Convention Session FAQs
General Convention Procedures
The number of guaranteed sessions allotted to each forum is determined by the Program Committee. MLA committees have two guaranteed sessions. Allied organizations have one guaranteed session.
CloseThere’s a section on the first page of the form to indicate if it is a guaranteed session or not. A final decision must be made before submitting program copy for any session.
Close1 April is the deadline for all program copy, including guaranteed sessions, as well as for any audiovisual or scheduling requests. Scheduling requests are not guaranteed and must be accompanied by an appropriate rationale to be considered.
Close1 April is the deadline for submitting program copy for competitive sessions. All program copy must be submitted online using the appropriate form for the entity.
Close- Panels: Sessions that feature three formal presentations and a presider, with at least fifteen minutes of unstructured discussion with session attendees
- Roundtables: Sessions without formal presentations that focus on open discussion of broad scholarly or professional questions with an emphasis on engagement between panelists and attendees
- Workshops: Intensive discussions led by one or two facilitators that emphasize participation by all session attendees. There are two types of workshops: those focused on professional development and those focused on professional interests, responsibilities, and proficiencies.
- Plenaries: Large public meetings on topics of broad general interest that includes a main session of one hour and forty-five minutes and a maximum of two linked sessions that may be organized to treat specialized aspects of the general topic. A plenary is not a guaranteed session.
- Special Events: Events such as poetry readings, films, or performances. A special event must be proposed as a nonguaranteed session.
- Social Events: Informal gatherings of convention attendees
Typically, each MLA session is one hour and fifteen minutes. For panels, the Delegate Assembly requires a fifteen-minute discussion period at the end of each session. For roundtables, the bulk of the session should be allotted to discussion between panelists and attendees.
CloseAll sessions are judged using the same scoring system. If a collaborative competitive proposal has the same score as a competitive proposal submitted by a single entity, the collaborative proposal will be given preference. Please note that each entity may submit only one collaborative session.
ClosePlanning for collaborative proposals should start in the fall before the year in which the proposal will be submitted (i.e., start planning in fall 2022 for a proposal for the 2024 convention).
CloseNo, collaborative sessions are limited to two cosponsoring entities. Each entity may participate in only one collaborative session.
CloseIndividual MLA members are welcome to submit special-session proposals. Please note that the Program Committee looks at the entire makeup of the convention to make sure that a wide range of fields are covered. Each special-session proposal is considered as an independent proposal; such proposals are not connected to other proposals.
CloseSpecial-session proposals are considered in a separate pool from the competitive-session proposals.
CloseBecause of constraints on the number of sessions that can be held at the convention, members of the Program Committee carefully review and score all session proposals, accepting only those that receive the highest scores (see scoring guidelines). Its decisions on session proposals are final, although submitters are welcome to revise their proposals for the following year (see FAQ below).
CloseThe Program Committee cannot provide specific details or feedback on all the sessions that were not accepted. If you plan to resubmit your proposal for the following year’s convention, you can request assistance with the revision. Send your request, along with a revised proposal description, to scourtney@mla.org no later than 1 February, and include the reference number that was listed on the notification letter. The executive director or one of the Program Committee members will review your revised proposal as well as your original one and provide comments and suggestions.
CloseThis requirement was established in part to demonstrate the applying organization’s ability to create sessions that would withstand the MLA’s proposal review process. The Program Committee does not give special consideration to sessions that are proposed as part of the allied organization application process. Your proposal should focus on the merits of the particular proposed session and should not be used to promote or advertise your organization. All special-session proposals must follow the same submission requirements and are subject to the same review processes. Please refer to Proposing a Special Session and Procedures for Organizing Meetings at the MLA Convention for information about proposing a special session.
CloseCalls for Papers
The call for papers listing is one way for session organizers to invite MLA members to submit presentations for convention sessions. Any entity that plans to propose more than one session for a particular convention must submit a call for papers for at least one of those sessions.
CloseCalls for papers must be submitted through the MLA website. Session organizers may submit calls for papers from early November to 28 February for the following year’s convention. Calls for papers will be posted on the website as they are submitted and removed in late March.
CloseNo.
CloseEach entity should decide whether it wishes to predetermine which session(s) will be competitive and which will be guaranteed. Entities may wish to wait until they receive responses to their calls for papers to determine which sessions should be submitted as guaranteed or competitive. Session organizers are responsible for responding to all inquiries and should indicate when a decision on the session will be made (1 April for guaranteed sessions, 30 May for competitive sessions).
