committee assisting with scheduling, promotion, practice sessions, and moderating the webinars. The committee shall consist of (1) a chair, (2) 3 members of HFES representing industry, government, and academia, respectively, (3) a student member of HFES, (4) a member of the Education and Training Committee as ex officio, (5) the chair of the HFES Annual Meeting Technical Program Committee), and (6) a member of the management company serving as ex-officio. At least 1 member of the committee shall have experience in webinar administration, speaker recruitment, or webinar delivery, as criteria for appointment to the committee.
5.4.32
To support a smooth transfer of Webinars Committee supervision, 6 months prior to the current chair stepping down as chair of the Webinars Committee, the President shall appoint an incoming chair (with suggestions from the current Webinars Committee chair) and the incoming chair shall shadow the current chair for the next 6 months.
5.4.33
The White Papers Committee produces white papers that summarize human factors/ ergonomics knowledge on specific topics to (1) shape future directions in research and practice and (2) promote the discipline’s involvement on human factors/ergonomics-relevant topics of high value to society. The committee shall also create policies and procedures to solicit, review, approve, and distribute white papers.
5.4.33.1
The committee shall consist of at least 3 members, including the chair. One White Papers Committee member shall be a member of the Government Relations Committee.
5.4.33.2
White papers are evidence-based documents, typically 2000-3000 words long, representing expert consensus on some topic. As examples, topics could include design of autonomous vehicles for older adults and usability of health information technology. White papers summarize existing knowledge and often recommend future directions in research, practice, and/or funding. The audience will vary with the white paper, but can include scientists and practitioners inside and outside of the profession, funders, and the general public. White papers shall be published on the Society web site, and as a quality check, should be published in a peer-reviewed scholarly publication.
5.4.33.3 White papers can take a position, but should be written in such a way as to not be perceived as lobbying and thereby endanger the Society’s position as a 501(c)(3) corporation. (See Articles of Incorporation, Section II.3.) White papers are to be distinguished from Society Policy Statements, whose topics are often identified by the contracted government relations firm (Lewis-Burke) and Government Relations Committee members. White papers taking a position shall be approved by the Executive Council, per the Bylaws (Article II, Section 7, Society Position Statements).
5.4.33.4
White papers shall be developed as follows:
- Step 1. The White Papers Committee, the Executive Council, the Government Relations Committee, Lewis-Burke, journal editors, or others identify candidate topics.
- Step 2. The White Papers Committee selects a topic or topics based on their relevance to the Society and the profession; the timeliness of each topic; the state of knowledge on the topic; the resources available, in particular, technical experts; and other considerations.
- Step 3. The White Papers Committee either directly recruits technical experts to write the white paper or has a sponsoring technical group recruit experts.
- Step 4. The White Papers Committee or sponsoring technical group reviews the white paper, inviting expert peer reviewers when deemed appropriate; has the white paper revised as needed; and delivers acceptable white papers to the Executive Council. If a white paper has bearing upon government relations, then review by the contracted government relations firm is advised.
- Step 5. The Executive Council reviews the white paper, inviting expert peer reviewers when deemed appropriate; has the white paper revised as needed; and if the white paper takes a position, then per the Bylaws (Article II, Section 7), the Executive Council shall approve it.
- Step 6. Working with the management company and others, the white paper is distributed.
5.5 Committee Chairs
5.5.1
Committee chairs organize the work of their committees. This includes seeing that both ongoing activities and strategic initiatives requested by the Executive Council are completed on schedule, on budget, and at the desired quality level. Some specific activities include (1) guiding, assigning, or personally completing work requests, (2) setting up group meetings, (3) adding or deleting members to assure the necessary members are present to carry out the work program and provide diversity, (4) reporting on their activities to central office and the Executive Council, (5) requesting funds for the activities of their groups and verifying that those funds are spent wisely, and (6) representing the full group’s views to others.
5.5.2
Except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws, the President shall select committee chairs with the advice and consent of the Executive Council. Committee Chairs shall serve from the time of their appointment until completion of the term of the President who appoints them. For continuity, committee should serve for multiple years. If a committee chair (1) resigns, (2) becomes ineligible after starting a term in office, or (3) is no longer able to perform their duties, a substitute shall be appointed by the President.
5.6 Task Forces
5.6.1
The president shall appoint chairs (or co-chairs) of task forces and shall specify the duties, authority, and assignment to divisions of these groups, all with the advice and consent of the Executive Council. In general, a task force authorized by the President shall have a timeline that coincides with the President’s term of office. At the end of that President’s term, the task force shall be either (1) formally continued by the next President, (2) subsumed into an existing committee, (3) transitioned to committee status, or (4) terminated.
5.6.2
Between Executive Council meetings, the President can authorize the formation of task forces with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. The President shall request the Council's advice and consent for this authorization at the Council's next regularly scheduled meeting.
5.6.3
For each new task force, the President shall specify: (1) charge (mission, scope, and constraints), (2) support (resources needed, including financial and human resources (e.g., specific expertise, number of volunteer hours)), (3) deliverable(s) (work products and their due dates, and (4) measurable outcomes (the conditions of successful completion of the charge).
5.7 Task Force Chairs
5.7.1
Task force chairs organize the work of their task forces. This includes seeing that both ongoing activities and strategic initiatives requested by the Executive Council are completed on schedule, on budget, and at the desired quality level. Some specific activities include (1) guiding, assigning, or personally completing work requests, (2) setting up group meetings, (3) adding or deleting members to assure the necessary members are present to carry out the work program and provide diversity, (4) reporting on their activities to the President, the Executive Council, and the management company, and (5) requesting funds for the activities of their groups and verifying that those funds are spent wisely, and (6) representing the full group’s views to others.
5.7.2
The President shall select task force chairs with the advice and consent of the Executive Council. Committee and task force chairs shall serve from the time of their appointment until completion of the term of the President who appoints them. For continuity, committee and task force chairs should serve for multiple years.
5.7.3
If a task force chair, or division chair (1) resigns, (2) becomes ineligible after starting a term in office, or (3) is no longer able to perform their duties, a substitute shall be appointed by the President.
5.8 Reporting
Each committee, task force, and division chair shall submit a report in electronic format to the Executive Director at a time to be specified by the executive director in advance of the annual meeting and the midyear meeting of the Executive Council. Committee and task force chairs and division chairs shall circulate their reports to their members. Those reports shall list (1) the membership of each group reporting and the chair, (2) the major completed and planned activities and their alignment with strategic objectives, (3) measurable outcomes (if possible), (4) expenditures and requests for funding, (5) the number of volunteer hours associated with each activity.