Chuck Nelson, after many years of able and much-appreciated service as Division Head for Fantastic Literature in English, has decided to step down effective March 2008 (immediately following the conference).
The Division Head is the person who sends out paper calls for his/her Division, collects and accepts paper proposals, creates paper sessions, helps to create panels, and passes the work s/he’s done on to the 1st Vice President for scheduling. This Division is responsible for all aspects of the fantastic in British, American, and Commonwealth Literature that are not covered by divisions such as Horror and Children’s/Young Adult. In past conferences, the FE Division has sponsored papers on the work of Shakespeare, Tolkien, Gaiman, McKillip, Holdstock, Twain, Mieville, Aldiss, Lewis, MacDonald, and many other authors, as well as papers on theories of the fantastic and fantasy literature.
Qualifications include current membership with IAFA (at least a couple of years’ experience with the organization so you have some understanding of how things work at the conference), easy and dependable internet access and comfort level with computers, organizational skills, the ability to work as part of a group working together on the ‘big picture’, a willingness to work through the transition with Chuck beginning this fall, the ability to attend March conferences while you hold the position and to attend the Division Heads’ meeting run by the 1st VP at the conference, plus, of course, the time to do the work involved. Division Heads hold office for a term of 3 years (with a probationary first year) with the possibility of renewal for a second 3-year term.
If you’re interested in taking on the work of FE Division Head, please contact both Chrissie Mains, 1st Vice President (cemains@shaw.ca) and Chuck Nelson, outgoing FE Division Head cwnelson@mtu.edu) with a brief statement about your interest in and qualifications for the job. The IAFA board of directors will consider all applications for the position.
The deadline for applications is October 15, 2007.
Chrissie Mains