15 March 2006 [R3-ExCom2006] Communications Committee Report for March 2006 ExCom The Region 3 Communications Committee continues to "drink their own wine" by meeting regularly on-line. Our committee plan for 2006 is available on the Region 3 TWiki collaboration tool at https://ie3col.eng.uab.edu/twiki/bin/view/R3econf/ComPlan2006. Any of you who have visited this page are aware we have a very ambitious set of goals. All Region 3 members can participate. We are particularly looking for a vice chair and volunteers willing to facilitating any or all of our on-line meetings. To participate synchronously, asynchronously, or by correspondence, please subscribe to our mail list. To subscribe: 1. Address an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.ieee.org 2. Put the following in the body of the message: subscribe r3-comm You all receive our quarterly Newsletter. We are looking for comments in the Region 3 On-Line Forum. This year, we will focus each issue on selected, relevant topics. View our editorial schedule on-line at https://ie3col.eng.uab.edu/twiki/bin/view/R3econf/NewsletterPlan2006. Our next newsletter will go out on or before 1 May 2006. This will be an electronic edition. We invite you to focus on graduating student members. Provide your content directly to Quang Tang (q.tang@ieee.org )by 31 March. Feel free to include other content based on your own priorities. Our website is on the verge of a major overhaul. At the January ExCom, Eric Ackerman volunteered to relieve Chip Dawson as webmaster. I would like to thank Chip for his fantastic effort and a great site. Eric has already delivered a draft site with a 21st Century look and feel. Read more about it and see what it might look like at https://ie3col.eng.uab.edu/twiki/bin/view/R3econf/WebSite2006. One of the features Eric has promised is a capability for the committees to enter their own content. With this in mind, we want to focus our collaborative efforts on the ÒfrontÓ door not specific page content. As most of you know, the Region 3 ExCom generated nine initiatives directed against the whole spectrum of issues facing our membership. We look forward to working out specific support requirements as part of our ExCom and Region 3 Committee meetings. Bill Ratcliff placed the nine initiatives on line at https://ie3col.eng.uab.edu/twiki/bin/view/R3econf/RegionInitiatives2006. The committee can be reached at r3-comm@ieee.org. Respectfully submitted, Bill Clayton w.clayton@ieee.org Communications Chair