ROUNDTABLE SUBMISSION

Deadline: Wednesday, October 30, 11:00 p.m. CDT.

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. For more information, review the rules about submission;
  • 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 alumnus, 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 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, “One of Ours.” Your Regent, 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. Suggested topics include

  • Common Reader: When My Brother Was an Aztec, by Natalie Diaz
  • Career Development for English Majors
  • Composition/Rhetoric
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
  • 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

Your submission must contain the following information:

  1. Title: Because your title may be abbreviated or condensed for the program or app, carefully consider its length before submission.
  2. 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.
  3. Moderator: Give the name, school, and email address for the roundtable moderator, who must be a faculty or alumni member.
  4. 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.
  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, or slide deck.

Refer to the evaluation criteria for additional details..

Important Dates

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 March 22, 2025.

Submission Deadline
Wednesday, October 30, 2024, 11:00 p.m. CDT

Acceptance and Denial Decisions
Monday, November 18, 2024

Confirmation Acceptance Reply
Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Presenter Registration Deadline
Friday, January 31, 2025

Questions

Questions regarding the online submission process should be addressed to the Convention co-chairs or staff at [email protected].