[Nsa] Town hall follow up

[Matthew Long]

Dear NSA,
Thanks to all those who participated in the town hall meetings over the
last few weeks. Our impression was that the meetings were very productive.

Here are a few key points that emerged from the discussions:

   - There should be an NSA Science Representative involved in the NCAR
   Executive Committee.
   - We need to establish (clarify/define) the role of NSA in the
   decision-making process at NCAR.
   - The ongoing Workforce Management Plan and Scientific Appointments
   Modernization effort should include deep NSA engagement.
   - Inequity among science tracks requires consideration.
   - We should explore more explicit recognition for products other than
   peer-reviewed papers.
   - Fragmented funding streams impose challenges; the NSA might play a
   broader role in facilitating connections between funding opportunities and
   those with gaps.
   - Our community is fragmented, and it’s hard to grasp the lay of the
   land at NCAR; COVID-19 has exacerbated this.
   - We should organize an annual NSA workshop/conference.
   - It might be time to revisit the NSA Constitution
   <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WAcAdb8JkPr7cLiQ_B9Gx4_ALP5aYYACaLOUZ1EDfiQ/edit?usp=sharing>
   (considering commenting!)


There was also discussion revolving around tension between top-down
management structures and intellectual freedom, distrust between scientists
and leadership, and questions regarding how we might improve communication
with the Directorate.  As the NSA-EC, we are committed to engaging with
NCAR scientific staff to facilitate efforts to address all these issues.

It is critical to recognize that while we face challenges, there are
tremendous opportunities for positive engagement. The NSA draws on the deep
intellectual capacity of our membership. We are all invested in making NCAR
a great place to work and an institution capable of effecting positive
change in the world. Our power will come from collective engagement. As the
NSA-EC, our role is to advocate on your behalf. We hope to provide
opportunities that will help stitch the NSA together as a positive,
inclusive, and constructive community. More to follow.

Please feel free to reach out to the NSA-EC if you have questions or ideas
to share.

NSA-EC <https://internal-ncar.ucar.edu/nsa/nsa-executive-committee>
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