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WHA 2025: SUBMIT A PROPOSAL! Follow the directions and work through the process carefully. Scroll through each section below as they are each designed to assist you in this process. |
DEADLINES The WHA's 2025 online abstract submission platform (powered by All Academic, Inc.) will open on September 20, 2024. All submissions are due December 5, 2024 by 11:59 P.M. (Pacific Time).
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CHECKLIST: SESSION ORGANIZERS CONSULT THIS FIRST! This list is updated annually! Click here for a printable copy of this checklist. Checklist for session organizers to submit a full session through the online platform for 2025: 1. First, please confirm that the participants on your session have NOT committed to participate on more than two sessions for the conference. 2. Title for Panel/Workshop/Roundtable (10-12 words max) 3. Group Abstract for Panel/Workshop/Roundtable (250 words in one paragraph) that is clear in its concept, appropriate of participants and component parts, engages with the conference theme, and adds overall value to the program. 4. Individual Presentation Titles from each Participant in the session (10-12 words max). All sessions--panels, roundtables, workshops--need individual titles for presentations to help aid the ranking and scheduling process. The staff will happily remove titles from roundtables and workshops if the session organizer makes this request. 5. Individual Presentation Abstracts from each Participant (150 words in one paragraph) 6. The name of a confirmed participant to serve as the Chair for your session. One Chair is required for all sessions. You may have more than one Chair, and your Chair can also serve as a Commentator if they agree to this request. But your Chair cannot also serve as a Presenter on the session. 7. A Commentator is optional and encouraged for your session, but is not required. 8. Are you submitting a “Book Session” or an “Honorific Session”? Not sure? Please consult the WHA’s "Best Practices" for organizing Book Sessions and Honorific Sessions or continue reading below. 9. Three Keywords that describe the topic/theme of your session 10. Audio Visual (AV) or Accessibility Requests (screens and projectors will be provided; presenters bring their own laptops) 11. Indication of a Sponsored Session (most session submissions are *not* sponsored) 12. Session Representation (200 words max; do not leave this field blank or write “NA”): This field seeks to answer the following question regarding the representation of session participants, especially as it pertains to the WHA's Program Committee Statement on the Diversity of Program Participation (see full statement below). Do not leave this field blank.
13. Knowledge of the 2025 travel commitment for all presenters and session participants. (See above: all presenters and session participantsmust present their work onsite; the conference meeting space will not include Wi-Fi for online/hybrid sessions.) 14. Confirmation that all participants have created their All Academic profiles: As the panel organizer, you may not create or update other people’s profiles. Everyone must do this on their own. 15. The following items are essential factors of the submission process as they allow for efficient communication with program participants who are accepted to present their work at the 2025 conference. The WHA office asks that, as the organizer, you be responsible for making sure your session participants do the following:
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FAQs FOR SESSION AND PRESENTERS |
QUESTION 2: I want to submit my work as an individual paper (not in a panel/workshop/roundtable). What information do I need to prepare before I can submit my paper through the system? 1. Make sure you review/create/update your profile on All Academic, the WHA's online abstract platform.
2. Once logged into the system, click "Submit or Edit a Proposal," then "Submit a new Proposal" 3. Enter the following:
4. You will be asked to add an "author" for the paper. At the bottom of this page, enter your last name and click "search." find your name in the list and click "Add Presenter." 5. On the final page look over your information and click "Accept and Continue" to submit your abstract. You should receive an automating email from the online system that confirms your submission. | QUESTION 3: I am submitting my work as part of a full session submission, but I am not the panel organizer. How can I prepare my materials to make sure our organizer has everything they need to submit our session on time? 1. Create your All Academic profile: All presenters and participants must review, create, or update your own All Academic profiles. In these profiles, you must recognize that you:
2. Individual Presentation Titles from each Participant (10-12 words max) 3. Individual Presentation Abstracts from each Participant (150 words in one paragraph) 4. FYI: The session Chair or Co-Chairs cannot also serve as Presenters on your session. 5. Check with your session organizer and see what else they might need from you. |
QUESTION 4: I am the session organizer for a group of people. How do I submit a full panel/workshop/roundtable through the system once I have gathered all materials on the Checklist? 1. Make sure you review/update/create your All Academic profile. 2. Do you have all the material from the above checklist and are you ready to submit your panel? Great! Then proceed... 3. Click "Submit or Edit a Proposal," then "Submit a New Proposal." Select "Session." 4. Enter all information required on the form for Panels/Workshops/Roundtables. Again, you should pre-collect and organize this information using the checklist included in item "1" above). 5. Add your session presenters: Click "Add Paper" to enter the presentation titles and abstracts for each participant. On the next page search for the author's last name to add them as a Presenter on your Panel/Workshop/Roundtable. 6. After you add each presenter, add the name of your Chair and Commentator.
