The host institution responsible for financing and organizing the following:

  • Guest speakers (honorarium plus all expenses). The cost will vary depending on the number of speakers invited and where they’re coming from. The past couple of years we’ve had four speakers.
  • Website for the symposium and all local arrangements
  • A reception and coffee breaks
  • A booklet with the program and abstracts available at registration table. An electronic version would also be posted on the symposium website.

Fees:

  • Host institution gets the registration fees.
  • Faculty and students of the host institution attending the symposium are exempt from paying the Society membership fees.
  • All presenters must be members of the Arabic Linguistics. Membership fees paid to the Society.

Timetable:

  • Dates: a 3-day symposium usually held in March while school is in session (avoid spring break). Specific dates depend on the university but in general it’s around the first week of March.
  • Call for papers: One goes out by end of May or early June (before schools are out for summer), a second in August, and a final in October.
  • Deadline for accepting abstracts is usually no later than mid-November.
  • Review of abstracts to be completed no later than mid-December. Notifications of acceptance to be sent as soon as results are obtained to allow time for visa applications for presenters from overseas.
  • Program to be ready for posting by mid-January.

Program:

  • The executive director works with the coordinator from the host institution in all matters involving the abstract review process and setting up the program.
  • The abstracts are reviewed anonymously by 5 reviewers, one of whom is from the host institution.
  • We have been using the Linguist List and the Arabic-L list to announce the symposium. The host institution also helps in promoting the symposium through its own channels and of course the website. A link to the symposium webpage would also be posted on the ALS website.

Attendance is around 60+.