Coming Soon: Committee Workspaces 

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By Roger Riddell 

AASLD is pleased to announce that dedicated workspaces for every association committee are now in development. As an extension of the Special Interest Group (SIG) Workspace initiative, AASLD hopes that association committees will use their respective workspaces as a means to both simplify and change the way business is conducted.

We know that some committees meet on a semi-regular basis, while others are only able to convene once or twice a year. Even for those committees that do meet periodically, the amount of business on any given agenda is considerable. Because of this reality—as  well the fact that other roadblocks (different time zones, work schedules, teaching commitments) to conducting association business exist—we are building dedicated workspaces with the hope that they serve as each committee’s “virtual hub.”

While each workspace will initially start with similar features and utility, they have been designed and are being built to accommodate personalization and growth. So, each committee will be able to determine how they would like to work, and what technology is best suited for their goals. To begin, each workspace will look similar and launch with an interactive calendar, discussion board, document library (to upload and download necessary files), and a link repository. Other features such as surveys and polls, embedded video, and image and slide libraries are also possible and can be incorporated based on needs. There is room for flexibility, and we hope that as your committee begins to use its workspaces, you share your ideas with your committee chairs and staff liaisons.

AASLD believes that with the busy careers of its members as well as the logistical issues of convening a committee meeting, a virtual center to conduct business would be a boon to the organization as a whole through the ability to offer a resource that is available 24-7, no matter what time zone one is in. Now members can work asynchronously on common documents, weigh in with a vote, or a post to fellow members. For committees like the Practice Guidelines committee, this can be a big help as version control can be applied to documents, keeping overwrites to a minimum, and possibly eliminating the problem of having several versions of the same document circulating via email.

Owing to the scope of this project, AASLD will launch these workspaces in a phased manner over the next several months. More details will follow and will be provided by staff liaisons and committee chairs as they become available.