FAQ | Asecs2020

2020 Annual Meeting Frequently Asked Questions

Presenting or Moving 2020 Sessions

When is the next ASECS Meeting?

The next Annual Meeting will take place in Toronto, 8-10 April 2021. It is possible that the meeting will be extended to include a portion of Wednesday, 7 April and/or Sunday, 11 April. Information about the schedule of the 2021 Toronto Annual Meeting will be available when the 2021 Call for Proposals is circulated in April 2020.

I am a panel chair. Can my 2020 panel be moved to Toronto?

Sessions originally approved by the 2020 Program Committee can move to Toronto. Consult with your panelists and if you decide to move the panel, fill out this ASECS 2020 Session Transfer Requests before 15 April 2020 so we can keep track of how many sessions we need to accommodate.

The title of the session, the core participants, and format (e.g. roundtable, workshop) must remain the same when the session moves to Toronto. Other changes (e.g. the title of an individual paper, an extra person drops out) are fine; there’s no need to advise the Business Office of editorial changes. Chairs will provide the full session information as usual in September on the session information form.

Can I give my 2020 paper at the 2021 Annual Meeting?

You may give your 2020 paper if the session on which it was scheduled will be moved to Toronto. Please consult with your panel chair. Any session that wishes to move in its entirety to Toronto will be given a time slot, although not necessarily for the same day and time as was assigned in St. Louis.

What if I want to make changes to my paper before I present it in Toronto? Is that okay?

You can edit your paper as usual until the printed program is finalized in January.

I am a panel chair. Can I add new people to my session if I move it to Toronto?

The session must have the appropriate number of participants and the format and title of the panel must be what was approved for St. Louis. Otherwise, changes necessary for the panel to run are at the discretion of the session chair. Requirements for participants (current membership in ASECS or an ISECS society, paid registration fee, no more than two listings in the program) remain the same.

My 2020 panel was given a second session. Can both sessions move to Toronto?

Yes, as long as both sessions comply with the requirements listed above.

I plan to give my paper in Toronto. Can you credit my 2020 registration fee to the 2021 Meeting?

No. You may request a refund of your 2020 registration fee, but because some presentations will take place in 2020 in an abbreviated online format, the financials for the two Meetings are being handled separately. If you are going to present your paper in 2020 in an alternative format, you need to remain registered for the 2020 Annual Meeting.

I need to present my paper this year. How do I do that?

ASECS is working with session chairs to develop options for online presentation of work, including the possibility of Zoom conferencing, YouTube videos, and discussion boards. Information will be available soon from your session chair. Please note that if you plan to present in an alternative format in 2020, you must register or remain registered for the 2020 Annual Meeting. The tentative deadline for giving alternative format presentations is December 1, 2020.

I need to have evidence for my institution’s promotion and tenure committee that my presentation took place in 2020 as part of the ASECS Meeting. How will ASECS help with that?

Alternative presentations will have a formal ASECS imprimatur; possibilities include being hosted on Zoom by the ASECS Business Office, given at an ASECS Affiliate Society as an ASECS sponsored session; or posted on the ASECS YouTube channel. Later this year, ASECS will publish a formal revised 2020 Program online, which will list all participants in alternative format presentations. All alternative presentations will be advertised by ASECS on social media. Details will be made available in coming weeks.

I didn’t register for St. Louis, but I like the idea of supporting the alternative format presentations. Will they be available to non-meeting registrants to watch or read?

Specific details have yet to be worked out, but it is likely that the alternative presentations will be accessible to ASECS members, and possibly to the general public.

Will ASECS be giving awards for 2020 conference papers presented in alternative formats?

The ASECS Graduate Student Conference Paper Prize and the ASECS Women’s Caucus Catherine Macaulay Conference Paper Prize will be awarded for 2020. Eligibility details will be posted in the upcoming weeks, as will information on whether the Hans Turley Queer Studies and the Race and Empire Caucus awards will be given.

The other people on my panel want to move the panel to Toronto but I can’t attend next year. Can ASECS help me present my paper this year?

At this point, we are not able to make accommodations for individual papers. We hope you can find a place for your paper on a panel at a regional or affiliate society.

Will there be room for new panels or papers in Toronto?

Yes. Once we know how many sessions will move from St. Louis to Toronto, the Program Committee and the Business Office will determine how many additional sessions we can include. A Call for Proposals will be issued in April, with a May 15 deadline. The full Call for Papers will be posted June 15 and the deadline for submitting abstracts to panel chairs will be September 15.

I am the representative of an Affiliate Society or a Caucus. Will our organization have its usual guaranteed sessions in Toronto?

