WELCOME!

We invite you to join us in Monterey, California for the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on University and College Computing Services (SIGUCCS) 2005 Fall Conference! The conference is being held at the Portola Plaza Hotel (formerly run as the DoubleTree Hotel), just steps from Fisherman's Wharf, November 6-9, 2005.

Of the many things associated with Monterey - early missions, wine, golf, whaling, beautiful scenery, sardines, sea otters & sea lions - fishing stands out. Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf are noted attractions, as well as the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium. Recreational and sport fishing abound. Fishing vessels dot the harbor.

This year's Fall Conference theme, "Fishing for New Ideas", fits right in with the Monterey locale. While we gather in Monterey to discuss computing services, we'll be "fishing for new ideas" amongst each other, amongst the various educational institutions, businesses and organizations in the area, and amongst some non-traditional sources. We encourage everyone to think "out of the box" this year and explore the local region, and beyond, for new ideas to ever-present and new Computing Services challenges, such as supporting the users while faced with limited resources, training of users and staff, hiring and retaining good technical and managerial staff, providing top-notch help desk support at all times, advancing the pedagogical use of technology, and so forth.

The services we provide day-to-day are not unlike services provided by other fields - banks, hotels, restaurants, churches, museums, fishing charters, etc. We all try to provide our special services to the customer in a positive way, we plan for the future, we anticipate needs, we develop the needed infrastructure, and we try to advance our fields.

This year's program will fish for new ideas. You most assuredly "otter" attend! We also encourage you to actively participate! Check the links at the left for all the details. We look forward to seeing you in Monterey for SIGUCCS 2005!

Your Fall Conference Core-Committee,
Bob Haring-Smith, Chris Jones, Cindy Murnan and Kelly Wainwright