International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts

The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts is accepting applications for the position of Division Head of the Science Fiction Literature (SFL) Division. (Please see division description below.)

Division Heads are appointed by the President, on the recommendation of the First Vice President, who chairs the Council of Division Heads, after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. The term is for three years with an opportunity to renew for an additional term.

The incoming SFL Division Head will shadow Pawel Frelik, the current SFL Division Head, through March 2023, and will take over full SFL DH duties after the March 2023 conference.

Each Division Head organizes and supervises all conference activity within a subdivision of fantastic scholarship. Division Heads work under the guidance of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for recruiting session proposals and papers and are responsible for formatting these to the requirements of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for forwarding all information to the First Vice President in a timely fashion. Division Heads have the responsibility to check the draft program for accuracy and AV needs. Division Heads are expected to liaise with other Division Heads and the First Vice President. The First Vice President is the final arbiter of the program under the aegis of the Executive Board. At the conference, the Division Heads oversee sessions in their respective Divisions and collect suggestions for future topics, special guests, etc.

Those interested in applying must send both a cover letter explaining their interest in, and qualifications for, the position, and a current CV, to the First Vice President, Valorie Ebert at iafa.1vp@fantastic-arts.org, no later than 20 July 2021.

SFL Division description:

The Science Fiction Literature division welcomes critical scholarship on topics related to science fiction novels, short stories, poems, and other forms that can be considered literary as well as those focused on critical theories related to the SF genre. This division’s emphasis is textual as well as theoretical; papers considering science fiction in film, television, or comics are encouraged to apply to the Film and Television division or the Visual & Performing Arts and Audiences division instead.

Are you an undergraduate looking to build your CV in anticipation of applying to grad school or other future jobs? Do you know an undergraduate who wants to take on a position of leadership? Then I would recommend nominating yourself for the SCIAFA undergraduate representative position! You would gain experience in managing an international organization representing hundreds of students! Responsibilities would include organizing and managing a mentorship program (along with the vice representative of SCIAFA) and proposing and moderating a panel at ICFA—an international conference with hundreds of attendees annually.

SCIAFA represents all students, but the leadership is currently only graduate students—we want to make sure the needs of every students are being met so we of the board are seeking an undergraduate who is ready and willing to help lead this organization and make an impact in SCIAFA and IAFA more broadly!

If you are interested in applying for this position follow this link: https://forms.gle/xgjp4YYRJ4bMBC7y5

Thank you so much for considering this position and please feel free to email me (iafa.studentcaucus@fantastic-arts.org) with any questions!

Samantha Baugus
University of Florida
Doctoral Candidate
Student Caucus Representative for the International Association for the Fantasy in the Arts

The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts is accepting applications for the position of Division Head of the International Fantastic (IF) Division and the Film and Television (FTV) Division. (Please see division descriptions below.)
Division Heads are appointed by the President, on the recommendation of the First Vice President, who chairs the Council of Division Heads, after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. The term is for three years.

Both the IF Division Head and the FTV Division Head will begin full Division Head duties immediately following the conference in March of 2021 without a shadow year.

Each Division Head organizes and supervises all conference activity within a subdivision of fantastic scholarship. Division Heads work under the guidance of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for recruiting session proposals and papers and are responsible for formatting these to the requirements of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for forwarding all information to the First Vice President in a timely fashion. Division Heads have the responsibility to check the draft program for accuracy and AV needs. Division Heads are expected to liaise with other Division Heads and the First Vice President. The First Vice President is the final arbiter of the program under the aegis of the Executive Board. At the conference the Division Heads oversee sessions in their respective Divisions and collect suggestions for future topics, special guests, etc.
Those interested in applying must send a cover letter explaining their interest in, and qualifications for, the position, and a current CV, to the First Vice President, Valorie Ebert at iafa.1vp@fantastic-arts.org, no later than 10 November 2020.

IF Division description:
The International Fantastic division welcomes scholarship in all subgenres of the fantastic in world media. “International” means either non-anglophone or originating in a culture considered foreign within the anglophone world; this may include minority or Indigenous texts within an anglophone country. Projects in postcolonial and diaspora studies, area and language studies, translation theory and studies, comparative literature and media, non-anglophone epistemologies and technocultures, the role of the international division of labor and global finance in textual development, gender and queer studies especially in the Global South, international justice movements, global research methodologies and national archives, and Indigenous and Trans-Indigenous Studies are welcome.

FTV Division description:

The Film and Television division welcomes critical scholarship, panels, and theory roundtables that deal with cinema and television and engage any genre of the Fantastic, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror. As with other narrative forms, the analysis of film and television can be taken up multiple ways and through varied critical lenses.

The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts is accepting applications for the position of Division Head of the International Fantastic (IF) Division and the Film and Television (FTV) Division. (Please see division descriptions below.)
Division Heads are appointed by the President, on the recommendation of the First Vice President, who chairs the Council of Division Heads, after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. The term is for three years.

Both the IF Division Head and the FTV Division Head will begin full Division Head duties immediately following the conference in March of 2021 without a shadow year.

Each Division Head organizes and supervises all conference activity within a subdivision of fantastic scholarship. Division Heads work under the guidance of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for recruiting session proposals and papers and are responsible for formatting these to the requirements of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for forwarding all information to the First Vice President in a timely fashion. Division Heads have the responsibility to check the draft program for accuracy and AV needs. Division Heads are expected to liaise with other Division Heads and the First Vice President. The First Vice President is the final arbiter of the program under the aegis of the Executive Board. At the conference the Division Heads oversee sessions in their respective Divisions and collect suggestions for future topics, special guests, etc.

Those interested in applying must send a cover letter explaining their interest in, and qualifications for, the position, and a current CV, to the First Vice President, Valorie Ebert at iafa.1vp@fantastic-arts.org, no later than 25 October 2020.

