NINCH >> Computer Sciences and Humanities

HEADLINE: Minutes: Computer Science & Humanities
Steering Committee Meeting

2 February 2001, 12-2 p.m.

Subject: Computer Science & Humanities Initiative II: Conference

Present: Marjory Blumenthal, David Green, Charles Henry, Stan Katz (by phone), Joan Lippincott, Amy Masciola, John Unsworth

Absent: Steven Wheatley

The Committee welcomed John Unsworth, a new committee member. Charles Henry offered to send the Committee's original charge to John.

    1. Rationale of the conference:
      a. to facilitate networking across computer science and humanities communities
      b. to begin to articulate a research agenda
      c. to sustain the momentum of the Building Blocks Workshop
      d. to generate a publication
      e. to develop continuity into the next meeting
      f. to educate funders about what is needed
      g. and to bring in the next generation (grad students); note new MA program at UVa in Digital Humanities

    Joan suggested one way to include grad students would be to invite participants to nominate their own students. There will be funding to help students attend.

    The Steering Committee re-asserted that it is a stand-alone body of equal partners.

    The conference should have its own letterhead with a logo such as "The Carnegie Conference for Computer Science & the Humanities" with members' names down the left margin.

    2. Building Blocks summary. The purpose of the Building Blocks Workshop was:

      a. to state the needs of the humanities and arts communities that networked computing can address
      b. to outline short-term practical proposals (24 outline proposals emerged)
      c. to outline longer-term strategies and a research agenda

    3. Possible dates and site for the conference: 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 November at Rice University

    4. List of invitees.

    • The committee decided to appoint a Program Committee to nominate speakers and to decide on the structure of the meeting as well as its content
    • Chuck and Stan will co-chair the Program Committee; David will be on the Committee with Amy's involvement
    • Steering Committee will have final say on list of invitees, though the PC should make suggestions
    • 90 invitees (30 humanities faculty/researchers; 30 computer science "experts"; 5 plenary speakers; 10 grad students; 5 foundation speakers; 10 others)
    • Important criteria for inclusion should be strong reputation for working on the "cusp" of humanities and computer sciences, and be engaged in a research program that crosses boundaries
    • Focusing theme of the conference should be visual information (includes imaging, visualization)

    6. Rice will coordinate local arrangements.

    7. Rather than a pre-conference on-line symposium (as suggested at the NINCH members meeting), John suggested that invited grad students might create a reading list to be distributed in advance of the meeting via a conference web site.