SLA Biomedical and Life Sciences Division

DBIO Recommended Practices - Contributed Papers Session Committee

Function: The Committee solicits and organizes the contributed papers session at the Annual Conference.

Membership and Appointment: The Committee consists of four members: the Senior Co-Chair, the Junior Co-Chair, the Second-Year Member, and the First-Year Member. The First-Year Member shall be appointed annually in the month of January, or when unexpected vacancies arise.  Committee members and the Division's Chair-elect, as Chair, will form a search committee to select new committee members, with the Division's Chair-elect formally appointing new members. All members advance in "seniority" to fill vacant position(s). All incoming members to the committee will start as first-year members, and will have the first year to orient themselves to the duties of the committee. All appointments to the committee shall be made in agreement with members of the standing committee. The Senior Co-Chair cycles off the committee on January 1st, under normal conditions, all positions advance.

Duties: The Committee is responsible for publishing proceedings of the Annual Conference Contributed Papers Session on the Division’s web site.

Senior Co-Chair:
  1. Serves as a member of the Division Programming Committee.
  2. Communicates meeting's needs with DBIO Program Chair (room requirements, equipment and so forth).
  3. Is responsible for organizing the group in previous fiscal year.
  4. Is responsible for initiating preliminary call for papers.
  5. Organizes consensus for what goes into preliminary call for papers.
  6. Appears as contact person on Preliminary Call for Papers.
  7. Coordinates with Junior Co-chair of DBIO Contributed Paper session.
  8. Sends titles and abstracts with topics general in nature to SLA.
  9. Receives bioscience-related abstracts from SLA.
  10. Receives abstracts from contributors.
  11. Serves as Review Committee Chair:
    • Distributes guidelines for review/score scheme
    • Distributes score sheets with abstracts
    • Collates scores
    • Conducts conference call and/or email discussion of abstracts and scoring
    • Notifies participants of results
  12. Notifies participants of deadlines.
  13. Communicates with participants throughout the year.
  14. Sends electronic full-text to Junior Co-Chair to be mounted on the web.
  15. Serves as co-moderator at the conference session.
  16. Hands over supporting procedural materials to Junior Co-Chair at the end of the year.
  17. Touches base with participants (by October 1st and then again by March 1st) and confirms accuracy of bibliographic citation of each presentation, as each will appear as an entry in both the preliminary program and the final program.
  18. Reviews the Contributed Papers Committee section of the Recommended Practices in February and submit corrections, revisions, and so forth to the Director for inclusion in the next revision.
  19. By deadline determined each year (typically January), submits an estimated budget to the Treasurer.
Junior Co-Chair:
  1. In August, coordinates with Division Chair-elect, First-Year and Second-Year member to select a new First-Year member for the new term as Senior Co-chair cycles off the committee. It is important that First-Year Member is involved as incoming member will be his/her Co-Chair as officers move forward.
  2. Administers marketing of the Contributed Papers Session.
  3. Serves on Review Committee.
  4. Generates web version of Proceedings.
  5. Writes foreword to Proceedings.
  6. Is responsible for getting Proceedings onto the Division web site prior to the conference
  7. Serves as co-moderator at the conference session.
  8. Turns over materials to incoming Junior co-chair, other materials to archives.
  9. If changes are made in the program, works with SLA Headquarters to have them put into the Conference Update.
Second Year Member:
  1. Markets Contributed Paper Session:
    • Develops flyer
    • Distributes flyer at annual conference
    • Posts flyer on Division web site and in Biofeedback (deadline for summer issue is July 1)
  2. Serves on Review Committee.
  3. Participates in nominating incoming members of the committee.
  4. Works with Junior Co-chair and First Year Member to nominate and select new committee member as Senior Co-chair rotates off the committee.
  5. Turns over materials to incoming First-Year Member, and other material to Senior Co-chair to send to archives.
First Year Member:
  1. Receives copies of all messages sent between current committee members to get a feel for the duties/problems he/she will face as a committee member.
  2. Takes active role in nominating new committee member (knowing new member will eventually be his/her Co-Chair).
Expenses: The Division will provide funding for expenses for the Contributed Papers Session including room rental, equipment, and the cost of publishing the contributed papers as well as expenses including postage and telephone calls if not borne by the incumbent's organization.  See also:  Appendix A - Qualifications, Expenses, Records and Reporting for Executive Board, Advisory Board/Council and Committees.

Rev. July 2007