Shift-Taking Policy issues

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We have recently experienced an ‘issue' with the shift-taking policy in GlueX. The trouble is that some foreign institutions are finding it very difficult to send *every* member to take shifts on the experiment due to visa or personal/medical problems. This problem has affected, to my knowledge: ATHENS, GSI, MEPHI, ITEP, and IHEP. Maybe this is also an issue for some domestic institutions. At the present time the most relevant by-law reads:

"E.3.4) Each member of GlueX is expected to take shifts. The minimum number of shifts required per year is one half the average number of shifts per person that need to be covered by the Collaboration. [Example: during a 240-day year of running, there are 1440 shifts. If the collaboration has 120 members, the minimum number per person is (1440/120)*.5 = 6.0 → 6 shifts]. Training shifts do not count as shifts and are the responsibility of the individual/institution to qualify to take shifts. "

Nowhere is it spelled out what happens in cases where members do not meet the stated minimum number of shifts. Nor is it spelled out whether the shifts have to be ‘real' data-taking shifts, or whether ‘standby' or ‘cancelled' shifts count toward the minimum. As one important instance, co-authorship is not presently tied to having taken shifts.

Another related by-law is the following:

“E.1.3) Each collaborating institution has a contact person responsible for filling all shifts assigned to that institution. The assigned shifts to an institution are evenly distributed over the different day and night shifts. The method for choosing shift personnel is left to the discretion of the contact person and his or her institution, but must conform to the overall guidelines described here."

I propose that we move to a system where an institution’s shift load is based strictly on the number of members the institution has, and we entirely leave it up to the Institutional Representative to parcel out the actual shifts to his/her members. This is what we already do in by-law E.1.3 (quoted above). We would decouple the number of shifts that an individual takes from any other collaboration consideration.

As a draft, could we please consisted the following revision of by-law E.3.4:

"E.3.4) Everyone associated with GlueX is urged to participate in data-taking shifts, but participation is neither necessary nor sufficient for membership in the Collaboration. The assignment of shifts to individuals is covered by By-Law E.1.3. A typical number of shifts for equitable participation can be estimated: during a 100-day year of running, there are 600 shifts. If the collaboration has 120 members, the average number per person is (600/120) = 5.0 → 5 shifts."

On a related note, I have some information about almost all of the people on the reconciliation list that Matt sent recently (below). I think we are set as far as who counts toward shift responsibilities for the next round, to be determined next week.

Please send me your comments about the by law revision. Should we move to adopt it?