CloseYes. Session organizers who place calls for papers should acknowledge receipt of proposals and notify members whether their proposals will be included in the submitted session.
CloseProgram Copy Forms
Final program copy forms must be submitted online no later than 1 April.
CloseProgram copy forms will be available on the MLA website by mid-March. If you are designated to complete the program copy for your group’s sessions, you will see a link to the proposal form from the Convention Program Forms page. If you have questions about who has access to program copy forms, please contact the appropriate MLA representative: Jo Xi Chen (forums@mla.org) for forum sessions; Deirdre Henry (dhenry@mla.org) for allied sessions; or your MLA committee liaison for MLA committee sessions. If you are proposing a special session, contact Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org).
CloseVisit the Convention Program Forms page to access the session proposal forms. If you are authorized to submit program copy for an entity (an existing forum, MLA committee, or allied organization), click the link indicated. On the User Portal page, find the name of the entity you’ll be submitting copy for, and click the link. Once you have accessed the form, follow the prompts and complete the information in each section. You’ll need to complete each section before moving on to the next one. The final section (“Confirmation”) allows you to view the information that you have entered and make any necessary corrections. Be sure to print out this page and keep it for your records. Once your form is complete and exactly how you would like it to appear, click Submit.
CloseYou can select the session type on the first page of the proposal form. When you select Roundtable or Workshop, you will be asked to provide the participants’ names and affiliations but not presentation titles.
CloseVisit the Convention Program Forms page to access the session proposal forms. Click on the appropriate proposal type (plenary session, special event, or social event), then click the Begin a Submission button.
CloseAn automatic computer-generated confirmation e-mail message will be sent to you when you begin your proposal and after you have completed your submission online. So that the confirmation e-mail messages are not stopped by spam-blocking software, please make sure that your e-mail account is set up to receive messages from mla@confex.com.
CloseOrganizers, Presiders, and Participants
Yes, you may list yourself as presider, panelist, or respondent for the session you are organizing if you feel that this arrangement creates the best possible session. But please keep in mind that you can have your name in the Program no more than twice, so that if you preside and give a presentation in one session, you cannot participate in another session.
CloseNot necessarily. The session organizer is the person who has organized and submitted the session and is listed on the form as the contact person who will receive the program copy proofs in July. The session organizer’s name will not appear in the Program unless that person is also participating in the session. The presider will introduce the session and the speakers, moderate the session, enforce time limits, and provide the required fifteen-minute discussion period. The presider’s name and affiliation are listed in the Program. Session organizers may list themselves as presiders for their sessions, but it is not a requirement.
CloseNo, it is not necessary to list a presider. If no presider is listed, however, you should make arrangements for how the session will function without one.
CloseUsually only one person serves as presider for a session. If you feel that your session requires two presiders, select Presider as the role on the Session Participants page.
CloseSince fifteen minutes must be reserved at the end of each panel for discussion, the Program Committee strongly recommends that a panel include no more than three presentations. For nonguaranteed sessions, it is helpful if you explain how the session will run, how long each presentation will be (17–18 minutes each for three presentations), and why that best suits your session. Proposals that appear not to leave adequate time for the fifteen-minute discussion period will be at a disadvantage.
CloseYes, you may have copresenters on your panel, provided that they are able to give the presentation within the allotted time. On the Add/Edit People page of the form, click the Add Copresenter link under a panelist’s name to add a copresenter for that presentation.
CloseRoundtables may have up to eight participants, including presiders. Each roundtable will last one hour and fifteen minutes; the bulk of the session should be allotted to discussion between panelists and attendees. You should select the number of participants that allows you to create the richest conversation and stay within the allotted time.
CloseRoundtable sessions are intended to focus on group discussion rather than formal presentations. Presentation titles are not listed.
CloseYes. So that as many members as possible may have the opportunity to be active in convention programs, a participant may be listed only twice in the Program. Participants are listed in the Program if they are giving a presentation, participating in a roundtable or workshop, or serving as a presider or respondent. Participating in two different roles in the same session (e.g., as the presider and a panelist) would count as two Program listings. Note: Working groups extend over more than one session, so participants in a working group will not be able to participate in any other sessions.
CloseNo more than two participants from the same institution may participate in a session, regardless of their roles.