8. Worth Repeating: Your session Chair cannot also serve as a Presenter on your session. Your Chair should hold a stand-alone role on your panel unless they also agree to serve as your Commentator. 9. Does your session appear in the order it should? Place the Chair first, and the participant names in their presentation order. Paper titles should appear underneath the names of session participants. 10. On the final page look over your information and click "Accept and Continue" to submit your abstract. Your session should look like this:
11. You and your session participants will receive a confirmation email from All Academic after you complete the submission process. |
Question 5: I noticed I need to fill out a field titled “Session Representation.” What is this for? In this section, the organizer/submitter should use this field to discuss the representation of session participants (backgrounds, positions, occupations, disciplines, and other factors of diversity) that they want the Program Committee to know about. The Program Committee's "Diversity of Program Participants Statement" is: 1) The Program Committee will actively promote the full and equitable inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities, diverse Indigeneities, religious minorities, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with various ranks and career paths on the Annual Meeting program. 2) Although not all sessions can reflect the entire diversity of the profession, the Program Committee will encourage proposers of sessions to include diverse sets of participants, addressing gender diversity, racial and ethnic diversity, sexual diversity, religious diversity, disability-based diversity, and/or LGBTQ+ diversity. 3) The Program Committee will encourage session proposers to consider the benefits of including on their panels historians in various career paths and of various ranks (i.e., senior scholars, public historians, graduate students, independent historians, etc.) within their organizations/institutions.
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Question 6: Can I begin working on my proposal, save it, and return to the site later to edit it before submitting the final version? No, but Yes. You must first submit your proposal through the system. Once you have submitted it and received a confirmation email, you can go back into the system at any time prior to the CFP deadline (December 5) to edit your session abstract, add participants, and make other revisions. There is NOT a function to "save" your work. Submit it first, then return to edit it. Remember, you will be unable to edit your submission after the CFP deadline, so please make sure your information is accurate on December 5. | Question 7: What’s the difference between roundtables, workshops, and panels? How do I know what kind of session I should submit? If you wish to ensure your session is understood as a Roundtable or Workshop, please incorporate these words into your session title. Otherwise, the review committee and staff will consider your session a standard Panel. **All session types—panel, roundtable, workshop--require titles for participants to assist the review committee in the ranking process.** A standard PANEL is a presentation-style session with 3-4 participants who deliver timed presentations (12-20 minutes). For an example of a standard panel see the highlighted panel from a past conference here: Outside the Lines: Latinx Sporting Lives. The ROUNDTABLE has a format that is centered on a central topic or theme and includes several participants. For an example see "State of the Field: Environmental History in the American West." The WORKSHOP is a session focused on methods, training, or practicum and usually involves audience participation. See "Race and Ethnicity in Public History: A Workshop on Community Collaboration Engagement and Partnerships" for an example. | Question 8: Can I be on more than one session on the 2025 Conference Program? Except in special circumstances, no single person should participate in more than two conference sessions. Please do not agree to serve on more than two sessions, regardless of your session role as chair, comment, or presenter. If you are asked to join a session but find yourself already over-committed on other sessions, it would be *stellar professional courtesy* to point the requester in the direction of a student or scholar who is doing similar work who would be a good fit for the session. Here is some of that *stellar professional courtesy* language you can borrow! "I am sorry, I am already committed to two sessions for the 2025 conference program, but Superstar X, Superstar Y, and Superstar Z, are doing similar work and would be an excellent fit for your proposed session!" The only people who are exempt from this practice are individuals who have been asked by the 2025 President to serve on a Presidential Panel or Plenary. |
Question 9: Do I need to submit a full session proposal (participants, chair, commentator) or can I submit an individual paper for the conference program? The Program Committee prefers full session proposals (panels, roundtables, or workshops), but will also accept individual papers. | Question 10: Do I need to be a member of the WHA to submit a proposal or present at a conference? No, membership is not required to present your work at the WHA conference. But remember, paying a conference registration fee is required! We do hope you consider joining the WHA to benefit from annual membership and registration discounts! | Question 11: What are the lengths and specifics of abstracts for full session proposals and for individual paper proposals? Full panel abstracts for the group sessions must be 250 words in one paragraph; individual abstracts for the group sessions must be 150 words in one paragraph; individual paper abstracts must be 150 words in one paragraph. |
