Guide for the Chair of the CAS Program Committee

The success of the association's annual conference, which is held in conjunction with the Congress of the Canadian Federation of the Humanities and Social Science, very much depends on the planning of the Chair of the Program Committee (henceforth, Chair).

This congress is normally held at the end of May and the beginning of June. For example, the 2006 Congress, which is being held at York University, will take place from May 27 through June 4.

Immediately upon the election of the Chair, which normally takes place at the annual AGM of the CAS, the association's Secretary Treasurer should submit to the CFHSS the next Chair's name and coordinates. During the AGM, the dates of the next year's congress are announced, as well as its themes. For example, the main theme for 2006 is "The City: A Festival of Knowledge."

In the event that the Chair is not affiliated with the university where the next congress takes place, a Local Arrangements Coordinator (LAC) should be appointed. The LAC will assist the Chair in such matters that can be taken care of only on location. Primary responsibilities of the LAC would typically include room and equipment booking, banquet arrangements, and liaison with the local organizing committee.

Once informed, the CFHSS contacts the new Chair and—if one has been appointed—the LAC, inviting them to attend the Planning Meeting, which always takes place in the early fall, at the university hosting the next congress. In 2011, for example, the Planning Meeting will take place at WLU (Wilfrid Laurier University) on September 29, 2011.

STEP I

The Planning Meeting is very informative and useful. The Chair should attend this meeting! At the meeting all Chairs and their LC's obtain a special Planning Guide, which serves them well throughout the year. Besides enumerating the deadlines to be met, the guide also contains all the forms that the Chair must submit to the CFHSS, as well as the most important contact names and addresses.

Most communication between the CFHSS and the Chair is by e-mail. The occasional phone call, however, might be necessary.

After the Planning Meeting, Chairs are strongly encouraged to seek volunteers among colleagues and graduate students, acquainting them with the steps to be taken throughout the year. Equitable sharing of duties will ensure the conference's success.

STEP II

One of the first responsibilities of the Chair will be (following consultation with the CAS Executive) to issue a Call for Papers (CFP), indicating the dates and venue of the CAS conference in spring, as well as the deadline for panel and individual paper proposals.

• The deadline for proposals will very much depend on the deadlines set by the CFHSS for the submission of the preliminary program and, then, the final program. Normally, the former is set in mid February. Thus it makes sense to request in the CFP that all proposals reach the Chair at least two weeks before the Preliminary Program deadline (see below).

• The CFP should also indicate the deadline after which proposals will not be accepted. This deadline should allow the Chair two weeks for preparing the final program, which must be submitted to the CFHSS by mid April. The chair is free to use a variety of methods to enforce deadlines. Late fees may be imposed, but this gives formal endorsement to the idea that proposals may be submitted late. The chair has the ABSOLUTE privilege of rejecting ANY proposals that come in after the deadline. While it is customary to accept submissions as long as they can be accommodated without undue strain, the chair is under no obligation to extend any deadline. However, it is useful to send frequent reminders to the CAS list as the deadline for submissions approaches.

• The CFP should encourage colleagues and graduate students to submit panels devoted to the main theme/s of the congress. It should also encourage the submission of complete panel proposals. This makes it easier to put a program together!

• The CFP may request a fifty-word abstract of each presentation, if the committee deems this appropriate. Abstracts are a useful tool in evaluating submissions and also help participants at the Conference determine which sessions they should attend.

• The chair is not expected to be an intellectual arbiter in all fields of Slavic Studies. However, the chair is responsible for the scholarly level of the Conference. Submissions that appear to be something other than reports on scholarly research should be rejected. The chair is invited to consult the CAS executive in such unusual cases.

• Ideally, the CFP also enumerates the names of associations meeting at the same time as the CAS. This encourages the formation of joint sessions with other associations. Each association qualifies for financial support from the Federation toward one joint session. The Planning Guide stipulates the deadline for applying for support toward this end.

• It is very important that the CFP make clear that anyone who wishes to present a paper at the CAS conference MUST be a member of CAS. The only exceptions are non-Canadians, who are urged to become members, but since they are likely members of another Slavic Association in their own country, they may not wish to become members of CAS. In communicating with participants, the chair should always instruct them to make sure their membership is up-to-date.

• The CFP should provide a mechanism for the submission of panels and papers. At the same time, the CFP should instruct CAS members to file a travel grant application with the Association's treasurer. This should be done at the same time as panel submission, so that the travel grant awards can be prepared in advance with the same care as the program and in consultation with the program chair.

Ideally, the CFP should be sent out electronically with the assistance of the Assistant Editor of CSP as early as possible but certainly no later than October 30 to the CAS email list (canadian-slavonic-papers@mailman.srv.ualberta.ca), as well as the lists of other associations of Slavists, for example:

• The list for Canadian Ukrainianists (r.senkus@utoronto.ca)

• the Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures list SEELANGS@bama.ua.edu

• the AWSS (Association for Women in Slavic Studies) list AWSS-L@H-NET.MSU.EDU

• the H-Net Russian History List H-RUSSIA@H-NET.MSU.EDU

Note that only members may post messages on these lists. Space limitations might necessitate that only a brief version of the CFP be sent to the lists. Thus, it is advisable to indicate on the CFP the address of the CAS website where the detailed CFP appears.

STEP III

The next important deadline involves the submission to the CFHSS of the CAS mailing list, along with the sum of the CAS society fee and, if applicable, the CAS banquet fee. (In 2004 the deadline was October 8).

