The Scheduling meeting will be called into session by the Chair, Don Moller. This will be followed by welcoming remarks by the SSC Chair and the UNOLS Chair, Ken Johnson.
AGENCY PRESENTATIONS - Representatives from NSF, ONR, NOAA and NAVO will provide the ship operations funding outlook and comment on related issues for Calendar Year 1999.
REVIEW AND UPDATE OF SCHEDULES - Each scheduler will present and update their respective 1999 ship(s) schedule and cost information. 1998 schedules can be presented as necessary where they impact 1999 schedules. View graphs, including ship tracks, are recommended for the presentation. Scheduling conflicts and double bookings should be identified. Agency representatives will announce science funding decisions, set priorities and provide scheduling guidance where appropriate. Presentations will begin with Intermediate and Small sized vessels of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and West coasts in that order. The six Large vessels will be presented as a group.
IDENTIFY CONFLICTS AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES - There will be discussion of outstanding issues and identification of solutions to scheduling conflicts involving scientific personnel and instrumentation, the coordination of cruises requiring specialty equipment with an eye to overall efficiency of fleet operations. (Note: We will attempt to account for all cruises on the inventory maintained by the UNOLS Office.)
COSTS - The UNOLS Office will provide a summary of projected costs for vessel operations in CY-'99.
ELECTIONS - The terms of the current SSC Chair and Vice Chair expire this fall and their replacements need be elected from the membership during this session. A telephone poll of the schedulers resulted in the nomination of two members who have agreed to stand for election. The nominees are: Chair: West Coast - Mike Prince, Moss Landing Marine Lab (POINT SUR) Vice Chair: East Coast - Joe Ustach, Duke Univ. (CAPE HATTERAS) Additional nominees can be presented from the floor.
GENERAL DISCUSSION - A general discussion of the scheduling process will be had with the aim of identifying the manner in which it can be improved to remain effective in a changed scheduling environment. Utilization of the web, the implementation of electronic ship requests and posting of schedules, an increasing need to coordinate PI and instrumentation transfers between vessels, a greater mix of sponsoring agencies (NSF, ONR, NRL, NOAA and state) fleetwide, a general increase in financial pressure for fleet efficiency, and the perception of a disconnect between the scientist user and the schedulers are representative of the changes. It may be necessary to change the process/procedure for scheduling the UNOLS vessels. The following suggestions for modifying the sequence of annual scheduling events may significantly improve the process for scientists, agencies and schedulers collectively. They are offered as a starting point for discussion. 1) May/June - schedulers present a "letter of intent" to run proposed science programs and a general "flow of cruises" in lieu of a "draft" schedule; 2) 4th week June - publish preliminary schedules after NSF panel decisions have been announced; 3) 2nd week July - first scheduling meeting, plenary session. Open discussion of individual schedules with conflict resolution. Schedule Review to follow; 4) Summer - schedule refinement. Publish proposed schedules; 5) September - Schedule review committee meets. If warranted, recommendations should be developed for modifications to the scheduling process and presented to the UNOLS Chair for consideration.