Question 12: I am on a Roundtable session. Do I still need to submit a paper title and abstract? Yes. For ease of review for the Program Committee, we are asking all presenters to submit a title and abstract. Please include a note in the session abstract whether your roundtable wishes to have paper titles included in the final program. | Question 13: Can I add names of session participants without confirming their involvement? No. The Program Committee assumes that all participants have verbally agreed to their commitment on proposals that are submitted. Proposals submitted without someone’s consent will be automatically eliminated. | Question 14: Can the Chair and Commentator be the same individual? In order to maximize program participation, the Program Committee prefers that the Chair and the Commentator roles are not shared by the same individual. Full session proposals *must* include a Chair, but a Commentator is optional; Individual paper proposals must include suggestions for people to fill these roles should their proposal be accepted and combined into a full session. Please note: Do not, under any circumstances, add people to your session in these roles unless they have confirmed their involvement in your full session proposal. |
Question 15: How do I know if my session or individual proposal was submitted correctly? You will receive an automatic message sent to the email address you entered in the system which verifies that your proposal was officially submitted. If you would like to have extra confirmation, email the WHA office with your request. | Question 16: This process seems difficult. Can I just email my proposal? No. Proposals that are emailed or mailed will not be considered for the program. If you can handle registering for a conference or writing a conference presentation, the online abstract submission platform should be a process you can achieve. | Question 17: What if someone on my session cannot attend the conference and needs to Zoom into the session? The WHA will not have online options or Internet coverage in the session rooms at the 2025 conference. The WHA office and Program Committee recommend that session participants discuss their plans and commitments to travel to Kansas City to participate in the 2025 program. |
Question 18: If my proposal is accepted, am I required to register for the conference in 2025? What are the consequences if I do not register or show up? Yes, it is WHA policy that all conference program participants register for the conference. Please read the WHA's Policy on Conference Participation below in the "Best Practices and Policies" section. | Question 19: Presenting Onsite and In Person: The WHA will not offer online options for program participation in 2025. Only onsite sessions will be offered. Onsite sessions: where all session participants are presenting their work from Kansas City to an onsite, face-to-face audience (like pre-2020 conference years). These sessions will not be located in rooms that are capable for a "hybrid" set up (some presenting in person, some presenting in real time online). Session rooms will not be equipped with hi-speed Internet to support online or hybrid presentations. | Question 20: Who should I contact with my questions? If you have questions about specific content or sessions you are organizing, email the 2025 Program Committee Co-Chairs (Maurice Crandall and Margaret Huettl: maurice.crandall@asu.edu and huettlm@uwosh.edu). If you need assistance with the online abstract platform on All Academic, please contact the WHA staff: wha@westernhistory.org |
Question 21: What kinds of AV equipment does the WHA provide? The WHA will provide projectors (with an HDMI connection), screens, and podiums (combined estimated price of $1700 per panel, per day). All WHA participants need to provide their own laptops and specialty adapters if they are needed during their session. It is not guaranteed that WHA Staff or AV Technicians will have the correct adapters, so please plan ahead. High-Speed (or Wi-Fi) Internet will not be available in session rooms. Please make sure to download and integrate all photos into your slideshow. Hyperlinks will not upload during your presentation. If you have extra requests (such as speakers for a film session), please plan to submit them when the staff reaches out to you upon session/paper acceptance. Additional AV requests (special connectors, speakers, laser pointers, etc.) made after July 1, 2025 or onsite at the conference will be the *financial responsibility of the presenter*. The WHA will order the requested equipment and send an invoice to the presenter; if a request is made onsite the presenter will need to pay before the WHA staff makes an equipment request to the onsite AV company. |
BEST PRACTICES AND POLICIES The following includes a list of the WHA's Policies and Best Practices to guide the Program Committee in making selections for the annual conference program. Please review these Council-approved guidelines carefully. For a printable version of this list click here.
