Program Committee Annual Report 2019

submitted by Erin Conor

Current Roster

Officers:

  • Erin Conor, Chair (2017)
  • Anne Shelley, Past Chair (2017)
  • Joy Doan, Incoming Chair (2018)
  • Carolyn Dow (2018)
  • Kevin Kishimoto (2019)
  • Kristina Shanton (2019)

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  1. While themed conferences are not unheard of for MLA, they are also not the norm. The 2019 conference theme of diversity and inclusion has prompted some exciting proposals from the membership. I would like for the annual meeting survey to gauge attendees’ reactions to the meeting theme and perhaps to the idea of having a theme overall, and for the Board and the program committee to respond as appropriate with future program decisions. (Goal Area: Organizational Excellence; Objective 1: Develop and sustain the resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs and services.)
    • 2019 Annual Meeting survey included several questions relating to the conference theme. The Norfolk conference does not have a theme. The Program Committee will continue to possible themes moving forward.

List of Future Goals

  1. Continue to experiment with ways to make the conference program selection process more transparent and inclusive. (The Norfolk CFP was open to non-members- a first, and the CFP was widely advertised. The program selection process was spelled out in the CFP, and selection was weighted towards first-time presenters. The Committee also included a Community Choice session for Norfolk, to be selected by the MLA community at-large- another first). Goal Area: Organizational Excellence; Objective 1: Develop and sustain the resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs and services. Goal Area: Membership. Objective 1: Increase outreach efforts to members from underrepresented groups. Goal Area: Membership. Objective 2: Increase outreach efforts to organizations that are underrepresented, including those whose holdings reflect many types of music.
  2. Complete and publish updates to the Convention Manual pertaining to the Program Committee. Goal Area: Organizational Excellence; Objective 1: Develop and sustain the resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs and services.