SBL call for papers – New Rules

The call for the call for papers from SBL yesterday and with it the announcement of new policies. I think they are quite reasonable and should help answer some of the questions and concerns about quality/quantity raised in recent years. This will also mark the first year of the reunification of DDR-BRD AAR-SBL with the welcome news that “the concurrent meetings will encourage the organizations’ members to freely attend each other’s programs and events.” (Emphasis mine.)

The call for papers for Aramaic Studies session will be posted anon.

New Policies for 2011
At its October meeting, the SBL Council motioned and approved the following policies affecting the SBL Annual Meeting.  These policies were announced at the Annual Business Meeting on November 21 and take effect immediately.  Please keep them in mind as you organize sessions.

1. A person is limited to participate in no more than two regular program sessions as a presenter, panelist, or respondent.  Please note that this policy pertains to program unit, special, and Affiliate sessions.  It does not pertain to committee appearances or presiding.
2. All students without a doctoral degree are required to submit to the Program Unit Chair the full text of the paper they will read.  The paper will be submitted at the time of proposal.  Student proposers will submit the paper they intend to read, not a full-length paper for distribution in written format.  In other words, papers should be limited to 2,000 – 2,500 words.
3. The number of sessions students can participate in will be limited to one.  This policy pertains to all forms of participation: presider, panelist, presenter, respondent, etc.

These three policies were passed unanimously.

UPDATE: I am sure many of you received this as well, but today I also found in my Inbox an email from AAR inviting me to renew my membership. I am not sure I am glad to see that either (A) they still have my email address on file or (B) SBL shared that information with them.

UPDATE 2: I have been told definitely that SBL has not and will not share member information with AAR. I assume that they simply still have it on record from when I was a member.

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