Eligible members may propose roundtables on suggested topics 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. For more information, review the rules about what individuals can submit;
• 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.

Roundtable Submissions Guidelines

Roundtables should be 60-75 minutes in length, including questions and answers (Q & A) with audience members. Roundtables are not a vehicle for the reading of papers. Faculty may be moderators or participants in a roundtable, though the proposed roundtable presentation would ideally include at least one student participant.

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 convention theme, “In Flux.” A Regional Student Representative or Associate Student Representative can help you use Society resources to connect with other members.

Not sure what subjects might spark an engaging roundtable? Consider designing a roundtable built around the works of convention speakers. Other topics might include:

• 2024 Common Reader: Then the War, And Selected Poems, 2007-2020, by Carl Phillips
• Career Development for English Majors
• Composition/Rhetoric
• Convention Theme “In Flux”
• Diversity
• English Education/Young Adult Literature
• English and Technology
• Literary Themes
• Member Recruitment/Chapter Development
• Popular Culture/Film/Social Media
• Service/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.

Required Information – Submit in one Document

Create a Word document using your title as the file name and save the file as a .doc or .docx. Your document must contain the following information:

1. Title: Due to space constraints, the title cannot exceed 50 characters. Remember to count spaces as well as letters.
2. Abstracts: Include 2 abstracts and bibliography
   • 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, what makes this approach appropriate for a roundtable discussion;
   • a short abstract (up to 50 words) to be included in the convention program; and
   • a bibliography that shows engagement with conversations about the topic that will form the basis of the roundtable theme and discussion.
3. Moderator: Give the name, school, and email address for the roundtable moderator. (The moderator must be a faculty or alumni member).
4. Participants: List the name, school, and email address for each participant (maximum of 5 participants and minimum of 3 participants). A minimum of 3 participants are required for submission. Sometimes roundtable organizers are unable to provide a complete list of participants when submitting the proposal. Accepted roundtables will be required to submit the names of all participants (and any changes to the list of participants).
5. 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, audio presentation, or slide deck.

Refer to Roundtable Submission Criteria for a list of criteria used in the evaluation process.

Submission Deadlines and Notifications

Submitters will receive confirmation, acceptance, and registration information via the email addresses associated with their accounts. Therefore, it is vital that members use email addresses that they check regularly and that will be active through April 30, 2024.

Submission Deadline
Monday, October 23, 2023, 5:00 p.m. CDT

Acceptance and Denial Decisions
Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Confirmation Acceptance Reply
Monday, December 4, 2023

Presenter Registration Deadline
Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Questions

Questions regarding the online submission process should be addressed to the convention staff at [email protected].