Convention Participant FAQs

Proposing a Presentation

How can I participate in a session at the convention?

MLA sessions are organized by MLA members who create their sessions by posting calls for papers, inviting speakers to participate, or a combination of the two. If you have not been invited to participate in a session, the best way to submit a presentation proposal is to respond to the calls for papers listed on the MLA website. You may also contact members of the executive committees of forums or an allied organization about participating in one of their sessions.

Can I propose an individual paper?

No. Sessions must be organized and proposed in their entirety. However, if you are working on a project related to exploring innovative curricular thinking in both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary configurations and wish to engage in one-on-one conversations with attendees, you are welcome to submit a proposal to participate in the Innovation Room.

How can I participate in a working group?

A working group organizer will post a call for participation by 28 February. The organizer will select a group of eight to twelve participants who commit to full participation in the working group’s meetings (usually two to three) during the convention. Working groups extend over more than one session, so participants in a working group will not be able to participate in any other sessions. Calls can be viewed on the Calls for Papers page.

What is the procedure for responding to a call for papers?

Presentation proposals should be sent to the organizer whose name appears with the call for papers and should adhere to the submission requirements (papers, abstracts, etc.) and deadlines listed in the call.

When will I know if my presentation proposal has been accepted?

Every session organizer is supposed to notify those who respond to the call for papers to let them know the status of their proposals. Organizers must submit their final program copy to the convention office by 1 April, so they will know which speakers will be participating in their sessions by that time. If you have not heard from the session organizer by 1 April, you should contact the organizer directly about the status of your submission.

I have been invited to speak on a panel (or plenary or roundtable, etc.). When will I know if the session has been accepted?

Special-session proposals and other nonguaranteed session proposals are reviewed for acceptance by the Program Committee, which meets in early May. No later than early June, organizers are notified of the committee’s decision. It is the responsibility of the session organizer to notify the session’s participants as to whether the session was accepted.

Session Participation Guidelines

Do I have to be a member to participate (e.g., act as presider, panelist, respondent) in a session at the convention?

Only current MLA members may organize, chair, or participate formally in sessions (i.e., give presentations, serve as discussants, or have their names listed in the Program). You must be a current MLA member by 7 April to participate in the following January’s convention. If you have been invited to participate in a session and are not a scholar or are a scholar who works in a discipline other than language and literature, please see the questions and answers below regarding waivers of the membership requirement.

Do I have to register for the convention to participate in a session?

Yes. All session participants must register for the convention. Registration opens in September for MLA members.

Is there a limit to the number of times I can participate at the convention?

Yes. So that as many members as possible may have the opportunity to be active in convention programs, a participant may be listed only twice in the Program. Participants are listed in the Program if they are giving a presentation, participating in a roundtable or workshop, or serving as a presider or respondent. Participating in two different roles in the same session (e.g., as the presider and a panelist) would count as two Program listings. Note: Working groups extend over more than one session, so participants in a working group will not be able to participate in any other sessions.

How much time will I have to present?

You should check with the session organizer about specific presentation details such as length and content. Please also review the Guidelines for Speakers and Session Organizers. Sessions are normally one hour and fifteen minutes, and the last fifteen minutes are reserved for discussion. For panel sessions, this leaves one hour for all the participants, including the presider and respondent. For roundtable sessions, which don’t have formal presentations, the majority of the session should be focused on discussion between panelists and attendees.

How do I make sure the meeting room has the audiovisual equipment I need for my presentation?

All audiovisual requests must be included in the program copy forms, and program copy forms must be submitted by the session organizer no later than 1 April. It is your responsibility to let your session organizer know of any audiovisual requests before the program copy is submitted. If the session organizer does not ask you about audiovisual-equipment needs, you should notify the organizer of those requests when your submission is accepted for the session. It is also a good idea to verify that your audiovisual requests appear on the program copy proofs that are sent to the session organizers in July. Requests for audiovisual equipment made after the 1 April deadline or at the convention cannot be accommodated.

