Notes from Meeting of Section Chairs with LASA President and Program Chair

September 7, 2001

Prepared by Leonardo R. Ledezma and Cathy Rakowski

This meeting was called by LASA. There were representatives of most Sections present. Outgoing President Thomas Holloway opened the meeting by presenting the agenda:

- Discussion of section management and sessions

- Presentation of list management and Web Page construction with diverse options

Most of the meeting was taken up by a heated discussion following Holloway’s presentation of changes in the Rules governing sections that had been discussed and voted on by LASA’s executive council. The council agreed to increase the number of members needed to maintain and start a section and decreased the number of sessions that larger sections can sponsor (by increasing the number of members needed for each successive session). LASA’s executive council wants to cap the number of section-sponsored sessions at 5. LASA’s executive council also wants sections to organize diverse types of sessions—not just panels—and will prepare and distribute guidelines for organizing sessions. The new rules would be:

If the Section has up to

- 50 members, it can organize and maintain a session. A Section will have three years to make up the membership necessary in case the Section has less than 50 members before it is phased out.

- 50-100 members = 1 session

- 101-150 = 2 sessions

- 151-200 = 3 sessions

- 201-400 = 4 sessions

- 401 + = 5 sessions

There are 2 sections (Haiti, Paraguay) that have fewer than 50 members. Also, thematic sections are invited to work with the program committee on organizing sessions for the program themes that correspond to the section theme (i.e., gender sessions with the Section on Gender and Feminist Studies, rural sessions with the Rural Section). Some present protested that this gave a special edge to those sections since they could organize sessions above and beyond the number corresponding to their membership level. However, Philip Oxley, outgoing program chair, stated that any section could organize a “special session” and ask LASA to include it as such above and beyond the number of sessions corresponding to their membership level.

Holloway also stated that the council agreed that people could appear on the program 3 times in the future—once presenting a paper, but two more times in other roles such as Chair, Discussant or panel member.

Sandy Klinzing of LASA pointed out that over half of all LASA members belong to one or more sections. Cathy Rakowski pointed out that this means that Sections represent a majority of members and, therefore, sections should not have rights reduced without consultation with members.

Representatives of small sections objected to the new changes, as did those of very large sections. Several motions and changes were suggested and there was a lengthy discussion on the role of sections, what they offer to members, how they might play a greater role in future programs, etc. In the end, two motions were passed:

1) that this proposal be studied before implementation

2) that the decision be rolled back until the entire membership of LASA is consulted.

Following was a presentation on how sections can construct lists, discussion sites and web pages. LASA was asked to consider whether its server might house web pages. Those present whose sections have lists and web pages offered advice on how they handle management. It was suggested that periodically the manager of a list should send out instructions on how to get on or off the list (subscribe or unsubscribe).

Sections were encouraged to co-sponsor and co-organize sessions, but either as a “special session” or as one of the sections’ allotted section-sponsored sessions.

Leonardo Ledezma and Cathy Rakowski asked if the section can use LASA’s name in promoting our post-Congress meeting planned for Venezuela in May-June 2002. They said yes.

We were reminded that sections may not promote commercial interests or use LASA’s name or raise funds in LASA’s name without permission of LASA.