You are here

Panel, Poster, Town Hall, and Workshop Proposals

Submit a Proposal

The submission deadline for all Panel, Workshop, Town Hall, or Poster session proposals is December 15 in the year preceding MAA MathFest.

Panel Session Proposals Information

MAA panel discussions are typically scheduled for 80 minutes. A panel should include 3-5 panelists along with a moderator, and the proposal should include a list of planned or prospective panelists. The structure of a panel can include introductory remarks from each panelist, but there should be ample time for questions and discussion. Interactions between panelists, as well as interactions between the panel and the audience, are important parts of a successful panel session. Your proposed title should be clear and specific, and should make clear the intended audience for your panel. Please indicate the types and diversity for the panel members (small school, big school, government, location, etc); listing confirmed or potential panelists is strongly recommended.

In Additional Notes, please include any additional information that may be relevant to session selection. This can include justification for why the session should be run and any other information you wish the committee to consider.

Town Hall Meeting Proposals Information

MAA town hall sessions are typically scheduled for 80 minutes. They are similar to panel discussions but with a ‘flipped’ model. That is, the goal of a town hall is to gather suggestions and feedback from the audience rather than from the panelists, and ample time should be devoted to this goal. Town halls may have a full set of panelists to direct audience feedback or may feature more of an open microphone setting for more informal sharing of ideas. Please specify which model or explain AV needs when proposing a town hall. Your proposal should also include specifics of the information you seek to gather from the audience. A list of potential panelists or facilitators is strongly recommended.

Poster Session Proposals Information

An MAA poster session allows for many people with interest in a specific topic to share their work. Proposals should suggest a specific topic of interest to the community – please explain why you think your session will attract presenters. Organizers are then responsible for soliciting and selecting participants. An organizer's email address will be listed along with the title and description of the session in the meeting announcement in MAA FOCUS. The MAA provides cork boards and affixing materials for the posters presented at MAA poster sessions. An estimate on the number of posters your session is intended to accommodate is helpful for the Committee to know.

Workshop Proposals Information

An MAA workshop is a hands-on, interactive session, and is also typically 80 minutes in length. Topics of past successful workshops include creating quality job applications, demonstrating an interactive pedagogy, or working on an activity like paper-folding. Including co-organizers or potential helpers in your proposal is recommended. Your proposal's title should be clear and specific, and should make clear the intended level and audience for your workshop. Your proposal should outline how you will use the 80 minutes, spend time engaging with attendees and having them do something, and leave attendees with concrete take-aways. That is, a workshop is not intended to be a long talk on a topic but rather interactive with attendees leaving the workshop with an action plan related to the topic.