New Information from Sigma Tau Delta

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To: Sigma Tau Delta Faculty Sponsors and Chapter Officers
From: William C. Johnson, Executive Director
Date: January 3, 2012

We start Sigma Tau Delta’s 88th year with a large amount of news. However, because all Society information, forms, and chapter suggestions can be found on our website, the items below highlight only the most important and time-sensitive matters:

2012 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention

This year’s convention will be in New Orleans, February 29-March 3. Noted speakers, as well as hundreds of interesting paper presentations, workshops, roundtable discussions, and informational sessions will provide great opportunities to share the excitement of being in the field of English. Last year’s Pittsburgh Convention attracted over 1,000 members; we expect even more this year based on a record 1,200 paper and roundtable submissions. Plan now to join us for what promises to be our biggest event yet, one that will connect students and Faculty Sponsors with the discipline of English in ways they never dreamed. I am certain your whole chapter will benefit from the participation, as presenters or merely as attendees, of any of your chapter members. Please refer to the one-page convention overview for program highlights.

A tentative list of accepted papers is posted on the convention website. To signal their acceptance and to secure a place on the program, authors with accepted papers for presentation must respond with an email to englishconvention@niu.edu by January 10. Accepted roundtable proposals will be announced by January 5.

Sigma Tau Delta will provide a $200 voting delegate reimbursement to each chapter sending a voting student delegate to the convention ($400 for chapters not in the continental U.S.A.). To qualify, the same student delegate must attend and participate in three events: the informal regional caucuses, the business meeting, and the formal regional caucuses.

Note that the deadline for money-saving early convention registration is January 25.

Leadership Opportunities

Opportunities are available to serve on and with the Sigma Tau Delta Board of Directors, including positions open to Faculty Sponsors: Vice President/President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Far Western Regent, High Plains Regent, and Southwestern Regent; positions open to student members: Student Advisors, Student Representatives, and Associate Student Representatives; and positions open to alumni members: Alumni Representative and Associate Alumni Representative. The Board sets the Society’s directions, develops programs, and establishes the budget. Do consider serving!

Summer Internships

The January 31st application deadline is coming soon for two paid summer internship opportunities co-sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta: Better World Books in Alpharetta, GA, and Penguin Group (USA) in New York, NY.

As we enter this 88th year of honoring and promoting excellence in English, may you and your chapter eagerly celebrate and participate in the many diverse and wonderful areas of our discipline. Chapter Sponsors and Chapter Officers do make a big difference. Thank you! I hope to see you soon in New Orleans.