The core of the Congress is the academic program, which exists in three broad types of sessions: Sponsored or Special Sessions are organized by affiliated learned societies, associations, institutions or individual scholars and ad-hoc groups. The organizers set predetermined topics, often narrowly focused and reflecting the considered aims and interests of the organizing individuals or groups. General Sessions are organized by the Congress Committee at the Medieval Institute from the individual submissions of proposals for papers. Topics include all areas of Medieval Studies, and sessions are determined from the topics of abstracts submitted. If you want to give a paper: consult the Call for Papers and determine whether a Sponsored or a Special Session may be hospitable to a proposal. Contact the organizer(s) as soon as you can, but NO LATER THAN September 15, 2005. OR: submit your proposal directly to the Congress Committee (Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432), which will attempt to match the proposed paper with similar offerings in General Sessions. If you are organizing a session(s): By September 15, 2005, you should have received all paper proposals for your session(s). Submit the completed session information to the Congress Committee by October 1, 2005. The complete session information must include a completed Session Organizer Form, an Abstract Cover Sheet for each presenter in the session (we do not need to see the abstracts themselves), and a signed Organizer Contract. All scheduling requests and AV/computer requests must be included in this submission. N.B. Organizers are obliged to refer all paper proposals that are not selected to the Congress Committee as soon as possible and no later than October 1, 2005 for consideration for General Sessions. The Committee kindly asks organizers who are ready with their programs before September 15, 2005 to inform the Medieval Institute so that it may announce closed sessions on the Congress Web site. Planning for Year 2006 sessions was well under way at the 2005 Congress as participants interact and exchange ideas. The efficient organizer generally tries to line up speakers as soon as possible. Sessions that are 'open' on May 16 may be closing or closed at any point along the timeline to the September 15, 2005 deadline. The organizer who waits until the last minute or the person proposing a paper who waits until the last minute may be very disappointed, failing to fill a session or to place a paper, respectively.
