Process
Ordinarily for the review of proposals submitted to the annual CCCC Convention, the organization follows a process like this. Proposals are submitted through the online system, and anonymized, then read and ranked by three reviewers. This is called Stage 1 Review. After all proposals are reviewed, the program chair (historically) has selected a smaller group of colleagues to meet in person at the NCTE office in Illinois to use the Stage 1 reviews of individual proposals and determine which to accept, and then assemble the accepted proposals into panels. The work takes place synchronously and in the same location. The program chair makes final decisions about the concurrent sessions that were submitted as panels and roundtables.
Decisions about the program composition are made within some specific constraints, typically the number of rooms and time slots that are available based on the specific venue. The program chair and the Stage 2 reviewer group balance the values of inclusiveness (trying to ensure that the program includes a range of topics that meet the needs of the diverse CCCC membership) and quality (the proposed session will provide an effective, useful, and professionally valuable experience for attendees). The latter is judged according to the proposal criteria created by the program chair at the time of crafting the CFP.
This year’s program review work, obviously, is different. In the context of the global pandemic, where time, resources, and mental energy are reduced and differently allocated. The process has had to be adapted. Because travel is less safe, the CCCC liaison, Kristen Ritchie, and meeting and events coordinator, Lori Bianchini, worked with me and my convention assistant, Andrea Stevenson, to design a process for Stage 2 review that is possible virtually.
Over the course of several weeks in July, then, the materials were made available electronically, and as program chair, I created smaller groups of Stage 2 reviewers based on cluster areas. We started with an opening zoom meeting to talk through the process of electronic review, and the smaller teams coordinated with each other over the next few weeks to develop a process including synchronous and asynchronous components to determine acceptances and rejections, as well as the compilation of accepted individual proposals into
This was a departure, of course, from the previous processes and had its ups and downs. Certainly for the group of reviewers, it was a different experience to collaborate from a distance, and rather than concentrating the work over the period of two or three days in a common space, it required adding the work on top of our other home and work responsibilities. At the same time, a flexible online approach meant that the issue of travel (which can be an inaccessible expectation for many folks) did not prevent participation.
Moving Ahead
The process of decisions about the CCCC convention is complex, and the pandemic brings more uncertainty. Some of the complexity lies in contractual obligations that are in place with the host city and because of the size of our convention, not only in the number of attendees but also in the unusually high number of session rooms required. The pandemic has forced faculty line retractions, a loss of substantial budgets and, in many cases, travel budgets being eliminated altogether. This is made visible by the reduced number of proposals received this year as well as news reports and direct conversations with colleagues.
Looking ahead, we do know that the NCTE Annual Convention (CCCC is under the umbrella of NCTE, including for the purposes of organizing events like the national convention) has been moved to a completely virtual format. This was possible in part because the host city actually cancelled the in-person convention, as the convention center was being used for COVID-related medical purposes. Currently, continued conversations between the Executive Director of NCTE, Emily Kirkpatrick, and the national groups that NCTE collaborates with for organization national meetings are ongoing regarding the on-site hosting of CCCC in Spokane in April 2021. To every extent possible, these conversations are proceeding with everyone in mind who is affected by the decision.
What this means is that I’m approaching the planning process, from my end, as flexibly as possible. We know for sure simply because there were fewer overall proposal submission this year that any onsite convention held in Spokane would be smaller; we’re working on developing a process for proposal acceptance notifications that would also allow us to collect information from proposers about what is preferable and feasible for them, information that will then help inform the planning for any on-site versus virtual components.
Likewise, we anticipate that the NCTE virtual convention will offer us important insights and lessons when it is held in late November, so that any of the planning between November and April can be supported by what we learn from that event.
I think there are a lot of exciting possibilities for access and inclusion in a virtual conference, including access to the convention program for individuals who may not have previously participated in or attended CCCC. However the convention takes place, I am committed to making it as inclusive and accessible as possible for presenters and attendees.
Important Dates
**We are hopeful that acceptances will be sent in mid-September. That communication will be accompanied by a set of questions that ask about your needs and preference related to virtual versus face-to-face convention attendance. This is important information for us to gather for the purposes of planning and of communicating with the sites in Spokane that are reserved for the convention at this time.
**Because the convention is scheduled later than unusual (April rather than March), and because there is a global pandemic, participants will not need to confirm their participation until mid-December.
**We hope to make a final decision about the convention format by early January.
Though it would be ideal to know more, earlier, about how CCCC 2021 will look, I ask for patience and flexibility as we work to adjust to the changing conditions in service of creating a meaningful and valuable professional experience next April, one that reflects the needs and values of the organization, field, and its members.
If you have questions, comments, or clarifications, feel free to send me an email: 4csconvention2021@gmail.com or holly.hassel@ndsu.edu.
hollyjhassel 