Roundtable
60-75 minute interactive discussion involving the audience
Eligible members may propose roundtables on suggested topics (see list below) or on topics of general interest to both the discipline and the Society. Roundtables are designed to promote discussion and exploration of a selected topic, with an emphasis on active engagement of the audience. Successful proposals will indicate not only the role of the roundtable participants but also how they will engage the audience in active dialogue.
Special Requirements
- A roundtable presentation that has been presented in a previous year may not be resubmitted this year;
- the longer abstract must include a bibliography that shows engagement with conversations about the topic that will form the basis of the roundtable theme and discussion;
- the submitter and primary contact for the roundtable presentation may be a student member, an alumni member, a faculty member, or a chapter Advisor; and
- a moderator must be included at the time of submission.
Submissions Guidelines
Roundtables should be 60-75 minutes in length, including discussion with audience members. Roundtables are not a vehicle for the reading of papers. Faculty may be moderators or participants in a student roundtable, although the proposed roundtable presentation would ideally include at least one student participant. For faculty-focused roundtables on topics such as faculty life, mentoring, or chapter advising, no student presenters are required.
Competition for the limited number of roundtable slots will be lively. Only those submissions that actively engage the audience in dialogue will be considered. While judges will read and consider multiple proposals from the same school, individual chapters are limited to two acceptances unless the proposal includes members from more than one school. Priority will be given to those roundtables that include members from more than one chapter and/or that cover the 2027 Convention theme, Technê. Your Regent or regional Membership Intern can help you connect with members from other chapters.
Not sure what subjects might spark an engaging roundtable? Consider designing a roundtable built around the works of convention authors or topics of interest to those engaged with English and its related disciplines. Suggested topics include:
- Common Reader How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
- Spotlight Author Jane Austen and/or work by related speakers Devoney Looser and Kim Wilson
- Career development for English majors
- Composition or rhetoric
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
- English education/young adult literature
- English and technology
- Literary themes
- Member recruitment or chapter development and activities
- Popular culture/film/media
- Service or literacy
- Writing and publishing
Of course, roundtable proposals will also be considered on other subjects that might be well-suited to interactive discussions involving an audience.
Roundtable Submission Requirements
Your submission must contain the following information:
- Title: Because your title may be abbreviated or condensed for the program or app, carefully consider its length before submission.
- Abstracts: Include two abstracts and a bibliography:
- a short abstract (up to 50 words) to be included in the Convention program;
- a longer description (up to 250 words) that explains how the roundtable is organized, how the participants will involve the audience in active and scholarly discussion, and what makes this approach appropriate for a roundtable discussion; and
- a bibliography that shows engagement with conversations about the topic that will form the basis of the roundtable theme and discussion.
- Moderator: Give the name, school, and email address for the roundtable moderator, who must be a faculty or alumni member.
- Participants: List the name, school, and email address for each participant (maximum of five (5) participants and minimum of three (3) participants). Sometimes roundtable organizers may be required to make changes to the list of participants. Accepted roundtables will be given a deadline for the submission of all final participants.
- Audio Visual Request: Only a limited number of rooms will be set up with an LCD projector and screen. Therefore, only a limited number of requests for A/V will be granted. If you are requesting A/V, please include an additional paragraph stating why A/V will be a necessary component of your roundtable. Include a description of what you will be projecting, such as an online demonstration, video, or slide deck.