| 1-2 years ahead | The Site Selection Committee, in consultation with the Board, selects the conference hotel and signs the contract. An SCA member in the area is appointed the Local Arrangements Committee Chair. |
| Spring of previous year | Election of new Vice President/President-elect determines the chair of the following year’s Program Committee. |
| AGM, one year ahead | The Program Committee Chair should network to discern session and roundtable topics of possible member interest. The chair should also invite members to join the committee. If possible, both the Program and Local Arrangements Committee Chairs should meet at the AGM, or else they should schedule a meeting to take place during the summer (preferably with the current SCA Program and Local Arrangements Committee Chairs for guidance). |
| Summer | Both the Program and Local Arrangements Committee Chairs should finalize their selection of committee members. NOTE: The Education Chair or representative serves as an ad hoc member of the Program Committee for preconference workshops. |
| Mid-to-Late Summer | Final Report from previous Program Committee Chair due. |
| Late Summer or early Autumn | Committee discuss broad ideas for AGM. What balance will there be between formal and informal sessions? What sessions and topics have been suggested by members or through previous AGM evaluations or at other professional meetings? Does an overall theme suggest itself? Identify and discuss special speakers. |
| A call should be placed on the SCA Newsletter and on West_Arch by the Program Committee Chair for session proposals. | |
| Program Committee Chair should begin to prepare budgetary material for the next Board meeting (honoraria fees, anticipated uses of the SCA Speakers Fund, and anticipated Program Committee expenses). | |
| Mid-Autumn | Fall Board meeting (includes budget review and approval for the coming year). The Program Committee should report committee ideas and direction to the Board, and share information on session topics and speakers both secured to date as well as those still under development, seeking suggestions and advice on proposed innovations. Submit proposed budget for review, including AGM registration fees. Any changes in policy must be approved by the Board. |
| Mid-/Late Autumn | Evaluate and select session proposals. |
| Assign responsibilities to continue members/subcommittees to develop and serve as liaisons for particular sessions. | |
| Workshop proposals should be passed onto Education Committee. | |
| Special speakers should have responded to invitations to speak by now; if the first invited speakers are unable to participate then the committee should move down the list to the next choices and send out subsequent invitations. | |
| Send letters of confirmation to all speakers providing them with information about the conference location, date and time of their session, and their audiovisual requests. Provide them with contact information for their session moderator and their liaison to the Program Committee. | |
| Liaisons should obtain audiovisual requests and session descriptions from speakers and workshop leaders by the end of the calendar year. Submit an article about the AGM Program to the SCA Newsletter to generate early interest. | |
| Early January | Finalize program schedule and compile master list of audiovisual requests. |
| Late Jan. or early Feb. | Winter Board meeting. Report on finalized program to the Board. After the Board meeting, submit completed program and list of audiovisual requests to the Local Arrangements Committee Chair. Disseminate information about final program via SCA website and to membership. |
| March/April | Committee members prepare to troubleshoot last minute requests and challenges, including additional audiovisual requests (which should not be honored after the previously established deadline) and emergency situations which may keep speakers from participating in their sessions at the last minute (Can a replacement be found? Would the speaker send a copy of their presentation to be read or distributed at the meeting?) |
| May | Program Committee Chair writes thank you letters on SCA stationery to all speakers, Program Committee members, and the Local Arrangements Chair. Coordinate with the Local Arrangements Committee to have someone submit a summary article to SCA Newsletter. |
| July | Submit Final Report for the AGM. |
Revision history: jok 5/93, jlm 8/04, 3/2006 board, 1/10 lo, 7/2016 llc, 10/2017 llc, 09/2018 llc, 04/2019 llc, 12/20 mh