IF Division description:

The International Fantastic division welcomes scholarship in all subgenres of the fantastic in world media. “International” means either non-anglophone or originating in a culture considered foreign within the anglophone world; this may include minority or Indigenous texts within an anglophone country. Projects in postcolonial and diaspora studies, area and language studies, translation theory and studies, comparative literature and media, non-anglophone epistemologies and technocultures, the role of the international division of labor and global finance in textual development, gender and queer studies especially in the Global South, international justice movements, global research methodologies and national archives, and Indigenous and Trans-Indigenous Studies are welcome.

FTV Division description:

The Film and Television division welcomes critical scholarship, panels, and theory roundtables that deal with cinema and television and engage any genre of the Fantastic, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror. As with other narrative forms, the analysis of film and television can be taken up multiple ways and through varied critical lenses.

Dear IAFA Members,

The resignation of our long-time Conference Director Donald Morse has meant that our Interim CD Jeri Zulli, who had previously assisted Donald, has been doing the work of two people, for which we are all deeply grateful.

However, this situation was unsustainable. The IAFA needed someone with conference planning experience who lives close to the conference venue and who could be present physically when needed to act as our liaison. For those unaware, the Associate’s duties include reviewing the program against hotel contract to ensure we are using the rooms for which we are contracted, keeping track of our room usage and dealing with overflow hotel as needed, processing special food requests and making sure the Marriott is prepared for special needs, making sure rooms are ready for functions assigned morning, afternoon, and evening; overseeing coffee breaks to decide when/if to order more, liasing with registration, liasing with A/V, general assistance at food functions and general hotel troubleshooting.

It is my great pleasure to announce that we have hired an Associate to the Conference Director, Kristin Gutierrez. She is an independent meeting and event planner with over 20 years’ experience creating and managing trade association, education and medical meetings of all sizes. She has been a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) since 1997. She also lives very close to the hotel, and is an extremely friendly and enthusiastic person. She will begin work immediately, and you will all be seeing her in person at the conference. When you do, please welcome her aboard!

The IAFA is searching for an Associate Conference Director to assist the Conference Director in liaising with the hotel, and in the myriad other tasks involved in running a conference. The person must be local to the Orlando area.

We are asking your help in distributing the position ad to individuals who may be qualified and interested, and anywhere at your university or workplace you think such a person might see it. Inquiries should be directed to iafa.confchair@fantastic-arts.org

See position advertisement below and attached for details.

Thank you very much for your assistance in this effort to keep the ICFA the unique event that it is.

Academic trade association that meets every year in Orlando, Florida in March is seeking to hire a part-time worker with conference planning experience to assist with conference management. The conference currently meets at the Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside; there are approximately 500 attendees and 100 sessions, as well as large food functions. There are no exhibits.

The ideal candidate will have experience in all areas of conference management, including registration. The position will require about 100 hours of work from January through the conference in March as well as attendance at a board meeting during the first weekend in June, with the ability to be on site Tuesday through Saturday of the conference to assist with on-site oversight. Note: in 2020, these dates are March 17-21.

Duties BEFORE conference include liaising with hotel: for program (for example, reviewing program against hotel contract to ensure we are using the rooms for which we are contracted), for guest rooms (keeping track of our room usage and dealing with overflow hotel as needed), for meals (for example, processing special food requests and making sure the Marriott is prepared for special needs). Duties ON SITE include room checks (making sure rooms are ready for functions assigned morning, afternoon, and evening), overseeing coffee breaks (to decide when/if to order more), liaising with and helping with registration, liaising with A/V, general assistance at food functions (for example, making sure special meals get where they’re going) and general hotel troubleshooting. Compensation $2500-$5000, depending on experience and starting date.

Application should include a cover letter, a one-page statement of previous event planning experience , and a letter of reference from someone familiar with the candidate’s work in these capacities to iafa.confchair@fantastic-arts.org.

The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts is accepting applications for the position of Division Head of the Visual and Performing Arts and Audiences (VPAA) Division. (Please see division description below.)

Division Heads are appointed by the President, on the recommendation of the First Vice President, who chairs the Council of Division Heads, after formal discussion and majority vote of the Board. The term is for three years. The VPAA Division Head will shadow the interim VPAA Division Head during the ICFA 41 conference in March of 2020 and will begin full Division Head duties immediately following the conference in March 2020.

Each Division Head organizes and supervises all conference activity within a subdivision of fantastic scholarship. Division Heads work under the guidance of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for recruiting session proposals and papers and are responsible for formatting these to the requirements of the First Vice President. Division Heads are responsible for forwarding all information to the First Vice President in a timely fashion. Division Heads have the responsibility to check the draft program for accuracy and AV needs. Division Heads are expected to liaise with other Division Heads and the First Vice President. The First Vice President is the final arbiter of the program under the aegis of the Executive Board. At the conference the Division Heads oversee sessions in their respective Divisions and collect suggestions for future topics, special guests, etc.

Those interested in applying must send a cover letter explaining their interest in, and qualifications for, the position, and a current CV, to the First Vice President, Valorie Ebert at iafa.1vp@fantastic-arts.org, no later than 30 November 2019.

Division description:

The Visual and Performing Arts and Audiences division welcomes critical scholarship and discussions on a transdisciplinary variety of visual media. Among these are comic books, comic strips and graphic novels; graphic arts, including photography, paintings, illustrations, design, and sculpture; architecture and the depiction of architecture in visual media; the performing arts, including music, choreography and (musical) theatre; (video) games and gaming culture; fandom studies in all media and communities; as well as transformative texts such as mashups and viral marketing and audience/reception studies concerning audiences for any medium or genre of the fantastic.