All program sessions are scheduled for 100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes) each, followed by a 20-minute break. The number of presentations included in a 100-minute session varies, depending on the type of session as well as the type of format. While the type of sessions sponsored by Sections are at the option of each Section, there are limits on physical setup options due to the need to integrate all sessions with other ASA program activities.
There are three basic types of setups which may be used for ASA program sessions.
(1) Theatre style provides head table space for 4-8 people and/or a speaker podium at the front of the room with the remainder of the room set in rows of chairs for 25-500 attendees. This type of setup may be used for many types of sessions, from formal paper presentations to informal panel discussions, book debates, symposia, and lectures.
(2) Roundtable setup provides a head table for 3-4 people at the front of the room with the remainder of the room set in 6-foot round tables with 10 chairs at each table. The largest roundtable room will accommodate 25 tables. Roundtable setup provides for a number of different discussions to proceed simultaneously at the tables. This setup style may be used for refereed roundtable presentations and informal roundtable discussions.
(3) Schoolroom setup provides a head table for two people or podium for one speaker, with the audience seated at rows of 18"-wide tables. This setup works well for intensive sessions such as workshops and seminars where attendees need to take notes or complete assignments during the session. Seating space is limited to 50 people.
Sessions which require meeting room setups other than those mentioned above must be approved by ASA Meeting Services before they are accepted onto the program.
Due to the differences in dealing with sole submissions, dual submissions, and forwarded papers, a sequential set of session submission deadlines is used for the Annual Meeting Program.
February 20 Open submission Regular and Section Paper session listings due
March 14 Roundtable and poster session listings due
As soon as you have completed the acceptance of papers for your session and received commitments from authors about presenting, proceed to create your session listing online. The deadline for completing online open submission paper session listings is February 20.
Because roundtable organizers usually deal with a large number of papers forwarded from other organizers as well as dual submissions, an extended deadline has been arranged. The deadline for completing online roundtable session listings is March 14.
All session listings must include the formal name and institutional affiliation of each participant. Please note that departmental or agency affiliations will not be included in the program. Because of space limitations, only the name of the main institution/organization will be printed. Dual affiliations are permitted, providing the listings are the two main organization names only; departments, centers, study groups, etc., cannot be included.
Creating a Session Listing. The online system will provide a menu that shows each session being handled by a paper session organizer, or each table to be constructed by a roundtable organizer. Options will be available on-screen to select the accepted submissions and place them in sequential order of presentation. Presiders and discussants may be added via search menu options. Please note that your listing as session organizer is embedded behind-the-scenes; if you are also serving as presider, it is necessary to add a Presider record to the on-screen session listing.
After a session listing is created online, you will be able to re-enter the session module make changes to the session title, presentation sequence, session description, etc., until the final scheduling process starts. ASA Meeting Services will send a notice to all organizers when the session module and submission queues close in the spring for the final phases of program production.
Your online session listing is the basis for beginning the long, involved process of clarifying multiple participations; preregistering participants; and scheduling program activities. It is essential that every official participant on the session be included in your listing before the final scheduling phases commence.
Changes to Session Listings. Please advise your session participants that substantial changes to program listings, such as revised paper titles or the addition of co-authors, must be approved by you as organizer before the Executive Office is contacted. Minor corrections such as misspellings and other typographical errors may be sent directly to Meeting Services via email.
When scheduling commences, submission queues will be closed to organizers. Organizers should accumulate all changes to listings and forward a summary list of those changes to ASA Meeting Services by March 20. Changes must be received by March 20 to appear in the online Preliminary Program Schedule.
Changes for the printed Final Program must be received no later than May 30. No corrections will be made to the online program schedule after the program has gone to press. Changes received after May 30 will appear in the Convention Bulletin, which is handed to meeting registrants on-site.
