Dear Users,

YNiC would like to invite you to the YNiC Analysis Support Colloquia. These sessions will take place on Wednesday evenings from 4pm to 5pm in Room B020, Psychology. This new session is designed to get Users to present and discuss contemporary analysis problems. They are open to all Users, and will be attended by as many YNiC staff as are available.

The format will be:

* A User will send a message to ynic-users@ynic.york.ac.uk to say that they would like to have a YNiC ASC on a set date, and on a set subject.

* Once a User has nominated a particular date, they are effectively the chair for that session. Before the session, the chair will be expected to forward an agenda to the User list to let YNiC staff, and Users, know what the topic of the session will be, and who will present what.

* The chair will be expected to make a short presentation on an analysis problem at their YNiC ASC, and then lead the subsequent discussion.

* If another User would like to present at a colloquia that is already being chaired, it will be up to the User to contact the chair in advance to see if their data / problem is appropriate for the session. Therefore, in some colloqiua there may be more than one example of the problem presented.

* The chair for the session may be asked to add to the YNiC documentation after their session if new insights into analyses have been gleaned.

Those of you who have had a brainstorm will recognise aspects of the format. The new YNiC ASC will hopefully open these brainstorms up so that all Users can benefit from them. Hence, analysis insights that emerge form these colloquia will be open to the whole User community. These colloquia will also replace interpretation support that may previously have been available via your SLO. This has been decided to ensure that all projects have the potential for the same support, and also that all projects will essentially benefit from input from all YNiC staff and Users, rather than just one individual. We hope that it will be a self-supporting enterprise for the whole User community. (N.B. Note that technical support related to your analysis will still be available from your SLO.)

So, all that is left to do is email ynic-users@ynic.york.ac.uk and volunteer for a YNiC ASC, making sure to state the date and subject.

Best Wishes, Michael

P.S. We appreciate that there may be occasions when there is a clash with Board of Studies meetings however, as there is only 2 per term, this will only be problem 6 times a year. On these occasions Users can suggest to the chair of the YNiC ASC that they might move their date to another day. Alternatively, there may be very specific or technical problems that might be appropriate for a YNiC ASC that clashes with a Board of Studies meeting.