In order to provide consistent supervision for its operations, the Board of Directors has established a number of standing committees. some examples are:
- Audit
- Education and Professional Development
- Ethics and Professional Practice
- Heritage
- Management
- Membership
- Nominating
- Prize
- Publications
- Special Meetings
- Strategic Planning
- Working Group/Composite Group
Serving as a member on one of these committees is a great way to get involved with MORS for the first time.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee conducts an audit of the Society’s books in accordance with Article 10 of the Bylaws of the Society.
Education and Professional Development
The Education and Professional Development (EPD) Committee monitors and reports to the Board of Directors on educational and professional developments affecting military operations research and recommend related actions to be taken by the Society. Members of this committee provide support to the MORS Student Chapters, as necessary; plan, coordinate and conduct the annual Education Colloquium; assist the Tutorials and Junior/Senior Analyst Coordinators for the annual symposium; create and implement a mentorship program for the Society; and develop training, as requested.
Ethics and Professional Practice Committee
This committe reviews issues related to the ethics and professional practices of the Society as directed by the President. The committe reviews complaints of unprofessional or unethical behavior related to Society business brought against any member of the Board of Directors, employee of the Society, or other individual acting on behalf of the Society. Make recommendations to the President on the disposition of such complaints. The committee also reviews the Society’s Code of Conduct for Directors and Employees and the Aspirational Code for continued relevance and recommend changes as appropriate.
Heritage Committee
The mission of the Heritage Committee is to collect and preserve the historical legacy of the Society and to promote programs that encourage a better understanding of the development of military operations research. The committee’s purpose is to record the significant activities, preserve the society’s oral, written and multi-media products and garner the historical intellectual property of the profession of military OR. The committee is designed to perform limited research, gather noteworthy documentation, conduct oral histories, establish repositories for heritage items and solicit from the membership contributions of writings, journals, and annual reports.
Managment Committee
The Management Committee supervises the financial, legal and business affairs of the society.
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee supervise membership matters.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee provides the Board of Directors with a list of qualified nominees for election to the positions of President, Vice President for Finance and Management, Vice President for Meeting Operations, Vice President for Member Services, Vice President for Society Services, and Secretary of the Society.
Prize Committee
The Prize Committee evaluates the available work of all eligible contenders for a given prize to be awarded on behalf of the Society. MORS offers two prizes for best papers – the Richard H. Barchi Prize and the Rist Prize. The Barchi Prize is awarded to the best paper from the entire previous symposium, while the Rist Prize is awarded to the best paper in military operations research submitted in response for a call for papers. The Prize Committee can always use extra sets of eyes to review the nominated papers.
Publication Committee
The Publications Committee recommends activities to the Board of Directors with respect to operations research oriented publications. These publications include military OR texts, MOR journal articles, and PHALANX articles.
Special Meeting Committees
In addition to MORSS, the Society conducts special meetings to address significant and complex problems. For these issue-specific workshops and mini-symposia, MORS defines the problem in advance with a concept paper which eventually turns into a document entitled “Terms of Reference (TOR).” Participants with specific interest and expertise collaboratively share information about the problem, discuss issues in depth and work together to produce useful results. Arrangements and products for each meeting are tailored to best accomplish its specific purpose. The number of attendees may range from a dozen to over 300. Since the first MORS Workshop in January 1985, MORS has held two to five special meetings each year. A listing of upcoming and completed special meetings can be found by clicking the Special Meetings link at the bottom of the MORS home page. As more information is developed about each special meeting, this information will be posted on the MORS web-site.
As with the annual symposium, a good place to get involved for the first time with special meetings is as a working group co-chair. The duties of the co-chair include assisting the working group chair in the preparation of the agenda and invitation lists, as well as performing other duties as may be delegated by the chair.
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee coordinates with the MORS Sponsors and their representatives to understand and record strategic interests and objectives for military operations research analysts. It develops, updates and reviews periodically a strategic appraisal of the MORS organizational capability to meet military decision makers’ needs and goals. The committed develops or updates annually a five-year strategic plan for MORS. It works with the MORS Board of Directors, committees and working groups to ensure that strategic interests are being met through meetings, colloquia, publications, and other information distribution. Reviews products annually based on the five-year strategic plan. Briefs incoming and current Executive Council on strategic issues and directions for MORS.
Working Group/Composite Group Committee
The principal product of the Military Operations Research Society is the MORS Symposium (MORSS). MORSS is classified, normally three days in duration, and recent attendance has been by over 1000 persons representing all military services (uniformed and civilian), government agencies, contractors and academic institutions. MORSS typically includes concurrent general and working group sessions and tutorials. There are 33 working groups, typically having 15 to 35 members that provide for informal discussion and debate on specific issues, methods and applications of operations research. The “backbone” of MORSS is these working groups.
MORS is always soliciting volunteers to be a part of this “backbone.” What part? A good place to get involved for the first time is as a working group co-chair. The duties of the co-chair include assisting the working group chair in the preparation of the agenda and invitation lists, as well as performing other duties as may be delegated by the chair.
First there are six composite groups you can volunteer to help. These composite groups consist of two or more working groups that are joined for a common thread of interest, and usually meet for a single session during a symposium. By volunteering here, you can help the Composite Group Chair solicit papers and coordinate the presentations during these sessions.
After starting out as a working group co-chair, you can continue to grow in the “backbone” of MORS in the future by becoming the working group chair, working group advisor and/or the composite group chair. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer as part of this “backbone,” please contact the chair of the working group(s) that interest you.
On the other hand, if you are interested in getting involved with MORSS but not with the working groups, please contact the Program Chair for the Symposium You can volunteer for to assist with the plenary session, special sessions, VIP program, guest program, poster session, or demonstrations.
The plenary and special sessions consist of formally prepared papers or panels centered around a theme approved by the Board of Directors. In this area, you can assist the Program Chair and Special Session Coordinator by means of communication with the speakers, coordination for the specific sessions, and set-up in their assigned locations. As part of the VIP program team, you can lend a hand assuring all VIPs are identified, have received and completed all necessary paperwork, are assisted with pre-symposium coordination, and are assisted with all procedures, including registration, at the symposium. For the Guest Program team, the team is responsible for planning and executing a program for guests of attendees. Finally, you can assist the respective coordinators in solicitation of demonstrations and posters, as well as facilitate in the coordination and set-up in their assigned locations.