When will I see the program? The schedule and the program will be released on August 27 and presenters will receive a separate message with the link to the program on EasyChair. The program will continue to be updated as more information gets confirmed.
Where do I find information on how to attend the conference and become a member of the Society for Literature, Science & the Arts? Membership and Conference Registration: All speakers and presenters must be SLSA members; those who want to attend the talks and panels do not need to be SLSA members but must still register for the conference with free options for registration; follow this link: https://slsa.press.jhu.edu/membership/conference
NOTE: reimbursement of the membership fee is possible for some individuals–
Graduate students, artists, and independent scholars who register for and attend SLSA 2021 (a virtual conference) and who wish to be reimbursed for membership fees will be asked to send a copy of their membership payment along with a completed online reimbursement request form that will be available on the society website (litsciarts.org) between October 5 and December 1, 2021. Reimbursement will be in the form of a US bank check mailed to a postal address.
What platform will virtual SLSA21 use? For the program, our platform will be EasyChair (the same platform that we used for submissions); as soon as the program is finalized, it will be published on the conference website. For the virtual conference between September 30 and October 2, our platform for plenaries and other presentations will be Zoom.
Can I update my submission information? Yes, you can log in and edit your submission on EasyChair.
What can I do to make my participation and presentation more effective at a virtual SLSA21 conference? We strongly recommend using a microphone for your virtual presentation and all other virtual communication during the conference. Insert your name with your preferred pronouns. If you are a presenter at the conference, our vendor/Conference Manager will be communicating with you directly via email about available training and technical support prior and during the conference. Look out for those emails.
What is the default time zone of the conference program? The default time zone is the time zone of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the conference is based in 2021: Eastern Daylight Time Zone, or EDT, GMT-4.
Will I be expected to pre-record my talk? You are not expected to pre-record your talk on behalf of conference organizers. In general, the conference seeks to be synchronous and live to create as much sense of a live dialogue and participation, even if on Zoom, as possible. We also want to safeguard your time. However, each panel and presentation are different and a virtual environment enables a wider range of variations in format and participation. We received submissions from 31 countries on six continents. For some, pre-recorded talks will make sense and could be the only option due to time difference or other specific circumstances, therefore, pre-recorded talks are welcome but need to be “tested” with our Conference Team. Let us know by September 17 if you are going to use a pre-recorded talk. (Note that video on Zoom often has a delay in playback, therefore, it might be necessary to consider the best practices and Zoom options, such as video optimization, when you play pre-recorded talks in your session.)
I am a session chair. Any recommendations?
Each session will run for 1.5 hours. You will have help in managing technical aspects of your session on Zoom. Our technical team will run three “run-through” drop in training sessions on the following days if you have questions and want to test your settings:
Wednesday, September 22: 9a-11a
Monday, September 27: 10a-12p
Tuesday, September 28: 3p-5p
Each session will have a conference representative as a “host” or “organizer” and the session chair will be a co-host. We will do our best to help technical aspects of the virtual session so you can focus on the content and guide the conversation. As usual, it will be the session chair’s responsibility to manage time within your session and make sure the session ends on time. We also recommend that you communicate with your session participants in advance (early to mid-September) about the order of speakers in your session and the length of talks/presentations so there are no surprises on the day of your session and all participants know what to expect. For panels with individual 15-minute presentations, be mindful that it is easier for the audience to follow the session if the program order (of names) is the same as the actual order of the presentations. Your most important job as session chair will be to keep time and provide equal opportunity to contribute among your session participants.
Will conference sessions be recorded for future reference/use? Can I opt out of being recorded?
There are no plans for public video sharing or recording of any regular sessions, except for keynotes and plenaries where possible and agreed upon in advance with the speakers. Those recordings of keynotes and plenaries will be made available on the SLSA Youtube Channel after the conference. You can record your own presentation for your personal use, do not record others’ talks without obtaining prior consent.
Accessibility: This event will be online using the Zoom platform with an auto-generated Live Transcript available. If you anticipate needing any additional accommodations, email contactslsa21@gmail.com by August 31 so we can arrange for your accommodation or an effective alternative.
Whom do I contact if I have other questions?