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Frequently
Asked Questions: Registration and Background Frequently
Asked Questions: On site at the Annual Conference a
What
should I do when I arrive at the conference? Frequently
Asked Questions: The Association Itself a
How
long has AEA been around? Frequently Asked Questions: Registration and Conference Background When
may I register for Evaluation 2004?
Registration
forms were sent to AEA members in August and are available online on
this website as well. We strongly encourage you to register by October 1
in order to receive the discounted early registration rates. We accept
registrations online through October 26 and then on site at the
conference as well. The conference does not have an attendance cap and
on site registrants will be able to attend the event. However,
individual professional development workshops that precede and follow
the conference are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and many
will fill before the event. What is included in my registration fee? Standard conference registration includes admission to all of the sessions held after 3:30 pm on Wednesday through 5:00 pm on Saturday with the exception of Friday’s luncheon which requires a separate ticket. This includes over 400 conference sessions consisting of plenaries with nationally and internationally known speakers, panels, demonstrations, poster sessions, paper sessions, and roundtables. Registration also includes receptions Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, although drinks at the reception are through a cash bar. Meals are not included, but beverages are available in the foyers each morning before and after the plenary and each afternoon before the penultimate session. Your conference registration fee does NOT include registration for the professional development workshops that precede and follow the conference.
How
are professional development workshops different from conference
sessions?
Professional development workshops precede and follow the conference.
They are scheduled on Monday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 2, 2004
from 9:00 to 4:00 pm (full day sessions only), on Wednesday, November 3,
between 8:00 am and 11:00 am and noon and 3:00 pm, as well as on Sunday,
November 9, between 9:00 am and 12:00 noon (half day sessions only).
These workshops differ from the ones offered during the conference
itself in at least three ways: 1) each is longer (either 3, 6, or 12 hours in
length) and thus provides a more in-depth exploration of a skill or area
of knowledge, 2) presenters are paid for their time and are expected to
have significant experience both presenting and in the subject area, and
3) attendees pay separately for these workshops and are given the
opportunity to evaluate the experience. How
much does it cost to enroll in a professional development workshop for
2004?
Half-day professional development workshop registration for
members is $75, for non-members is $100 and for students is $40. The fee
for full-day sessions is double that for half-day sessions. Please
register as early as possible as spaces in professional development
workshops are limited and are allocated on a first-come, first-served
basis. Many sessions will fill during the summer or early autumn. Do
I need to sign up for sessions in advance? The professional development workshops that
precede and follow the conference require a separate registration and
are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. All other sessions held
during the conference are open to all registered attendees. You may attend any
session by arriving at the appropriate room before the session begins.
We make every effort to ensure that the room size is adequate for the
attendance; however, occasionally, a session’s seating will fill. If
there is a session that is of the highest priority for you, it is a good idea
to arrive at the beginning of the break rather than at the end. What
is the Presidential Strand? The Presidential Strand
is a set of sessions highlighting the year’s strand theme: Fundamental
Issues. There is one Strand session during each
timeslot, plus plenary, or general sessions, that open the conference as
well as first thing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. The plenaries
showcase the very best national and international speakers selected
especially for their insight into the Strand theme. What
is the Conference Committee Strand? The Conference
Committee Strand is a set of sessions, one per timeslot whenever there
are concurrent sessions, that highlight cross-cutting issues or issues
of professional practice. What is a TIG and what do they do? AEA has 35 Topical Interest Groups, or TIGs. One of the major activities of each TIG is to review conference proposals and sponsor conference sessions. Under each session in the program you will see the sponsoring group. Checking the TIG sponsor will give you an idea as to the topical bent of the overall session. Each TIG also holds a business meeting during the conference, and attending one is a great way to connect with others who share your interests and to learn of the TIG’s plans for the coming year. Many TIG members can be identified by ribbons attached to their nametags stating TIG affiliations. Pick up ribbons showing your topical interests when you check in at the registration desk and look for others throughout the conference who share your interests. Frequently
Asked Questions: On site at the Conference What
should I do when I arrive at the conference? Begin by checking in at the AEA conference
registration desk on the conference floor of the Hilton. May
I register or make purchases on site? You may register for the conference, or add to your
existing conference registration, on site at the conference registration
desk. On-site registrations are processed at the standard registration
fee. If possible, consider registering and paying online or via mail by
October 1 – the registration fees will be lower. You may enroll in any
open professional development sessions, but many will have filled before
the conference (in 2003 almost half of the workshops were closed prior to
November 1). Lunch tickets for the Friday awards luncheon are usually
available through noon on Thursday. There are a limited number of
t-shirts available for on-site purchase as well. How
can I meet people? One
great way to meet colleagues is to attend the Information Fair and Reception
on Wednesday evening and take the opportunity to speak with some of the
field’s writers, or attend the Poster Exhibition and Reception on
