Instructions for Session Chairs

Two examples.

Thank you for agreeing to chair a session at this year's ACL conference. Please check the session chair schedule on the ACL noticeboard for the time and room of your session.

You know all this already, but here are some reminders of what you need to do just in case.

Make sure you are in the room five to ten minutes prior to the commencement of the session, so you can identify the speakers you will have to introduce and so you can check that the audio-visual equipment is functioning properly. Please note some of the speakers might be using a PC projector and might need extra time to set it up. Please make sure they have ensured proper functioning of the equipment prior to the start of the session.

If there are any problems with the audio-visual equipment, seek assistance at the conference information desk immediately.

Please ensure that the session starts precisely at the advertised time. This is essential if the two program tracks are to remain synchronized, so that people can move between sessions if they wish. If a paper starts a few minutes late for whatever reason, you should truncate the presentation so as to retain synchrony with the other session.

Each presentation in the paper sessions is allotted a total time of 25 minutes, which will generally be made up of 20 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions. Please remind the presenter of this at the outset of the presenter’s talk.

"Time-out" signs indicating that the speaker has 10 minutes of talk time, 5 minutes of talk time, and 0 minutes of talk time left should be available at the front of the room. Use these to alert the presenter appropriately. If you can't find these, spare copies will be available at the ACL information desk.

Please close the session promptly. Do not feel uncomfortable about cutting short a discussion that seems to be getting out of hand. Invite the participants to continue the discussion elsewhere so that the conference schedule can be maintained.

Please leave the "Time-out" signs in the room for the next session chair.

Hopefully we won’t have any no-shows. But in case you realize that there is no one to present a paper in your session, please do not advance the next talk, i.e, start all talks at their scheduled time.
 

Author: K. Vijay-Shanker, 2000.

Dear panel moderator or session chair,

The Digital Government Workshop dg.o is drawing near, and judging by the program it is going to be a very interesting event.

Here are some instructions.

As session chair or panel moderator, it is your responsibility to keep the program on schedule. That means, primarily, making sure the speakers do not exceed their time limit.

Session chairs have the following duties:

1. Before the start of your session, please go to the front of the room and locate the speakers of you session. If they are not to be found, please let one of the local arrangements people or student helpers know. Let the speakers know how long they have: the speaking slot minus 10 minutes for questions and discussion. Let them know you will show them a sign saying how many minutes they have left before the discussion period begins.

2. At the proper time, introduce the speaker: name, affiliation, project. Help them affix the microphone.

3. Keep time, and at the appropriate points, show the speaker the time card indicating how many minutes are left before discussion. If the speaker runs over, become visibly agitated. If the speaker runs into the time of the next speaker, stand up and firmly but politely ask the speaker to stop.

4. Open the discussion time by standing up and soliciting questions. It is a good idea to have one or two questions handy yourself in case the audience is comatose. Do not allow one questioner to monopolize the session; ask them to continue the discussion afterward, in private.

5. Monitor the discussion time carefully: do not allow it to run over either. Announce when there is time for only one more, and stick to it.

6. When the session is over, close it by thanking the speakers and the audience.

Panel moderators have the following duties:

1. Before the start of your panel, please go to the front of the room and locate the other panelists. If they are not to be found, please let one of the local arrangements people or student helpers know. Let the panelists know how long they have: 10 minutes. Let them know there will be time afterward for questions and discussion.

2. At the start of the panel, introduce yourself and then the panel. Outline the title and the theme of the panel, and make your own brief statement. Then introduce the first panelist--name, affiliation, and project (if appropriate) and sit down.

3. Keep the panelist to the 10 minutes; when they run over, ask them politely but firmly to end their remarks. Then introduce the next panelist, until the end.

4. At the end of the panel statements, allow the panelists to address points raised in the panel. Give them each a brief turn.

5. When this is over, open the floor for general comments and discussion. There should be about 30 minutes for this. Solicit questions especially for panelists who have not been addressed yet. It is a good idea to have one or two questions handy yourself in case the audience is comatose. Do not allow one questioner to monopolize the session; ask them to continue the discussion afterward, in private.

6. Monitor the discussion time carefully: do not allow it to run over either. Announce when there is time for only one more, and stick to it.

7. When the session is over, close it by thanking the speakers and the audience.

Author: Eduard Hovy, 2000.