Long-Range Guidance, Sponsorship and Management of Education & Training in Optics & Photonics (ETOP) Conference

This memo proposes a long-range sponsorship and management strategy for the Education and Training in Optics and Photonics conference (ETOP). The goal of this proposal is to create a structure that will increase participation and attendance in the conference and to insure long-term quality, continuity and shared responsibility for financial strength.

This document identifies the long-range sponsorship and management strategy for the Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP) conference as agreed upon by ICO (The International Commission for Optics), OSA (The Optical Society of America) and SPIE (The International Society for Optical Engineering.) The goal of this strategy is to create a structure that will increase participation and attendance in the conference and to insure long-term quality, continuity and shared responsibility for financial strength.

Overview

The teaching of optics and photonics, critical fields at the core of today's world-wide technological infrastructure, must continually be upgraded and renewed in order to meet the growing demands of research, science and industry. This conference brings together leading optics and phtonics educators and training personnel from all levels and orientations including pre-college, academia, and industry to discuss, demonstrate and learn about new developments and approaches to teaching in these fields. Through presentations, panel discussions, workshops and exhibits, this important conference informs and teaches the professors, students, teachers and professional trainers how to teach for the future.

ETOP addresses topics at the pre-college, technician and two-year, four-year and graduate-equivalent levels. Typical session topics include: training and laboratory materials for demonstrations; training and continuing education in industry; education in geometrical optics, quantum optics, technologies for integrated diffractive optics; software for teaching; computer assisted learning; curriculum development, and laboratories for optics and photonics education.

Education & Training in Optics & Photonics (ETOP) is a bi-annual conference dedicated to optics and photonics education on an international, in-depth basis. In order to ensure world-wide coverage and participation, ICO and SPIE welcome and encourage their affiliated bureaus, chapters and other interested organizations to host future ETOP conferences.

History

ETOP enjoys on-going support from the technician and two-year, four-year undergraduate, and graduate-level-equivalent international academic community. This conference was first held in 1988 and has been held approximately every two years since that time, rotating between U.S. and non-U.S. venues:

1988 International Conference on Education in Optics
San Diego, California (USA), 14-15 August
Sponsored by SPIE; Cosponsoring Organization: OSA
Chair and Editor: Brij Khorana
25 papers; SPIE Proceedings Vol. 978

1991 International Conference on Education in Optics
Leningrad (St. Petersburg), USSR, 28 September-1 October
Organized by LIFMO--Leningrad Inst. Of Fine Mechanics & Optics
Cosponsored by: ICO, OSA, SPIE and Soviet Union Chapter of SPIE
Cochairs and Editors: Grigori Altshuler and Brian Thompson
75 papers; SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1603

ICO Topical Meeting on Education & Training in Optics
Organized by the Hungarian Optical Society OPAKFI and the Janus Pannonius University for ICO
Pecs, Hungary, 16-19 August 1993
Sponsored and supported by ICO, SPIE, and UNESCO
Chairs & Editors: J. Erostyàk, Z. Füzessy, L. Kozma
~50 Papers; ISBN 963 641 308 8 and ISBN 963 641 309 6

1995 International Conference on Education in Optics
San Diego, California (USA), 9-10 July
Sponsored by SPIE
Cooperating Organizations: CORD, ICO, OSA
Chair and Editor: M.J Soileau
94 papers; SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2525

Fifth International Topical Meeting on Education & Training in Optics
Delft, The Netherlands, 19-22 August 1997
Sponsored by ICO in celebration of ICO's 50th anniversary and SPIE; Cosponsored by European Optical Society (EOS), the Quantoptica Foundation, Phillips Research (Eindhoven), The Institute of Applied Physics (Delft). 56 papers; SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3190.

Sixth International Topical Meeting on Education & Training in Optics
Cancun, Mexico, 27-30 July 1999
Sponsored by ICO, SPIE and OSA
Chair: Javier J. Mondragon
55 papers; SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3831.

Seventh International Topical Meeting on Education & Training in Optics & Photonics
Singapore, 26-30 November 2001
Sponsored by ICO, SPIE and OSA
Chair: T. K. Lim
SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4588

Eighth International Topical Meeting on Education & Training in Optics & Photonics
Tucson, Arizona, USA, 6-8 October 2003
Sponsored by ICO, SPIE and OSA
Technical co-sponsors: IEEE and IEEE/LEOS
Chairs: Barry L. Shoop, Grover Swartzlander Jr.
Proceedings published on 2003 Frontiers in Optics / Laser Science XIX proceedings CD

ETOP session subjects typically address topics such as: training and laboratory materials for demonstrations; training and continuing education in industry; education in geometrical optics, quantum optics, technologies for integrated diffractive optics; software for teaching; computer assisted learning; curriculum development, and laboratories for optics and photonics education.

ETOP is currently being held every two years, in the summer months (typically July or August) of odd years.

I. Management, Sponsorship and Guidance

1. Management

In order to insure consistency and in an effort to establish on-going stability for the conference, SPIE accepts responsibility for the ETOP secretariat and management of ETOP conferences through the 2003 conference. The management of ETOP will be reviewed in 2003 by ICO, SPIE, and OSA and a determination of future management responsibility will be made. OSA will be offered first right to assume ETOP secretariat and management responsibilities through the year 2007. After that, another review will determine continued management philosophy, structure, and sponsor.