Thursday evening and speak one-on-one with the presenters about their
work. Mid-day Friday
brings the awards luncheon. Purchase a ticket and sit with colleagues to
enjoy a good meal and great company while honoring the best in the
field. Friday is topped off by a reception and silent auction hosted by
the International and Cross-Cultural Evaluation TIG. Meet attendees from
around the world and bid on a range of items from texts to talismans. If
you are a student, don’t miss the exclusive student reception with the
AEA Board held Thursday evening. Finally, attending a TIG business
meeting will help you to connect with people who share your disciplinary
interests. What
if I have questions during the conference? Please feel free to come to the registration
desk at any time. We’re happy to answer your questions, give a little
advice, or point you in the right direction. When out and about, look
for attendees with “Board Member” or "Ambassador" ribbons
attached to their nametags. These Association leaders
serve you and will be happy to help. Be sure to attend the first time
attendee’s orientation session held from 6:10 to 6:40 on Wednesday
evening to learn more about the Association and the Conference. What are those ribbons everyone is wearing? The Topical Interest Groups (TIGs) sponsor ribbons that may be attached to your nametag to indicate your Topical Interests. You need not belong to a particular TIG to select its ribbon to show your interest in its topical area – conversely, you need not wear ribbons from each of the TIGs to which you belong. It is up to you. The ribbons are a great networking tool. They offer a way to ‘break the ice’ and locate others with a common affinity. A few people also have other ribbons to indicate that they are Board members, staff, or volunteer leaders. Frequently
Asked Questions: The Association Itself How
long has AEA been around? The American Evaluation Association (AEA) came into being in 1986 out
of the merger of two existing evaluation groups: The Evaluation Network
and the Evaluation Research Society. What
is the mission of AEA? AEA’s
mission is to: * Improve evaluation practice and methods * Increase evaluation use * Promote evaluation as a profession, and *
Support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and
knowledge about effective human action. Why
should I become a member? Membership in AEA signifies to yourself and to others that you consider
yourself an evaluation professional. The Association’s two journals,
subscriptions to both of which come with full membership, provide you
with up-to-date information on current theory and practice. The
American Journal of Evaluation includes
articles on topics of current interest, information about upcoming
conferences, book reviews, and more. Published quarterly, New Directions for Evaluation
focuses on various aspects of a single salient topic with each issue. Finally, AEA members enjoy considerable
discounts on conference and professional development workshop
registrations. Where
can I turn with professional questions? EVALTALK is the official listserv of AEA.
Subscribers to EVALTALK engage in lively, sometimes heated, usually
thought provoking discussions of topics related to evaluation. EVALTALK
can be received in real time via ongoing emails throughout the day, or
as a digest so that you receive one email each day that includes the
indexed, full discussion from the past 24 hours. The AEA office can
direct you to information on how to sign on to EVALTALK - write them at aea@eval.org. Another option for your
professional questions is to connect with a Topical Interest Group
either through attending TIG-sponsored sessions at the annual conference
or communicating with the TIG leaders - a directory of which may be
found at http://www.eval.org/TIGs/tig.html. What
is a TIG?
AEA’s 35 Topical Interest Groups (TIGs) span the
methodological, disciplinary, and ideological gamut. These subgroups of
the Association allow members to connect with others who share their
interests as well as provide a forum for sharing knowledge and skills
during the annual conference. Some TIGs are very active and produce a
newsletter, manage their own website, and solicit and develop special
conference sessions. Other TIGs focus primarily on providing reviewers
for topical presentations for the annual conference. AEA members may be
members in up to five TIGs and may change their TIG choices at any time
by contacting the AEA office or making the changes on your membership
renewal form. What
is a Local Affiliate? AEA’s Local Affiliates (LAs) are independent associations that
provide a regional home to evaluators. You do not need to be a member of
AEA to join an Affiliate and you do not need to participate in an
Affiliate to be a member of AEA. Affiliates provide their own
programming and outreach activities, yet share with AEA a focus on
serving evaluators and the evaluation community. A list of local
affiliates may be found online at http://www.eval.org/affiliates.htm. How
can I get involved? AEA is a professionally run, volunteer lead association. The most
obvious way to get involved is to participate: submit a proposal to
present at the conference, vote in AEA elections, nominate a colleague
for an award. Share your knowledge by submitting an article to The
American Journal of Evaluation – manuscript guidelines can be
found online at http://www.eval.org/american_journal_of_evaluation.htm. Become a leader by attending a
TIG business meeting at the annual conference, or emailing a TIG leader,
and offering your services. TIGs are seeking people to do everything
from design websites to write newsletters to review conference
proposals. Go to a local
affiliate meeting and make your voice heard about your professional
development needs. If you want to influence the actions of the
Association, consider running for office on the AEA Board or connecting
with an AEA Board member, committee chair, or TIG leader. Only members
may serve on the AEA Board or as Topical Interest Group leaders. Where should I turn with questions? A good place to start is with Susan Kistler or her staff in our AEA office. Susan can answer most conference-related, administrative, member services, or policy questions and will point you in the right direction for other resources. She has guidelines available for starting a TIG or Affiliate if that should be of interest to you. If you have a concern about the Association or the service that you receive, please connect with the AEA Past-president who serves as Association Ombudsperson. Our current Ombudsperson is Richard Krueger (rkrueger@umn.edu).
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