BEA 2004 Convention
Call for Program Proposals

Deadline for Proposals: Friday, August 8, 2003

Broadcast Education Association
49th Annual Convention & Exhibition
2nd Annual Festival of Media Arts
April 16-18, 2004 * Las Vegas, Nevada * www.beaweb.org

The BEA2004 Convention theme is Bold Vision, Fresh Thinking: Untangling Media's Gordian Knot. The theme lends itself well to examining new approaches to the vexing issues of media's intricate societal entanglements. Each panel should strive to seriously think about, challenge, and/or discuss the issues that arise from emerging technologies, changing regulatory policies and increasing media consolidation-and to do so in daring and innovative ways. The theme is intended as a focus for the convention, but does not imply that convention sessions must conform.

Program Session Types

Program proposals are invited from the divisions and individual members of the Broadcast Education Association. The general types of programs are as follows:

* Invited panel/paper sessions: These are the standard convention format with a moderator, 3-5 presenters and, usually, a respondent. (Sponsored by Interest Divisions)
* Showcases: These sessions highlight student work in which faculty have been involved. Showcases are to be more "show" than "tell" and require preparation of audio-visual material before coming to convention. (Sponsored by Interest Divisions)
* Competitive (peer reviewed) paper/production/multimedia/scriptwriting sessions (Sponsored by Interest Divisions)
* Competitive (peer reviewed) Scholar-to-Scholar (poster) sessions (From multiple Interest Divisions)
* Technical Demonstrations of hardware or software. An equipment or software manufacturer/vendor brings in the latest communication technology to demonstrate. Often, faculty who have worked with the technology are included to talk about their experiences with the equipment/software in the classroom or lab. (Interest Division or All-Convention Sponsored)
* Workshops involving intensive training and professional development. (Interest Division or All-Convention Sponsored)
* Invited "plenary" (full convention) sessions
* Alternative innovative ideas for meaningful program sessions, such as off-site tours or technical training.

Proposal Procedures

The Interest Divisions of the BEA significantly shape the convention program. Individuals submit a Program Proposal Form to the chair of an Interest Division. Division leaders evaluate and rank the proposals, forwarding those the division wish to include in the program to the Convention Program Chair. Every effort will be made for each division to have at least two invited panel sessions, a competitive paper session and a business meeting. In reality, all program slots are competitive in that if proposals are not submitted or information is not provided in a complete and timely manner those program slots may be assigned to other session proposals. Although priority will be given to proposals submitted by the interest divisions, especially those panels sponsored by more that one division; proposals from individual members are accepted.

Co-Sponsorship & Participants

Co-sponsored panel proposals are encouraged. Panel proposers must submit a copy of the Program Proposal Form to each division being proposed as a co-sponsor. Panel proposers should indicate each division being listed for co-sponsorship on the form and send a copy to the chair of each division. Co-sponsorship occurs when more than one division recommends a specific panel for inclusion in the program. No more than three (3) Interest Divisions will be listed for co-sponsorship on a particular session.

In an effort to maximize opportunity for diverse participation, panel proposals should seek participants representing a mix of genders, ethnicity, institutional affiliations, and nationalities. Panel proposals should also seek to include participants new to BEA and to the BEA Convention. Professionals in the industry are also encouraged as participants. It is BEA policy that a person may appear as a presenter only once during a given convention, with two exceptions:

1. A person may have one additional appearance as a panel moderator or respondent;
2. A person may have additional unlimited appearances as a presenter of competitive papers, productions or other competitive sessions.

Division Chairs are to evaluate the eligibility of the participants in those proposals submitted by that division. The Program Chair shall determine participant eligibility across divisions once the proposals are submitted.