Guidelines for Session Chairs

See also specific guidelines for: Presenters | Alternate Chairs

• Every session at the RMMLA convention has a chair; most also have an alternate chair.
• The alternate chair may step in as chair if the chair has to cancel, but is not obliged to do so.
• The current alternate chair of a session has first claim to be chair the following year.

• Session chairs and alternate chairs should be current members of RMMLA by March 1.
• The chair reminds presenters that they must be current in their RMMLA dues by April 1.

• The chair reviews paper proposals submitted by March 1 and selects three or four of the best proposals. If proposals are few, the chair is responsible for soliciting additional proposals from among colleagues, from field- specific listservs, etc.
• Chairs are discouraged from accepting papers from more than two members of his/her home institution or two members of the same institution, unless the focus of that session is somehow related to the institution, unless it is the local host institution, or unless the third presenter from that institution is replacing another presenter who had to cancel at the last moment.
• The chair notifies all who proposed papers of their acceptance or rejection by March 15.
• If a chair has not received enough good proposals by March 1, s/he may request an extension of 30 days maximum from the Executive Director. If, after the extension, the session is still not full, the chair and the Executive Director decide whether to cancel the session.
• Chairs may present in their own session, but are encouraged to find another session in which to present.

• Requests for waivers of membership dues and convention registration fees for a special presenter/discussant whom a chair wishes to invite must be submitted to the Secretariat by April 1.
• Waiver requests must be accompanied by a brief justification and a biographical summary of the proposed special speaker.
• The decision to grant the waiver will be made by the Executive Board.
• Only a limited number of waivers is available per convention and only one waiver is allowed per panel.

• The chair submits session information to the RMMLA Secretariat by May 1.
• The chair submits this information using the PROGRAM FORM FOR SESSION CHAIRS on the Conventions page of this site. The chair enters the name of the presenter and the paper title.
• The system will block the entry if the chair and/or the presenter is not current in dues. Once payment is made, however, chairs may go back to the online form and enter the information.
• Contact the Secretariat with any questions - 509-335-4198 or rmmla@wsu.edu.

• The chair or individual presenters must submit requests for audio-visual equipment by May 1.
• Requests may be made using the Program Info form on the web or by emailing the Secretariat at rmmla@wsu.edu

• The Program Committee sets the schedule based on the session topic (trying to avoid overlap in all time slots), the anticipated size of the session, and any audio-visual requests. We also try to rotate sessions, so that a session does not get placed in the same time slot year after year.
• Scheduling requests must be received by May 1 in order to be considered.

• At the convention, the chair introduces the topic and the speakers, moderates the session, making sure presenters have equal time to present and that time remains for discussion.
• Sessions at the RMMLA convention run 90 minutes. If a chair has three papers, that gives approximately 5 minutes for introductions, 20-22 minutes per paper, and 15-20 minutes for questions. If a chair has three papers, that gives approximately 5 minutes for introductions, 15-17 minutes per paper, and 15-20 minutes for questions.
• Chairs will be given colored 2 and 5 minute cards in their packet to signal to a presenter, if need be, that his/her time is running down.

• The current alternate chair of a session has first claim to be chair the following year.
• Prior to the convention, the Secretariat emails all alternate chairs to ask if they wish to chair the following year. This information is given to the session chair, so s/he will know whether to hold the election for chair alone OR new chair and alternate chair.
• At the end of the session, the chair holds an election from among interested participants of the session.
• Election results must be given to the Secretariat -- at the convention, if possible, but by November 1 at the latest.
• The name of the new chair will be listed in the Call for Papers which is published by November 15. Please make sure that the address/email/phone/fax that we have on file is the one you wish to appear in the CFP.
• Elections in Special Topic Sessions may also be held if the group wishes to be listed in the Call for Papers for the following year. (N.B. Special Topic Sessions are included on a space-available, topic-approval basis.)

• Should the chair not be able to attend the convention or fulfill the duties of chair, s/he should notify the Secretariat immediately.
• The alternate chair will be asked to do assume those duties, if possible.
• Should the alternate chair not be able to do so, a presenter of the session will be asked to chair the session.

• To encourage new member participation in organizing Regular Sessions at the convention and to allow members to develop new directions of inquiry in these sessions, chairs should encourage rotation in the election of new session officers, such that no one person may chair the same session two years in a row OR more than twice in a five year period.
• The Executive Director may intervene and name a chair if the rotation system fails.
• Former chairs may present papers in that session and/or chair other regular or special topic sessions.

Our sincere thanks to all Session Chairs, Alternate Chairs and Presenters for their hard work in making the RMMLA convention such a success.

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