9. ANNUAL MEETING

During the 1990s, the Annual Meeting continued to be the most important forum for scholarly communication and dissemination of research and ideas by attendees in addition to network opportunities.

By 2000, about 600 program sessions were held during each Meeting for the nearly 5,000 registrants. In addition, at each Meeting about 100 book publishers, computer software companies, data/statistics centers, research institutes, government agencies and bureaus, and internet resource providers exhibited books and other materials. The Meeting is open to sociologists, “scholars from disciplines related to sociology, students in all areas of social science, and anyone interested in the scientific study of society.” (ASA homepage)

The Annual Meeting Program evolved in length and composition throughout the 1990s, even as the Annual Meeting itself was shortened from a five- to four-day event in 2001. In 1980, the Annual Meeting had 206 program sessions and 3,331 paid registrants; in 1990, 312 program sessions and 3,818 paid registrants; and in 2000, 577 program sessions, and 4,793 paid registrants (Levine, Footnotes , January 2002:2). While Annual Meeting Programs reflected membership interest and proposals, during the 1990s, the Association also modified some familiar features or introduced new ideas and services: (1) Regional Spotlight Sessions, which focus attention on the discipline from the perspective of the Annual Meeting locations, were expanded; (2) The Science Policy Forum, a series of sessions that featured representatives of funding agencies in discussion of trends and opportunities for professional support, was introduced; (3) Poster Sessions grew in number; and (4) A variety of other professional sessions, such as the Chairs Conference and meetings for Directors of Graduate Studies, were added.

During this time, the nature and character of workshops changed as well. In 1980, there were eight professional workshops and 10 didactic seminars. By 2000, there were 16 workshops related to the academic workplace (i.e., sessions addressed to leading and managing in the academic workplace), 21 professional workshops (i.e., on topics and issues important to the professional development of sociologists, such as writing grant proposals), and 29 teaching workshops (i.e., those that center on strategies for teaching specific courses). In addition, didactic seminars, held as half-day or full-day events were offered on topics such as new methodological approaches or techniques. In 2002, some innovations were introduced into the program of workshops at the Annual Meeting.

Under the leadership of President Barbara Reskin and ASA Council as well as the strong interest of Executive Officer Levine and APAP Director Howery, the Association more actively promoted workshops and the training component of the Annual Meeting. For the first time, two extended “short-course” workshops, one on Teaching Racial Profiling, and another on Human Research Protections in Sociology and the Social Sciences were offered at the Annual Meeting in 2002 with a credit-granting mechanism. Attendees were required to register in advance for these courses, expected to do some preparation prior to the workshop session, and were offered certificates by ASA to attest to successful completion of these courses. Other highlights relating to Annual Meetings during the 1990s include:

• The threatened boycott of Miami as a site for the Annual Meeting in 1993 came from African-American leaders over a snub of Nelson Mandela in 1990 and a strong concern about underrepresentation of African Americans in tourist-industry jobs. Both ASA President Lipset and Executive Officer Levine worked closely with boycott leaders in planning a major luncheon plenary at the 1993 Annual Meeting to address the reasons for the boycott and apply sociological knowledge to understanding the situation. The matter was settled prior to the meeting with gains for the African-American community.
  
  
• The Association made significant policy decisions aimed at enhancing inclusivity and wide participation at Annual Meetings by emphasis on “assembling a Program Committee to be as fully representative as possible of the diversity of the ASA membership” (Council Minutes, February 1992); through its site selection policies, and through various other structural changes. In 1995, Council affirmed an August 1994 statement “to hold its meetings only in cities where its members are afforded legal protection from discrimination on the basis of age, gender, marital status, national origin, physical ability, race, religion, or sexual orientation.” (August 22, 1995) Over the years, ASA also sought to enhance and improve its services to special groups at the Annual Meeting, such as for childcare, persons with disabilities, and for those persons seeking employment.
  
  
• ASA has long supported the presence of students and student activities at the Annual Meetings, and in various ways provided support to encourage student attendance. The Honors Program had a strong presence at each Annual Meeting with enthusiastic support from the Association and the Executive Office. Special receptions, roundtables, and other events were held with the student participants in mind. During the 1990s, the Honors Program was directed by David Bills, Duane Dukes, and Kerry Strand.
  
  
• Although the impetus for the ASA Policy on Exhibits, Advertising, and Sales emanated from “political advocacy exhibits” at the 1991 Annual Meeting, a Subcommittee of Council (consisting of Janet Chavetz, Chair, Felice Levine, Richard Scott, and Franklin Wilson) was charged with addressing the broader question of policies relating to all ASA exhibits, sales, and advertising. The Report submitted by the subcommittee found that, in general, the ASA policies were similar to those of other social science associations, and “offered an affirmative guideline based on three criteria; that any item must be (in brief) a tool of the trade, of benefit to individual members, or of benefit to the ASA. ASA has the sole authority to judge conformity to these criteria and reserves the right to refuse, curtail or cancel any exhibit, ad or sale which does not. The report also outlined internal review and enforcement procedures.” (Council Minutes, January 1992)
  
  
• In 2000, Council voted to shorten the 2001 Annual Meeting from five to four days on an experimental basis for one year in order to cut costs and potentially increase attendance. A survey of other professional organizations had indicated that a four-day meeting seemed to be the norm. The 2001 Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA was the first four-day meeting held by the Association. In February 2001, Council voted to continue the four-day meeting on a permanent basis.
  
  
• Council also approved participation exemptions for professional service appearances as specified by the Program Committee (e.g., for leading workshop or seminars, or representing an organization in an informational poster session), effective for the 2001 Annual Meeting.
  
  
• With improvements in technologies and enhancements to the ASA homepage since 2001, activities relating to the Annual Meeting (including the Program) have been much more visible. The advance of the Internet, use of emails, listservs, and other forms of electronic publishing (such as the online presentation of the Annual Meeting Program with a personal scheduler feature) greatly enhanced communication about the Annual Meeting. Since 1997, the ASA homepage has increasingly become pivotal in disseminating information on the Annual Meeting (e.g., Call for Papers). Annual meeting-related innovations introduced during the first half of 2001 included the online abstracts and papers center (the only place where abstracts and papers can be purchased), online audiovisual request system, and online preliminary program and personal scheduler. (See also Information Technology.)