Joint Sessions
These sessions are intended to foster links between ACCUTE and other academic associations, whether those associations regularly appear at Congress or not. Of special interest to ACCUTE are sessions that address literary and theoretical fields that have traditionally been under-represented at our conference, such as American Literature, Medieval, and Eighteenth-Century Studies, but other joint sessions are welcome as well.
Procedures for Proposing a Joint Session
What is a Joint Session?
Every year, the ACCUTE conference program includes a dozen or more “joint sessions” which are organized with other Federation member societies or with free-standing academic associations that use the opportunity to offer one or two sessions at the Congress. While ACCUTE welcomes sessions that reflect that annual Congress theme, any topic that reflects ACCUTE’s mandates or interests of its members will be considered.
How to Propose a Joint Session.
Joint sessions begin with a discussion between the president or conference program chair of the sponsoring society and the president of ACCUTE, usually during the summer months. The deadline for CFPs is August 15 and is sent to ACCUTE at accute@accute.ca using the following format:
Name of sponsoring association
Organizer name(s) and institution(s)
Title of session
Text of the CFP to a maximum of 200 words
Email address(es) for submissions
Texts of more than 200 words will be edited by the ACCUTE office for length. Otherwise, CFPs will be printed as sent: please double-check for accuracy.
What Happens Next?
Joint sessions CFPs are publicized to the ACCUTE membership in early or mid September, and session organizers should publicize the CFP to their own members. The deadline for papers/proposals is November 15. Once the submission have been received, organizers are responsible for ensuring that all submissions conform to the posted guidelines and contain the following:
• An electronic file for the paper/proposal,
• A file containing a 100 word abstract and a 50 word biographical statement
• The proposal Submitter Information Form
Submitters must be members of ACCUTE or the sponsoring organization, and organizers are asked to ascertain this, checking with the ACCUTE office when necessary. It is important to remind submitters that proposals and papers that are not selected for the joint session should be considered rejected. They are not (unlike submissions for member-organized sessions) moved into the general “pool” of ACCUTE submissions.
The organizer(s) of the joint session are solely responsible for picking the session participants, using whatever method of vetting or assessment is preferred by their association. The organizer(s) advise the submitters of the results, and forward the successful papers (with accompanying materials) to the ACCUTE office. No further vetting takes place, but ACCUTE will send the proposed panel to an expert in the field for comment. The organizer is expected to attend the conference to chair their session; if this is not possible, the sponsoring society should select a chair.
Joint Session FAQs
What Makes a Good Joint Session?
It is important to remember that ACCUTE is a “generalist” organization, and presents papers and sessions that cut across fields and sub-fields and that raise topics and theoretical concerns of wide interest. While the sponsoring organizations often have a more specific focus, it is helpful to keep the ACCUTE mandate in view when designing the CFP.
Are Joint Session Participants Eligible for Conference Travel Funds?
A participant in a joint session may apply either to ACCUTE or to the sponsoring association (if it is a Federation-affiliated society) for funds, usually depending on which society the participant has registered with for the Congress. In the case of a “free standing” sponsoring society, the participant is eligible for the funds distributed by ACCUTE. Organizers and chairs are not eligible as the SSHRC funds are restricted to presenters, and should seek elsewhere for funding.
Procedure for Submitting to a Joint Session
Persons submitting to one of these sessions should send their submissions directly to the session organizer according to his or her stated deadlines as published on the ACCUTE website and in the ACCUTE Newsletter. Submitters are required to follow ACCUTE's guidlines for submission to the general call (OPTION I) and organizers are asked to bear in mind the Vetting Guidelines, both of which appear in the general procedures.
Please note that anyone presenting a paper in a joint session and who is not a member of ACCUTE must be a member of the partner organization... although we really hope you'll take out an ACCUTE membership as well. Again, it is up to the session organizer to determine that presenters are members of at least one association.
Joint Session Submission FAQs
1. How are papers vetted for a joint session?
The submissions for a joint session are vetted by the sponsoring association, according to whatever methods that group customarily uses. The sponsoring association is responsible for putting together the session and forwarding the names of the panelists and their material to the ACCUTE office.
2. What happens if my proposal or paper is not selected?
If your proposal or paper is not selected by the organizer(s), it will not be passed along to ACCUTE for further consideration (although if the group is holding a meeting at the Congress, it might wish to consider your paper for inclusion elsewhere on its own program).
3. Am I eligible for ACCUTE travel funds if I am a presenter in a joint-organized session?
Yes...although if the association is meeting at the Congress and holding its own sessions, your travel stipend may be paid from their funds instead.
Click here for useful hints on preparing your paper or proposal.
