The information below was available to presenters for their use in preparing proposals to be a part of the programming for Terminus. While no further proposals will be accepted for the conference, we hope it will give attendees an idea of what sorts of presentation styles will be featured during the conference.

Terminus’s programming comprises submissions by scholars, students, professionals, fans, and others with an interest in the Harry Potter series. This same diverse group makes up the audience for critical thought on the novels, films, related areas and the cultural phenomenon. To assist potential presenters with submitting proposals, we offer the following examples of presentation structure and format.

Papers, Lectures, and Presentations

Presenters may read scholarly papers or deliver lectures or talks. Most paper presentations are followed by a brief question-and-answer period. Individuals may choose 25-, 50-, 90-, and 110-minute blocks of time for a presentation as well as any audience discussion or questions.

Pre-empaneled Papers

A set of related papers may be submitted as a panel to ensure that they are scheduled together. The initial submitter designates a moderator and provides the panel's title, as well as an individual paper title, summary and abstract. The initial submitter also enters the e-mail addresses of co-panelists. Each co-panelist will receive a notice to enter a biography and contact information, as well as the title, summary and abstract for his or her individual paper. Our submissions system offers 50-, 90-, and 110-minute options for readings or lectures and any discussion period.

Panel Discussions

Panels, led by a moderator, generally discuss a topic before an audience, and may or may not take questions during or after the discussion. All panelists should be named at the time of proposal submission. Our submissions system offers 50-, 90-, and 110-minute options for your panel discussion and any audience question-and-answer period.

Workshops

Workshop sessions are led by an instructor and focus on the application and practice of craft. Generally, an attendee will expect to gain or expand upon a particular skill at a workshop, and opportunity for participation marks this style of presentation. Workshop leaders may request 50-, 90-, or 110-minute blocks of time.

Roundtables

Roundtable discussions are limited to a smaller audience – typically one that reflects the discussion section that would be paired with a college lecture course – and depend on audience participation. The most successful discussions are facilitated by a moderator who seeks to explore open-ended questions with the audience and who encourages all in attendance to take part. To encourage this format, a potential moderator may either present either an abstract or a list of sample discussion questions at the time of proposal submission. Submitters may request 50- or 90-minute time blocks. The 50-minute time block is recommended, however, and longer proposals may not receive the full requested time even if accepted. Additionally, please note that roundtables may have only a single moderator; no co-moderation is possible for Terminus. Those groups considering a roundtable with multiple moderators are encouraged to instead consider a panel discussion, which is more suited to having multiple presentation leaders, or to select one person from the group to moderate, with other group members planning to attend and support the discussion.

Combination Presentations

This list is not meant to limit the styles of presentation brought to our vetting boards for consideration; instead, we hope that it will inspire creativity as well as help submitters make decisions about how to structure potential presentations, especially as terminology can vary across fields. We know that a lecture could lead into a roundtable discussion, or a panel could precede a workshop. The combination option in the submission system allows for a full description of any such presentation; at the time of submission, a submitter should be prepared to describe the elements of the proposal and what proportion of the presentation will be devoted to each in the abstract. Time increments of 25, 50, 90, and 110 minutes may be requested.

Exploratory Programming

Please visit our Exploratory Programming page for an overview and links to elements of this portion of programming, which includes Artists and Authors Night and the Terminus Gallery.

Additional Preparation Information

Collaboration in all areas is encouraged, and we are pleased to offer those seeking co-presenters or a place to brainstorm a dedicated forum on our message boards.

At the time of submission for all proposals, we require an abstract of 300-500 words for each separate presentation, a 50-100 word summary, and a short presenter biography for each presenter. Those wishing to submit a proposal for a roundtable discussion may submit a brief explanation of a topic and a list of 10-15 sample discussion questions in lieu of a formal abstract.

When planning a proposal, please consider requests for audio-visual needs carefully. Typically, a microphone is provided for a paper or workshop, and several microphones for a panel. Amplification and other audio-visual materials are not provided for roundtable discussions. LCD projection is available on a very limited basis for inherently visual presentations, such as those that address film or art, and on an as-available basis for other types of presentations. Priority for use of a projector will be tied to information provided in the abstract, as well as to projector availability within tracks and other factors. We recommend that presenters consider handouts, posters, and other visual aids, and that presenters have alternative ideas in mind in case projection is not available. Audio-visual availability for individual presentations will be announced approximately one month after the presenter registration deadline.

All presenters must be registered and paid by April 15, 2008. Presenters who have not registered by that date will be removed from our programming schedule, and no registration or presentation space will be held for them.

If you have questions not answered here, please e-mail programming@terminus2008.org.