Call for Proposals: Conference hosting, of joint CEPE-ETHICOMP conferences, to be held in Spring 2017 or Summer 2017

Important dates:

Expressions of interest due: April 15, 2015

Full proposals due: May 31, 2015

The Organizing Committee for CEPE / ETHICOMP´17:

• Richard Volkman (Southern Connecticut State University); Conference Chair (volkmanr1@southernct.edu)
• Fran Grodzinsky (Sacred Heart University); Programme Chair (grodzinskyf@yahoo.com)
• Elizabeth Buchanan (University of Wisconsin-Stout; Executive Director, INSEIT) (buchanane@uwstout.edu)
• Bernd Carsten Stahl (De Montfort University; Chair, ETHICOMP Steering Committee) (bstahl@dmu.ac.uk)
• Charles Ess (University of Oslo; President, INSEIT) (c.m.ess@media.uio.no)

Direct submissions to:

Richard Volkman, Conference Chair: (volkmanr1@southernct.edu)

Background

Since 1995 the ETHICOMP conference series has provided a forum to discuss the ethical and social issues surrounding Information and Communication Technology. Over 900 papers have been presented at 13 conferences by individuals from all parts of the world. But ETHICOMP is more than this – it is an interdisciplinary community dedicated to exploring issues and seeking ways forward. The next ETHICOMP conference will take place in September 2015 in Leicester, UK

The CEPE (Computer Ethics: Professional Enquiries) conferences are international fora promoting dialogue between moral philosophy and the field of information and communication technology (ICT). They are sponsored by the International Society for Ethics in Information Technology (INSEIT), founded in 2000 with a focus on the ethical issues in and surrounding ICT. The next CEPE conference will take place in Newark, DE USA in June 2015 < http://inseit.net/news/11>

While each conference series has developed its distinctive culture, identity, and primary areas of focus, both conferences have established traditions of fostering interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue concerning important ethical issues shaping the information society. Both conferences clearly share common interests in ethics and computing. Both conferences maintain a high academic standard: contributions are peer reviewed, published in conference proceedings, and sometimes inspire journal special issues.

In light of these shared interests and purposes, we agreed to hold our 2014 conferences jointly. The success of that effort has prompted us to consider another joint conference in 2017. By doing so, the interdisciplinary and networking goals of both organizations are advanced. At the same time, we hope to realize some economies of scale through such an approach, thereby making more efficient use of increasingly scarce resources.

Each conference typically runs for ca. 2 to 2.5 days. For planning purposes, we are beginning with the assumption of joint conferences taking place over 4-5 days, in either mid-to-late Spring or early-to-mid Summer, 2017, depending on local logistics, etc. Unlike the last joint conference, we are considering alternatives to having the two conferences run back-to-back in the same venue; instead, we are exploring ways to run the conferences concurrently with one another (e.g., alternating sessions or alternating days) so participants of each are encouraged to comingle and explore everything the joint conference has to offer.

Invitation

We seek expressions of interest and/or proposals from individuals and/or institutions interested in hosting CEPE-ETHICOMP2017 and taking primary responsibility for local organization and conference logistics.

The proposal should contain the following headings:

• Name and contact detail of lead individual
• Name and short description of host organization
• Prior experience in hosting and organizing conferences
• Clear statement of support from the host organization(s) – including, e.g., in-kind contributions of conference venue, AV/IT technical support, and so forth
• Initial suggestions and ideas regarding accommodation possibilities, including budget alternatives for graduate students; hospitality arrangements (e.g., receptions, conference dinners, etc.); and other logistical support (e.g., available public transit, nearby international airport(s), etc.)

Tasks

Once the proposal has been reviewed and accepted, the selected conference hosts will work with the conference Organizing Committee, Conference Chair, and Programme Chair during the preparation of the conferences. The main tasks will be:

• Preparation of venue
• Preparation of schedule (in collaboration with Programme Chair)
• Organisation of accommodation and social programme, including requisite transportation arrangements
• Development of the budget for the conference
• Dialogue with the Organizing Committee and Programme Chair regarding the development of conference tracks, themes, track chairs, etc.

Selection Criteria

The Organizing Committee will review proposals with regard to such criteria as:

• advance indication of institutional support on the part of the individual(s) putting forward the proposal
• a geographical location that has not recently been a conference location
• ease of access to the conference venue/location in terms of easy and economic forms of transportation
• value for money, i.e. ability to keep conference cost low for participants
• a large enough venue to hold the prospective numbers of attendees (estimated between 120-180 total)
• being organized by, and involving, a team of both younger scholars – including graduate students – and more senior scholars, with interests in ethics and ICT as well as in effective organization of all logistical aspects of the conference (e.g., hosting, rooms and bookings, associated conference proceedings, etc.).

Those interested in submitting a proposal for hosting are encouraged to contact Richard Volkman and/or any other member of the Organizing Committee with any questions, requests for clarification, etc.