CloseNonmember Participants
Only current MLA members (or those whose membership requirements have been waived) may be included in your session. Session participants must be MLA members by 7 April to be listed in the Program. If a session participant is not a member and has not been granted a membership waiver by the 7 April deadline, your session will be listed in the Program without that person’s name or contribution to your panel. If your participant joins the MLA after 7 April and registers for the convention, you can request to have that person and his or her contribution included in the onlline program.
CloseIf the potential participant is not a scholar or works in a discipline other than language and literature, you may request a waiver of membership for that person. Please see the following FAQs for additional information.
CloseAt the discretion of the executive director, waivers of membership may be granted to nonscholars (e.g., medical doctors, visual artists) and to scholars who work in fields other than language and literature. MLA members, including those in the emeritus category, are not eligible for waivers of membership. A waiver of membership may be granted to a person once every five years. Session organizers and presiders are not eligible for waivers of membership. For additional information on waivers of membership, please refer to the Procedures for Organizing Meetings at the MLA Convention.
CloseThe request must be made by 1 April by clicking the Request a Membership Waiver button on the Participant Information page for that participant on the session program copy form. Those who are granted waivers will be eligible to register at the appropriate member rate during regular member registration. If the waiver is not approved, the participant may still become an MLA member by the 7 April deadline to participate in your session. For additional information on waivers of membership, please refer to Procedures for Organizing Meetings at the MLA Convention.
CloseFunding
Funding must be requested by those seeking it, not by session organizers.
Travel grants are available for advanced graduate student members, non-tenure-track or unemployed members, and regular or life members residing outside the United States and Canada. For more information about travel grants, please visit the MLA Financial Assistance page or write to awards@mla.org.
Limited funding is available to support travel for waived nonmembers who need financial assistance. Funding for waived nonmembers is restricted to graduate students, to those whose income is under $30,000, and to those who permanently reside outside the United States and Canada. Eligible waived nonmembers may apply for partial travel reimbursement of up to $400. Waived nonmembers must be registered for the convention to apply for funding. The funding application deadline is 1 December. No complimentary hotel rooms will be provided for waived nonmembers.
Travel assistance is awarded in the form of reimbursement after the convention. Recipients must submit itemized receipts before funds are disbursed. The deadline for submitting receipts for reimbursement will be the same for all travel grant recipients.
CloseCompleting the Proposal
No. All the information that you provide in your final program copy form should be complete and should appear exactly as you wish it to appear in the Program. Session and presentation titles cannot be changed once they have been submitted. The names you include as presider, respondent, and speakers should be the names of the people who will be participating in those positions for your session at the convention. You should have commitments from all the session participants before submitting your final program copy form.
CloseIf you are on the Search Results page, select “Not Found” if there are any questions and continue submitting your program copy. Once we receive your submission, we will manually check the membership status of all session participants and e-mail you if there are any membership questions. Our manual check supersedes any questions that the system may have raised.
CloseThe session organizer is responsible for including all audiovisual requests for the session by 1 April in the “A/V Equipment” section on the first page of the program copy form. It is the session organizer’s responsibility to obtain all audiovisual requirements from the session participants before submitting the final program copy form. Late requests cannot be accommodated.
CloseUse the buttons along the top for italics, boldface, and other special formatting.
CloseAll final program copy forms must be complete and correct at the time they are submitted. The session information printed in the Program will be taken directly from your submission. Before you submit your form, make sure that the information included on the form (participants’ names and affiliations, session title, presentation titles, audiovisual equipment, and accessibility requirements) appears exactly as you wish it to appear in the Program. Any information not included on the program copy form may be omitted from the Program. The final page of the form allows you to review the information that you have entered and make any necessary corrections. Make sure to print out a copy of this page for your records.
CloseCancellations
Please contact the MLA convention office immediately (convention@mla.org). Information about a valid replacement will be included in the online program as time permits. Please note that papers normally cannot be read in absentia (whether by videoconferencing, audio delivery, or presentation by surrogates). Presenters who are unable to attend the convention because of unforeseen emergencies may circulate their papers in advance through private or public groups on MLA Commons or upload them to CORE, the MLA’s open-access repository.
CloseMLA sessions should only be canceled if nearly all the participants are unable to attend the convention. In such a situation, please contact the MLA convention office immediately (convention@mla.org), so that convention attendees can be informed of the cancellation. You should also inform all the participants in your session of the cancellation.
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