Congress registration always involves a fee paid to the Federation and a fee collected by the Federation on behalf of the Association. The Association fees are kept low and are intended to cover the Association's expenses in planning its Conference and to bring in a small income to the Association. In past years, a sliding scale of fees has been applied with regular members paying $20, retired members $15, and student members $10. Non-members have paid $30 in past years. Please note, that the fee for non-members does NOT indicate that non-members can participate and give papers. This is the fee for non-members who wish to attend the conference as spectators. Participation is for CAS members. All CAS conference participants must register with the congress.

The chair must also determine whether there will be a CAS banquet and, if so, whether the fee for the banquet will be collected by the Federation as part of the registration process. The banquet fee must be sufficient to cover all expenses at the banquet, including gratuity and taxes. The Association does not contribute to the banquet. If the banquet fee is not collected as part of the Congress registration, arrangements must be made for the sale of banquet tickets during the conference itself.

The mailing list is normally submitted by the Secretary Treasurer of CAS, in cooperation with the Assistant to the Editor of the CSP.

On the basis of the CAS mailing list, the CFHSS sends the congress prospectus to all (paid) members of CAS. This normally occurs in late December. All pertinent information concerning registration at the congress, its special events, and accommodations appears in this prospectus.

STEP IV

In the second half of October, Society Account Forms, indicating who has the right to sign for expenses (usually the Chair and the Secretary Treasurer) must be submitted by the Chair to CFHSS. (In 2004 the deadline was October 22.)

In mid January, the CFHSS advises Chairs concerning room assignments for panels and other meetings.

Most communications between Chairs and colleagues submitting panel/paper proposal will be by e-mail. Check your inbox regularly.

Send reminders to the CAS list and other lists about the approaching (Preliminary Program) deadlines.

STEP V

The Chair's next important deadline concerns the submission of a Preliminary Program to the CFHSS. Normally, this deadline is in mid-February. (In 2004, it was February 18.) At this date, Chairs must also submit forms requesting the assistance of students and/or special personnel. The Chair should consult with the President and Secretary Treasurer before doing so. Such assistance drains CAS funds. As stipulated above, it is advisable to rely on volunteers from your own department.

Requests for Interdisciplinary Aid are due at the same time as the Preliminary program.

The Preliminary Program must include a meeting of the outgoing Executive, the AGM, meetings of affiliated associations, and special events organized by the community in conjunction with the CAS. Please note that colleagues traveling from the extreme ends of Canada may have difficulty arriving for an early meeting, so plan accordingly.

• There are various opinions on when the AGM should take place. The chair may decide to schedule it at the end of the conference. This might encourage attendance at all panels. But it will also mean that members who must make an early flight home on the last day cannot attend the AGM. The CAS banquet is usually held after the AGM. Many successful AGMs have been held in the afternoon of the second day of our usual three-day conference, with the banquet held in the evening of the same, second day. The AGM should not be held on the first day of the Conference, so that any business meetings that must precede the AGM have time to take place. The chair should insure that Ukrainianists, graduate students, and the outgoing executive have all been assigned a time for their business meetings before the AGM.
• Post the Preliminary Program to the CAS list and website with the assistance of the Assistant Editor of CSP. This program should include business meetings and the banquet. Do not forget to inform other Slavic lists about the Preliminary Program. Encourage fellow Slavists to become members of the CAS and to attend the conference.
• Write to the CAS list, encouraging members to volunteer as Chairs of Panels in the case of panels that were formed on the basis of individual papers.

STEP VI

In late March the Chair submits requests for Audio-Visual equipment to be used at the CAS conference. Chairs are advised to be careful with such orders, inasmuch as AV equipment is rather expensive. The CAS is not a wealthy organization. It is normal for the chair to ask those presenters who require equipment to pay for part of the cost of its rental.

STEP VII

The Final Program must be submitted to the CFHSS by mid April. (In 2004 the deadline was April 15).

• Post the Final Program to the CAS list and website. The text posted on the CAS website should include abstracts, if they were part of the submission process. This allows colleagues to choose the panels /papers they wish to attend.
• Inform other Slavic lists about the existence of the preliminary program at the CAS website.
• This is a good time to check with the CSP office to insure that all conference participants are CAS members. Those who are not should receive a notice requesting them to pay their membership dues. Usually, the CSP office sends these notices.
• This is also a good time to insure that the travel grant budget is apportioned equitably among the participants who have requested assistance. No grant should be paid to anyone who has not paid CAS membership dues. No grant should be paid to anyone who does not show proof of registration at the Congress. Typically, the Secretary-Treasurer handles all matters related to travel grants although he/she may address questions to the PC or LAC.

STEP VIII

Special catering requests must be submitted to the CFHSS at the end of April.

STEP IX

Tweaking of the final program will continue through mid May.

Have the Final Program printed in time for the conference. While some participants will not need a program, print a sufficient number to make sure everyone can have one. Advertising in the program can reduce the cost of printing. CAS cannot afford expensive print and layout. Normally, the chair formats the program in a word processor and xeroxes the programs for distribution.

Also post the Final Program at the CAS website.

• Include in the printed and web versions of the Final Program all abstracts of papers to be presented.
• If you have obtained permission, post e-mail addresses of presenters, so as to promote networking among colleagues.
• Include all special meetings taking place in conjunction with the CAS conference.
• If a joint session has been planned, request that the fellow association publicize it.
• Send to the press information about panels devoted to topical issues. Alert the CFHSS to the presence of such panels.
• Note that, it may be the case that Department Chairs of hosting universities obtain a sum of money from their Vice-President's office for each association housed in their department. These monies may be used toward the printing of the program.

STEP X

Enjoy a job well done and the accolades that will be expressed to you at the AGM of the CAS. The Chair of the CAS Program Committee is the most important link in the life of our association.