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A. SELECTING A PROGRAM CHAIR OR DIVISION CHAIR The APSA Organized Sections nominate a "program chair" to organize their panels and represent the Section on the Annual Meeting Program Committee. The "division chairs" are nominated by the Annual Meeting Program Chairs, who oversee the Program Committee, and are not representative of an Organized Section. There are also divisions on the program committee that represent sub-fields in political science that are not represented by membership in Organized Sections. Where an Annual Meeting division is represented by an Organized Section, the Section can designate a chair for the Division with the advice and consent of the Annual Meeting Program Chair. The deadline for nominating division chairs is in March for the following year's Annual Meeting (i.e. March 2005 for the 2006 Annual Meeting). It is expected that over the years, Sections will rotate responsibility for organizing their panels to insure the widest possible participation of individuals and the broadest possible representation of perspectives and methodologies. Under Council rules, no person may serve as division chair more than once every four years for any division of the program. APSA encourages that appointments to the Annual Program Committee reflect the variety of different characteristics and background of our members, including race, gender, region of the country, and type of institution. Organized Sections are urged to review the pattern of appointments to the Program Committee over past years to assure that they have contributed to this diversity. B. MEETING TIMETABLE Complete panel listings for the Annual Meeting Preliminary Program are due by February 1. Proposals for Short Courses are due by mid-March. Revisions to the Preliminary Program are due by May 1. Revisions to the Final Program are due July 1. C. SCHEDULING A BUSINESS MEETING OR RECEPTION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING Most Organized Sections choose to hold a business meeting or reception at the Annual Meeting. Time slots and reception rooms are available for reservation, as are cash bars and catering. To schedule a business meeting, reception, or other event at the Annual Meeting, contact Lindsey Rosenthal, Manager, Meetings & Conventions, at lrosenthal@apsanet.org. Forms are available online on the Annual Meeting section of the website. All requests are due by April 11th of the meeting year, in order that they may appear in the Preliminary Program. Time slots and room preferences are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. D. EQUIPMENT AND OTHER SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PANEL SESSIONS Participants on panels need to submit equipment needs by July. Contact Lauren West at lwest@apsanet.org with any questions regarding arrangements for the Annual Meeting. E. ORGANIZING A SHORT COURSE Short Courses are a great opportunity for members to enhance their knowledge about a field and to reinvigorate their teaching and research. Short courses are scheduled for the Wednesday before the Annual Meeting. A preliminary listing with complete times, registration info, cost, and descriptions is published annually in the Preliminary Program that accompanies the July PS: Political Science and Politics. Examples of the topics covered in past Short Courses include "The Changing Ideology of Parties," "Religious Roles in Politics," "The Role of the States in National Health Reform," "Pre-Law Advising and the Political Scientist," and many more. Scheduling a Short Course at the Annual Meeting Sections interested in sponsoring an Annual Meeting Short Course are asked to complete and return a brief application. A copy of the application and instructions can be found on the Short Course Information page. Individuals proposing a Short Course under Section sponsorship should discuss plans with the Section Chair before initiating the application process. With questions regarding development of a course please contact Lauren West at lwest@apsanet.org. To ensure inclusion in the Preliminary Program all materials should be delivered to the national office no later than March 15th. Selecting topics and securing appropriate leaders Short Course conveners are encouraged to develop courses that will not only draw members from their Section but also scholars from across the subfields. Topics range widely and may involve new teaching techniques, technologies, or research methodologies. Finding a topic linked to current trends in the discipline is one way to draw a large audience. Sections should begin the process of securing Short Course leaders or participants early. This material will be published in the Preliminary Program, along with other descriptive information. It is important for Sections who sponsor short courses to have a plan in place in the event of insufficient registrations or the need to substitute a course director or other presenter. Setting a registration fee, managing registration, and collecting funds Many Sections choose to charge a registration fee to cover expenses related to the Short Course. This may include an honorarium for course conveners, costs associated with handouts or publications, audio visual equipment, or refreshments. The average cost for a full-day session is between $15-$20 for faculty and $5-10 for graduate students. Half-day courses are a bit less and sometimes are offered free of charge. Sections are not required to charge a fee. A Section should select an individual to handle receipt of registrations, usually the course convener, regardless of whether a registration fee has been set. This will allow the Section to prepare for the number of participants and assist the APSA Annual Meeting staff in selecting a proper room size and ordering appropriate catering (if applicable). Steps to establishing an application process include naming contact persons, setting registration fees, determining the length of the course (full- or half-day), and deciding whether the course will be held at the meeting hotels or off-site. Equipment and other special arrangements for Short Courses Through agreements in place for each Annual Meeting, Short Course conveners have access to a range of audio-visual equipment, ranging from overhead and LCD projectors to white boards and TV/VCR packages. Some basic equipment is available free of charge to the Section. More advanced pieces of equipment, such as computers and LCD computer projectors are not covered under the Association's general contract and the Section may be required to pay a rental charge. Publicizing Short Courses Short Courses are listed in the APSA's Preliminary and Final Programs, and full details are available on the Association's web site. Sections are encouraged to advertise their courses in newsletters, on web sites, and on electronic lists in advance of the meeting. |
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