Short Course Organizer Information

Each year, APSA hosts Short Courses during the Annual Meeting.  Scheduled for the Wednesday prior to the start of the Convention, Short Courses are half- or full-day sessions that provide opportunities for APSA attendees to enhance their knowledge and to reinvigorate teaching and research skills.

2008 Short Course Application (pdf)
2008 Short Course Application (MS Word)

NOTE:  The equipment fees listed below are tentative and may change. There is no fee to apply for a short course.  Contact Desirée Abeleda for additional information.

APSA does not charge a space rental fee to hold your short course on the premises of the Annual Meeting; however, room space is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. All short course organizers are responsible for fees associated with catering and audiovisual equipment.

ORGANIZING A SHORT COURSE

A. Scheduling a Short Course

APSA Organized Sections and Related Groups as well as non-APSA affiliated organizations may propose a short course by completing the application below. Individuals proposing a course under Section sponsorship should be sure to discuss plans with the Section chair/officers before initiating the application process. All applications should include the proposed short course name with a detailed description, sponsor, participants, expected attendance, and location if it is held offsite.  It is also helpful if an estimated attendance and registration fee information is included at the time you submit the form.  

To ensure inclusion in the Preliminary Program, short course applications AND a description of the short course (formatted to MS WORD) must be electronically sent to Desirée Abeleda  no later than March 15, 2008. 

B. Selecting Topics and Securing Appropriate Leaders

Course conveners are encouraged to develop courses that will not only draw members from their Section but also scholars from across subfields. Topics range widely and may involve new teaching techniques or research methodologies. Finding a topic linked to current trends in the discipline is one way to draw a large audience. Previous topics have included: Getting a Job at a Liberal Arts College; Opportunities for Political Scientists in Government; Bridging the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide in Comparative Politics; Faculty Fulbright Workshop; and the Political Scientist as a Pre-Law Advisor.

Organized Sections and related groups should begin the process of securing 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.

C. Setting Registration Fee, Managing Registration, and Collecting Funds

Although it is not required to do so, many organizers choose to charge a registration fee to cover expenses related to the course. This may include honorarium for course conveners, 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. Once a fee has been set the course organizer should select an individual to handle receipt of registrations, regardless of whether a registration fee has been set. This will allow the group to prepare for the number of participants and assist the APSA Annual Meeting staff in selecting a proper room size for the course.

D. Equipment and Other Special Arrangements

Short Course conveners have access to a range of audio-visual equipment, ranging from overhead projectors to white boards and TV/VCR packages that are available at an additional charge to the course organizers. APSA provides the room, podium and microphones at no charge. Short Course organizers will be invoiced following the Annual Meeting for audio-visual equipment at the approximate prices (from the 2007 meeting), below:

• Overhead Projector and Screen: $65 plus minimum one (1) hour labor ($57)
• VCR/Television: $130 plus minimum one (1) hour labor ($57)
• LCD (power point): $425 plus minimum one (1) hour labor ($572)
• Internet Phone Line: $400 to $700 (T1) depending on the hotel
• Microphones (provided by APSA)
• Flip chart/Markers (provided by APSA)
• Podium (provided by APSA)

E. 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 and related groups are encouraged to advertise their courses in newsletters, on web sites, and on electronic lists in advance of the meeting.