The PAMLA 2025 Conference will be held at the elegant InterContinental San Francisco in San Francisco, California. A special PAMLA rate will be provided. The conference will begin on Thursday, November 20, and continue through November 23, 2025.
Unfortunately, there are no virtual presentation options this year, should you be unable to present in person.
Before, during, and after our PAMLA conference, we strive to be a kind, polite, and collegial association. We expect our members, in their communications, to strive to be friendly and polite, even when disagreeing. Please read our PAMLA Statement on kindness and collegiality expectations: https://www.pamla.org/pamla-statement-on-dedication-to-kindnesss/
Please adhere to the current rules and procedures pertaining to registering for and presenting papers at the conference. Should you have any questions about any of these policies, please contact PAMLA Executive Director Craig Svonkin at [email protected].
- Members of PAMLA can present one traditional panel paper at the conference, and chair one session; or, if they are not presenting a paper, they may chair two sessions.
- In addition to delivering one paper as part of a traditional paper panel, members may also present on a Roundtable, as part of a Workshop, or as part of a Creative Conversation or Special Event.
- One may not present the same or a largely similar paper twice at the conference (once in a traditional panel, and once in a roundtable, for example). One also should generally not present a paper already presented at another conference.
- Conference participants may typically present twice, at most, at the conference (once in a traditional panel, and once in a creative format session; or twice in creative format sessions). To request an exception to this rule, please contact Executive Director Craig Svonkin at [email protected].
- Conference participants may typically be listed on the conference program a maximum of three times.
- You can view our full CFP list at: https://pamla.ballastacademic.com/home/cfp
- You may soon be able to submit a paper proposal to one of the approved sessions for the 2025 PAMLA Conference. You may first need to create a new User Account if you didn’t do so in the last few years. You can do so at our membership and conference portal: https://pamla.ballastacademic.com
- When you create your account, you will be able to choose one of the many affiliations we have on file, or if your affiliation isn’t there, choose “Not Listed” and then type your affiliation in.
- One does not have to be a member of PAMLA to propose a paper, but should one accept an invitation to present one must become a member immediately after confirming one’s presentation (or by June 25 at the latest).
- In order to propose a paper to one of our approved sessions, you will need to click on the session title on the CFP page and then on the green “Submit Abstract” button. Then you’ll need to provide a paper title, an approximately 50 word abstract, an approximately 250-400-word description, and your media requirements via https://pamla.ballastacademic.com/Home/CFP
- PAMLA policy is to not allow more than two people from the same institution in a session. Contact Executive Director Svonkin to request an exception.
- The same paper may not be submitted to more than one session. However, you may submit different paper proposals to different sessions (as long as you remember that you may only deliver a single traditional panel paper at the conference). The Executive Director and presiding officers shall resolve any conflicts that may arise when it comes to multiple paper proposals.
- We do not accept scheduling requests, except for religious reasons (please send religious schedule requests to Craig Svonkin far in advance of the conference). Please express any scheduling needs to Executive Director Craig Svonkin right away.
- Please limit your submissions to a reasonable number—no more than three paper proposals, please.
- If you propose a paper to a conference session, you should receive an email letting you know your proposal’s status. The email will let you know if you’ve been invited to join a session or not, or if your proposals are still being considered. If you have any questions, it is acceptable to send a polite email to the presiding officer or to PAMLA Executive Director Craig Svonkin. Please keep your email address updated in the pamla.ballastacademic.com system, and check your emails regularly.
- Should you be invited to join a session, please log into the pamla.ballastacademic.com site and accept or decline/withdraw from the invitation in a timely fashion. If you proposed to more than one traditional paper panel, and should you be invited to join more than one panel, you will need to quickly decide which session you are joining, and which you are withdrawing from.
- Please notify your Presiding Officer and the Executive Director if you cannot be present at the conference so that a replacement my be found. Papers may not be given in absentia or virtually. This is very important. While we recognize that emergencies arise, please make your plans as early as possible to attend or not to attend the conference.
- PAMLA would like to uphold the highest professional standards for its members and participants. Last-minute cancellations in the program, especially those that could have been conveyed earlier, should be avoided. If you cannot attend, please let your presiding officer and Executive Director Craig Svonkin ([email protected]) know immediately.
- Papers may not be read in absentia, whether it be virtually, online, or my other means.
- Traditional paper panel sessions are usually ninety-minutes long, typically with three to four papers in each session. Each paper should be 15-20 minutes to leave time for introductions and discussion (in sessions with four panelists, each panelist will have approximately 15 to 16 minutes; in sessions with three panelists, each panelist will have approximately 20 minutes). Please contact your Presiding Officer for the exact time limitations for your presentation. Please observe this time limit when writing and delivering your paper.
- It is important to stay in touch with your presiding officer and chair, and to contact them concerning any questions or concerns.
- Please remember to indicate your media needs when submitting your proposals. AV costs PAMLA over $45,000 for the conference, so if you can use low-tech methods, like handouts, that could save PAMLA significant funds.
- Presenters must provide their own computers or other devices that can be connected to the projector. If you have a laptop or other device that requires an adapter, please bring that adapter to the conference with you.
- If you have a Mac, please try to bring the appropriate HDMI converter/dongle.
- Please consider developing your paper into a publishable essay for Pacific Coast Philology, PAMLA’s refereed journal. Guidelines for submission are available on the PAMLA website: https://www.pamla.org/pacific-coast-philology
PAMLA Vaccination Policy
PAMLA expects its members to take care with their and their colleagues’ health. We expect participants to be fully vaccinated, so please get your Covid, flu, and other necessary vaccinations so as to protect yourself and others. Those who test positive for Covid must cancel their conference participation. Mask wearing is often a good idea, as well. Since we cannot predict when a pandemic might return, please get your vaccinations ahead of time. If you have any questions, please contact PAMLA Executive Director Craig Svonkin: 626-354-7526 or [email protected].
Questions?
If you have any questions, ideas, or concerns regarding presiding officer or session chair guidelines or the PAMLA conference in general, do not hesitate to contact PAMLA’s Executive Director Craig Svonkin ([email protected] or 626-354-7526).