Skip to Main Content

Information for Chairs

    Information for Session Chairs

    Session chairs typically have three responsibilities: (1) finding discussants for the papers in the session (or deciding that no discussants are necessary), (2) ensuring that papers are circulated to discussants and other session participants in a timely fashion, and (3) keeping the session running on time.

    1. Finding discussants: Sessions in different fields often run in different ways.  Some sessions have assigned discussants; others do not.  If your session organizer has made arrangements directly with you regarding discussants for your session, please refer to your session organizer's outline. If discussants have not been assigned to your session, you are welcome to line up discussants if you wish.  When a session has four papers you should consider not having discussants. Instead, you could ask each of the presenters to offer a few comments and insights for one of the other papers. e.g. The second presenter can prepare a few comments for the first presenter, the third presenter can prepare comments for the second presenter, etc. The potential outline for timing could look like this:

      90-minute Session: ask presenters to prepare for about 15 minutes, with no more than 10-12 slides, for their presentations. Then five minutes for discussion.
      If you want to look outside the session presenters for a discussant there is a participant list available in your submission account. It is important to review the programme to make sure the person you choose is not presenting during the same time. 
       

    2. Ensuring papers are circulated in a timely fashion: every person who has a paper accepted for the CEA meetings agrees to circulate their paper to other participants in their session, and their discussant, at least two weeks before the beginning of the conference. They are also warned that failure to do so may lead to their paper being withdrawn from the program. Please remind presenters of their responsibilities to their discussants. If, in your opinion, a presenter should be withdrawn from the program because they have not circulated their paper on time, please inform the program assistant at cea.conference@gmail.com.
       
    3. Keeping the session running on time: chairs have some latitude in allocating time but as a default, for a typical 3-paper session, each presenter should be given 18 minutes for the presentation, followed by 5 minutes for the formal discussant, with the remaining time for audience comments and questions. Sessions without formal discussants should aim for 20-minute presentations with the remaining time for audience comments and questions. However you choose to allocate time in your session, please ensure that time is allocated to individual paper presentations and paper discussions in an equal and fair manner, and that papers should be delivered in the sequence in which they appear in the conference program. For sessions with more papers, the chair must make clear to presenters and discussants what the time allocations are.

      The session chair will keep time and signal to the presenters how much time is left at appropriate points. (See the signal paddles below for in-person.) If a speaker extends a presentation for more than 2 minutes past the mark, the chair is allowed to cut off a speaker and proceed to the discussant or next presentation.

    To make presentations run smoothly, presenters have been asked to:

    1. Send the file of their presentation to you, as the chair, at least one week before the conference, so that you have the option of loading all of the files for the session ahead of time onto your memory key;  
    2. Present themselves in the conference room at least 15 minutes before the start time; 
    3. Bring their presentation on a memory key (for in-person), in addition to sending it to their session chair. 

    Several computer-literate students will patrol the conference areas to act as first-line support. You should arrange to arrive at the conference room well in advance to make sure that everything is ready for the conference to begin on time and run smoothly. 

    In-Person Event Resources :

    Note on PowerPoint: The rooms will have facilities for computer-assisted presentations, using PowerPoint or PDF. Presenters are encouraged to use this technology to make their presentations.

    Courtesy of William Robson of the C.D. Howe Institute, below are images of the two sides of two paddles (to be printed and attached to signboard) that you may use if you wish.

    5-minute sign

    3-minute sign

    1-minute sign

    time-is-up sign

    OnLine Procedures from Simon Fraser University 2021

     

    Online Procedure: Oral Paper Sessions with three or four speakers:

    1. 15 minutes before the session starts, the online room opens to let participants make last-minute checks.
    2. Start of the session, the chair asks everyone to go off-screen and invites the first speaker, and the shared screen. The chair remains on screen to control time. The assigned student volunteer can remove any unnecessary screen. 
    3. At the end of the first presentation, the chair invites the discussant and the shared screen. 
    4. The Chair asks the discussant to leave and close the shared screen and invites questions from viewers. The assigned student volunteer accepts participants one by one. Once the question is asked and the answer is done, the participant is asked to go off-screen.
    5. The chair asks everyone to leave and invite the next speaker. Additional speakers follow the same script. An exception will occur if the last speaker is the assigned chair, in which case the chair asks presenter one to act as chair.
    6. The session ends but remains open for 30 minutes for informal discussions. The chair asks to close shared screens, unless needed. This allows for up to 20 participants. 
       

    Online Procedure: Panel Sessions:

    1. 15 minutes before the session starts, the room opens to let participants make last-minute checks.
    2. Start of the session, the chair asks everyone to go off-screen and invites the panelists (between 3 and 5). Panelists could also add shared screen. The chair remains on screen to control time. The student volunteer can remove any unnecessary screens. 
    3. The chair asks to remove any unnecessary shared screen and invites questions from viewers. The student volunteer accepts participants one by one. Once the question is asked and the answer is done, the participant is asked to go off-screen. This means no more than 7 screens at the time (450 viewers.) 
    4. With this script, there are no more than 11 screens open at the time (250 viewers). 
    5. The session ends but remains open for 30 minutes for informal discussions. The chair asks to close shared screens unless needed. This allows for up to 20 participants.  
    1. The session chair will keep time and will signal to the presenters how much time is left at appropriate points. (See the signal paddles below for in-person.) For Online Presentations, the Chat function can be used to remind. If a speaker extends a presentation for more than 2 minutes past the mark, the chair is allowed to cut off a speaker and proceed to the discussant or next presentation. For online presentations, the tech volunteer that is assigned to the session will have the ability to turn off the presenter's audio, if they are running over time. The volunteer can be asked to do this via the chat function. 

    To make presentations run smoothly, presenters have been asked to:

    1. Send the file of their presentation to you, as the chair, at least one week before the conference, so that you have the option of loading all of the files for the session ahead of time onto your memory key; For Online presentations, this is Not Applicable. 
    2. Present themselves in the conference room at least 15 minutes before the start time; For an online conference, be ready on camera with audio/video ready 15 minutes before the start time. 
    3. Bring their presentation on a memory key (for in-person), in addition to sending it to their session chair. For an ONLINE conference, there will be practice times available, provided by the online platform. All participants are expected to attend the practice at any of the open times to ensure their audio/visual and slides work. 

    Several computer-literate students will patrol the conference areas to act as first-line support. You should arrange to arrive at the conference room well in advance to make sure that everything is ready for the conference to begin on time and run smoothly. For an online conference, there will be student volunteers in all rooms to assist with the technical components.Â