If an Affiliate Society moves its single guaranteed session from St. Louis to Toronto, it will not receive an additional guaranteed session. If a Caucus moves its two guaranteed sessions, it will not receive another guaranteed session; if it moves one 2020 session, it will receive one guaranteed session in 2021. (A session that split into two panels in St. Louis counts as one guarantee session.) If Affiliates or Caucuses do not move 2020 sessions to Toronto, they may request their usual guaranteed sessions.

Affiliate Societies and Caucuses will be asked to submit their guaranteed session proposals by April 15. These session CFPs will be posted before the deadline for the general Call for Panels, so that members proposing sessions do not unwittingly propose topics that have already been scheduled.

Refunds and other Financial Questions

How can I apply for a refund of my 2020 Registration Fee?

If you plan to present your paper in an alternative ASECS format in 2020, do not apply for a refund; you still need to be registered for the Meeting to be credited with presenting an official paper. If you will be moving your paper to Toronto or will not give your paper at all, then you may request a refund, less a $15 service charge, by filling out the ASECS 2020 Annual Meeting Fee Resolution Form. Refunds will be made by check or PayPal within 60 days. Refunds in PayPal are credited to the card you used to pay your registration.

Should I cancel my registration on the conference website to expedite the refund process?

No. Doing so will actually delay your refund as your registration information will be moved into a different processing section.

Can I donate my registration fee to the Society to help offset the financial damages the Society will incur?

Yes. (Thank you!) You can convert your registration into a tax-deductible contribution to the Society, either to cover our financial loss or to support an ASECS endowed fund. Please fill out the ASECS 2020 Annual Meeting Fee Resolution Form and indicate where you would like your donation to be applied. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes within 60 days.

I purchased a ticket to the Women’s Caucus luncheon or the French Studies dinner. Will I receive a refund?

You may request a refund, or you may donate your ticket to ASECS to help offset the financial damages incurred by the cancellation of the Meeting. Donated Women’s Caucus Luncheon tickets will be used to subsidize graduate student luncheon tickets at future annual meetings. Please fill out the ASECS 2020 Annual Meeting Fee Resolution Form. You should receive a refund or a receipt within 60 days.

I purchased a ticket to The Triumph of Love. Can I get a refund?

Refunds are not available for this event, as it is external to the Annual Meeting. If the theaters in St. Louis remain open, you may still use your ticket; a list of ASECS ticket holders will be provided to the theater.

I purchased a ticket to Cahokia. Can I get a refund?

You may request a refund or you may donate your ticket to ASECS to help offset the financial damages incurred by the cancellation of the Meeting. Please fill out the ASECS 2020 Annual Meeting Fee Resolution Form. You should receive a refund or a receipt within 60 days.

I booked a hotel room through the ASECS block at the Hyatt Regency in St. Louis at the Arch. Can I get a refund?

All rooms reserved through the ASECS block should have been canceled. You may wish to confirm this cancellation with the Hotel (877-803-7534). If you booked a room outside the ASECS block or at another hotel, you should act promptly to avoid a cancellation fee. Normally rooms can be canceled without penalty until 72 hours before the scheduled start date of the Annual Meeting (March 18).

Will I be able to reschedule or cancel my flight?

Some airlines are permitting cancellations without a penalty; you will need to contact your carrier directly.

I have not been able to get my airplane ticket reimbursed by my institution. Can ASECS help?

ASECS would be happy to write a letter to your chair, dean, or provost, urging them to help with reimbursement for airplane tickets. Please contact the Business Office if you need such a letter, and provide the name, institutional address, and email address of the person to whom the letter should be addressed.

I joined ASECS in order to present at the 2020 Meeting. Can I receive a refund of my membership?

Refunds of membership are not being made available. As a member you also receive a subscription to Eighteenth-Century Studies, the opportunity to apply for ASECS fellowships and prizes, and the right to propose a session for the next Annual Meeting. These benefits of membership have not been cancelled.

I was awarded a Traveling Jam Pot grant. Can I apply the grant to presenting in Toronto?

If you present your St. Louis paper in Toronto, you will receive your Jam Pot award next year, even if you graduate before April 2021. Please notify the Business Office of your plans.

If you present your paper in an alternative format in 2020, your Jam Pot registration fee waiver will apply to this year. You will not, however, receive funds for travel support unless you incur travel expenses in presenting your paper in 2020. Please contact the Business Office before making travel arrangements.

If you incurred airfare or rental car costs for St. Louis that cannot be refunded or changed, document the situation and contact the Business Office.

I received an NTTF grant for St. Louis. Can I apply the grant to presenting in Toronto?

Yes. If you are moving your paper to Toronto, your travel award and waived registration fees will apply next year, even if your job status changes. If you will not be presenting your 2020 paper in Toronto, contact the Business Office to discuss options.