JMT Statement for SMC Newsletter

As an SMC member, let me begin by thanking those of you who collected signatures for my petition candidacy; I am now a 2006 IEEE President-Elect candidate because of your hard work!
My vision is for the IEEE to be the “Global Resource of Choice” for scientific, educational and professional products and services. Consequently, IEEE must offer more global and portable member benefits (to support a typical career that includes multiple employers); IEEE must meet the continuing education needs of our members (who must update their knowledge base while being on the job); and IEEE must think and act globally for the profession and think and act locally for the members (who have different cultural and professional needs).

One concern that will affect SMC and all our technical societies is the issue of “open access”; that is, publications – especially those derived from government-funded research – should be readily available and accessible. Although as a researcher I can applaud this stance, I am afraid that IEEE’s financial viability will be irrevocably undermined unless we take immediate steps to change IEEE’s current financial structure, one that is based on deriving more than 50 percent of our revenues on the sale of our publications. Even if open access does not necessarily imply “free access”, it is obvious that we must curtail our dependency on publication revenues. We must develop new intellectual products and services that can be a source for new revenues. Indeed, in 2003 and as the newly elected EAB/VP, I worked with EAB staff and volunteers to launch IEEE/Thomson’s forthcoming Expert Now (formerly known as XELL) web-based learning library; it will contain the best of our conference tutorials and short courses. In addition to meeting our continuing education needs, Expert Now will serve as a new revenue source and possibly grow to replace the lucrative publication business.

I have the qualifications to continue to help IEEE become the global resource of choice, especially given my experience as VP of Publications and as VP of Education. Moreover, as detailed in www.jimtien.com, I have extensive leadership experience and demonstrated excellence, including being elected to the U. S. National Academy of Engineering.

Finally, I humbly ask not only for your vote, but also for your involvement: Together, We Can Advance IEEE’s Global Value.