The management of ETOP will be broken down into two groups:

1.) Secretatiat and Overall Management

2.) Local Management (Host Organization)

The secretariat and overall management responsibility includes:

• Actively managing or delegating management responsibility to another appropriate organization for finances, facilities and logistics
• Ensuring quality and continuity of the management function and its consistency with ETOP objectives
• Scheduling meetings, taking minutes and maintaining all pertinent records relative to ETOP conferences
• Upon application to and endorsement by the ETOP Long-Range Advisory Committee, either OSA or SPIE may assume local management in addition to overall management of one or more upcoming ETOP conferences.
• SPIE and OSA may alternate in the roles of "Managing Society" and "Non-Managing Society." It is understood that when one society agrees to take on the responsibilities of "Overall Management", the other society automatically becomes the "Non-Managing Society." It is also understood that ICO will be a permanent "Sponsor" of the ETOP meeting, but will not assume either the role of "Managing Society" or "Non-Managing Society" as defined above.

Specific local management responsibilities of the host organization include:

• Developing the conference budget approved by those sponsors accepting financial responsibility for the meeting
• Securing facilities, and facilities and onsite logistics management
• Staffing the conference on site
• Processing registrations for the conference
• Pursuing host country sponsorship
• All accounting and financial reporting of the conference
• Assuring funding of pre-meeting expenses and commitments

Potential Host Organizations will make a formal application to the ICO and the Long Range Advisory Committee to host an ETOP meeting. This application will be reviewed by the Long Range Advisory Committee which will make recommendations to the ICO for approval.

2. Financial Goals

The net financial goal of each ETOP conference will be to operate at a break-even minimum before Proceedings sales. Income from past conference Proceedings sales will not be considered as part of any conference proceeds. All net non-proceedings proceeds, if any, from ETOP conferences will be split equitably amongst the sponsors following reimbursement of expenses. Net losses related to non-proceedings proceeds will be the responsibility of the host organization.

3. Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship and Cooperating Organizations

SPIE, ICO, and OSA are permanent sponsors of the ETOP conference. Other sponsors will be invited or may be proposed by the Long Range Advisory Committee as appropriate at any time for any given ETOP conference.

The term "sponsorship" indicates the organization's willingness to provide financial support to the meeting. Co-sponsors and cooperating organizations will be invited as identified by the conference Steering Committee. "Co-sponsorship" implies no direct financial support by the organization, but can involve active participation in the conference through lending of staff and/or volunteers for significant program or logistical tasks, and active promotional assistance such as loaned mailing lists and feature articles in the organization's publications. Cooperating Organization status implies active promotional assistance only, and no financial risk.

4. Long-Range Advisory Committee

A Long-Range Advisory Committee will be formed with representation as indicated below from regular ETOP sponsors: ICO, SPIE, OSA, and others as identified by consensus of the Committee Members. Each Advisory Committee member will normally serve for a term of three years. A chair will be elected every three years and serve a three-year term. The committee will meet annually (or more often if needed) and its role will be to plan and advise on upcoming ETOP conferences in terms of location, sponsorship, program content and management opportunities. The Managing Society will serve as the secretariat responsible for maintaining records, timelines and scheduling planning meetings. Each sponsoring organization will appoint its respective representatives to the Advisory Committee as follows:

• Appointed ICO bureau representative
• Appointed SPIE member
• Appointed OSA member
• One representative from each additional sponsoring organization
• Appointed SPIE staff member (non-voting)
• Appointed OSA staff member (non-voting)

Continuity of committee members is emphasized. Representatives must have the ability to commit the resources of their organization and to attend planning meetings at their organization's expense.

5. Steering Committee:

A Steering Committee will be organized for each conference 24 months in advance. The role of this committee is to recommend conference topics to the Program Committee, appoint the incoming conference chair and co-chairs, and to approve members of the Program Committee. This Steering Committee will consist of the:

• Immediate past ETOP chair (serves as the Steering Committee chair)
• Chair of the current conference
• Long Range Advisory Committee chair
• Representative from the managing society
• Representative from local organizing sponsor (host organization)
• A representative from each sponsoring organization other than the managing society
• Appointed SPIE staff member (non-voting)
• Appointed OSA staff member (non-voting)

6. Program Committee and Conference Chair

A program committee for each conference will be identified at 15-18 months in advance of each ETOP. The role of this committee is to organize the conference (session topics, panels, papers, etc.) and to select key note and invited speakers and panel members. Members are as follows:

• Chair of conference (serves as Program Committee Chair)
• Conference program committee members, and co-chairs (if any)
• A member of each sponsoring, cosponsoring and cooperating organization upon their identification and request to participate
• Representative from the managing society
• Appointed SPIE staff member (non-voting)
• Appointed OSA staff member (non-voting)

The Conference Chair has the responsibility of appointing session chairs and for the abstract and paper review process. The Conference Chair and managing society must agree on the conference budget and must submit and agree on all changes to the budget at least one year in advance of the meeting date.

II. Proceedings

It is generally assumed that a proceedings of full-manuscript papers (8+ pages) will be published for each ETOP conference. SPIE and OSA will co-publish the proceedings as a volume suitable for both OSA's TOPS and the Proceedings of SPIE, following the usual standards for both series.

Other sponsors of the meeting can be co-publishers upon request and upon negotiation of suitable financial arrangements. All co-sponsors and cooperating organizations will be listed on covers and appropriate internal pages of the proceedings volume. SPIE and OSA will be co-owners with equal rights to the copyright of the contents.

III. Non-Competition

ICO, SPIE, OSA and all sponsoring organizations agree not to sponsor a directly competing activity with the ETOP conference series. Directly competing activity is defined as a conference promoted as an international event held on the same or similar topics, within 6 months of any ETOP conference.

Approved January 2000 by ICO, OSA and SPIE representatives .

_____________________________________

Contact for more information is:

Kathleen ROBINSON, Liaison to ETOP
SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering
P.O. Box 10
Bellingham, WA 98227-0010 USA

ph. 360/676-3290; fax 360/647-1445; email: kathleen@spie.org