Waiver of Membership and Funding

Is there any financial assistance available to MLA members who wish to participate in the convention?

The MLA offers aid to scholars who are permanent residents of soft-currency or developing nations, graduate students, non-tenure-track or unemployed members, and regular or life members residing outside the United States and Canada. The funding application deadline is 1 December. For more information on these forms of financial assistance, please visit the MLA Financial Assistance page or write to awards@mla.org.

I have been invited to speak at the convention, but I am a history professor (or a poet, etc.). Do I still need to be a member of the MLA?

At the discretion of the executive director, waivers of the membership requirement may be granted for nonscholars (e.g., medical doctors, visual artists) and for scholars who work in disciplines other than language and literature. An individual may be granted a waiver once every five years. Waived nonmembers cannot organize or chair a session. If you are not an MLA member and think you are eligible for a waiver of membership, contact your session organizer as soon as possible. Requests for waivers of membership must be submitted by the organizers when they submit the session proposal. If a waiver is not granted, you may still become an MLA member by the 7 April membership deadline to participate in the session.

If I receive a waiver of membership, do I still need to register for the convention to participate?

Yes. All session participants must register for the convention. Waived nonmembers are able to register at the discounted member rate. Registration for waived nonmembers and all other nonmembers opens in October.

If I receive a waiver of membership, can I receive funding to attend the convention?

Limited funding is available to support travel for waived nonmembers who need financial assistance. Funding for waived nonmembers is restricted to graduate students, to those whose income is under $30,000, and to those who permanently reside outside the United States and Canada. Eligible waived nonmembers may apply for partial travel reimbursement of up to $400. Waived nonmembers must be registered for the convention to apply for funding. The funding application deadline is 1 December. Travel assistance is awarded in the form of reimbursement after the convention. Recipients must submit itemized receipts before funds are disbursed. The deadline for submitting receipts for reimbursement will be the same as for other travel grant recipients.

Program Listings

How do I make sure my name is listed correctly in the Program?

All session participants’ names will appear in the Program the same way they appear in the MLA membership database as of the 7 April deadline. To change the way your name is listed in the database, log in to My MLA and follow the prompts. You may also write to the membership office directly with any questions at membership@mla.org. Tell your session organizer how your name appears in the MLA database so that they can enter your name correctly when they submit the session proposal, then verify with your session organizer that your name appears correctly on the program copy proofs that are sent to the session organizers in July. If your name is listed incorrectly, the session organizer should note that change on the proofs when they are returned to the convention office.

How do I make sure my affiliation is listed correctly in the Program?

Session participants’ affiliations are listed in the Program based on the information contained in the program copy forms submitted by the session organizers by the 1 April deadline. When you are invited to participate in a session, you should provide the organizer with the affiliation that should appear in the Program. Each participant is allowed to list only one affiliation. The Program does not list departments, specializations, or job titles of participants. Verify with your session organizer that your affiliation appears correctly on the program copy proofs that are sent to the session organizer in July. If your affiliation has changed, the session organizer should note that change on the proofs when they are returned to the convention office.

How do I make sure my presentation title is listed correctly in the Program?

Presentation titles are listed in the Program exactly as they are listed on the program copy forms submitted by the session organizers by the 1 April deadline. You should make sure that the title you submit to your session organizer is exactly how you wish to see it listed in the Program. Verify with your session organizer that your title appears correctly on the program copy proofs that are sent to the session organizers in July. If there are any typographical errors in your presentation title, the session organizer should note those corrections on the proofs when they are returned to the convention office.

Cancellations

What should I do if I cannot participate in my session?

Please let your session organizer know immediately. It may be possible to arrange for a replacement. Papers normally cannot be read in absentia (whether by videoconferencing, audio delivery, or presentation by surrogates). Presenters who are unable to attend the convention because of unforeseen emergencies may circulate their papers in advance through private or public groups on MLA Commons or upload them to CORE, the MLA’s open-access repository.