Policy: Program Participants and Conference Registration It is WHA policy that all conference participants (chairs, presenters, workshop leaders, plenary and session speakers, and commentators) must register for the annual conference. WHA Council has an additional policy on conference participation and registration. Conference participants who do not register for the annual conference, or who fail to show up to the conference without alerting the WHA office, will be included on a report that is forwarded to the next three WHA Program Committee Chairs*. This policy was created to address participant cancellation and encourage individuals to follow-through with professional commitments. (*No-shows in 2025 will be forwarded to 2026, 2027, and 2028 chairs.) Policy: Diversity of Program Participants Statement 1) The Program Committee will actively promote the full and equitable inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities, diverse Indigeneities, religious minorities, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with various ranks and career paths on the Annual Meeting program. 2) Although not all sessions can reflect the entire diversity of the profession, the Program Committee will encourage proposers of sessions to include diverse sets of participants, addressing gender diversity, racial and ethnic diversity, sexual diversity, religious diversity, disability-based diversity, and/or LGBTQ+ diversity. 3) The Program Committee will encourage session proposers to consider the benefits of including on their panels historians in various career paths and of various ranks (i.e., senior scholars, public historians, graduate students, independent historians, etc.) within their organizations/institutions. Policy: Program Committee Confidentiality All deliberations of the Program Committee (which include, but are not limited to, ranking sessions and papers, evaluating sessions and papers, and making recommendations to strengthen sessions and papers for the annual program) remain completely confidential. Best Practices: Program Participant Repeaters Except in special circumstances, no single person should participate in more than two conference sessions. Please do not agree to serve on more than two sessions, regardless of your session role as chair, comment, or presenter. If you are asked to join a session but find yourself already over-committed on other sessions, it would be *stellar professional courtesy* to point the requester in the direction of a student or scholar who is doing similar work who would be a good fit for the session. Here is some of that *stellar professional courtesy* language you can borrow! "I am sorry, I am already committed to two sessions for the 2025 conference program, but Superstar X, Superstar Y, and Superstar Z, are doing similar work and would be an excellent fit for your proposed session!" The only people who are exempt from this practice are individuals who have been asked by the President to serve on a Presidential Panel or Plenary.
Best Practices: Criteria for Honorific Sessions (sessions that honor an individual) A. The individual being honored must be or have been a long-time WHA member in good standing. To prove this, the conference submission must include the (estimated) years of an individual’s membership and an overview of their WHA-related activities. The Program Committee is within the right to verify this information with the WHA’s records in the executive office. B. The session must adhere to the WHA’s Code of Conduct and Enforcement Policy. To this end, the session should not exhibit any overlying power structures that suggest an individual or individuals were coerced into creating and organizing the session out of intimidation. C. The session must adhere to the WHA’s official policy on the Diversity of Session Participants (see above) that the Program Committee uses when evaluating all program sessions. D. The Program Committee maintains the right to recruit an honorific session to expand the diversity of honored individuals. E. The Program Committee will typically consider no more than two or three honorary sessions per conference program. F. If a session is accepted under the requirements of item “A/B/C/D” there is an understanding with the panel organizers that the WHA will not arrange for book signings, sales, and displays to coincide with the panel’s time and location. If the organizers seek this activity, they must coordinate directly with a publisher in the exhibits hall. Best Practices: Criteria for Book Sessions A. Sessions submitted by the Committee on Teaching and Public Education, which use recent publications to connect K-12 Teachers with scholars with the intention of creating lesson plans on the history of the American West are acceptable sessions and not considered “book panels.” B. Sessions that celebrate a group of books (3-4) or book that have significantly shaped the western history field (or a western history subfield) are acceptable if they concentrate on books published years prior to the proposed conference year. The organization of these sessions must adhere to the WHA’s Code of Conduct and Enforcement Policy and Diversity of Session Participants (see above) policies. C. If a session is accepted under the requirements of item “B,” there is an understanding with the session organizers that the WHA will not arrange for book signings, sales, and displays to coincide with the session's time and location. If the organizers seek this activity, they must coordinate directly with a publisher in the exhibits hall or purchase an exhibit booth at the regular price. |
WHA PROGRAM COMMITTEE
| WHA 2025 CALL FOR PAPERS
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