Dear Colleagues
In recent days, the Distinguished Lecturers process has been revised and it has been moved to a virtual format, called VDL (Virtual Distinguished Lecturer). An email was sent from Comsoc, inviting the chapter chairs to a training session on the new system, so please stay tuned. The system works as follows:
- The Chapter Chair contacts the DL of your interest and they agree on possible dates for the talk
- Each chapter chair that wants to invite a DL, fills out the virtual form that has been shared, with the dates previously agreed with the DL.
- They copy this information to the DL coordinator, for statistical information. Hopefully it is scheduled AT LEAST TWO WEEKS in advance (this is Comsoc request)
- The invitation is extended to other chapters in the region, and to members of the region, so that as many people as possible can take advantage of the talk.
- If time zone permits, the invitation can be extended to other regions.
- Once the dates and time are coordinated, the virtual tool (Zoom) is coordinated with Comsoc and the registration of participants is activated, which will be active until the day before the presentation (mainly for the purposes of statistics and access control of the platform) . For this reason, it is suggested that there be a support person with the logistics of the process. We will use Zoom platform provided by Comsoc.
- At the beginning of the conference, the chapter chair makes the formal presentation and acts as the coordinator of the session. The logistics support assist the Chair in different needs arising with the platform.
- The idea is to have at least one DL during September.
I understand that there are already initiatives from the Puerto Rico and Argentina chapters, so I ask you to confirm if there are already defined dates, to begin the coordination process.
Supporting information is found in the VDL Chapter Chair Resources folder
In general terms, it is about taking advantage of each DL for the entire region, but the section that requests it is the one who coordinates and reports the activity. From the information I have, there are requests from Puerto Rico and Argentina for VDL in the month of September, so I ask you to confirm if you have already coordinated with the DL, and inform me of dates and times, in order to extend the invitation to the entire region. The chapter chair continues to be responsible for the activity and coordination of the DL, but it is suggested to have logistical support for the management of virtual tools. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Andres Navarro Cadavid PhD
IEEE Communications Society
Colombia Chapter Chair
Latin America DL Coordinator
The DLT program is one of the most popular programs in Latin America. It brings ComSoc distinguished lecturers for presentations in different countries.
Please, visit ComSoc’s DLT program for more information about the DLT program.