Minutes from IGALA meetings in Valencia
Susan Ehrlich
sehrlich at YORKU.CA
Sat Nov 18 00:51:20 UTC 2006
Dear IGALA members,
I have attached and also pasted below the minutes from the IGALA Executive Committee meeting
and the IGALA Open Business meeting, both held last weekend at the IGALA conference in
Valencia.
Susan Ehrlich, Secretary, IGALA
Minutes of IGALA Executive Meeting
November the 9th 2006
Sala de Juntes
Facultat de Filologia
Universitat de València
Spain
Participants: Regrets:
BM: Bonnie McElhinny (ex-officio; present as journal co-editor)
PE: Penny Eckert
CM: Claire Maree SE: Susan Ehrlich
JH: Janet Holmes RG: Rudi Gaudio
JP: Joan Pujolar MS: Maria Stubbe
JS: Jane Sunderland
JSE: José Santaemilia
SM: Sara Mills
SU: Susanne Unger JP acted as secretary instead of SE.
As a preliminary exercise, we reviewed the state of decisions and actions agreed on at the
previous meeting. Beyond issues dealt with below, some actions have not been yet carried
through, namely:
a) Getting a full list of IGALA members so that they can be approached to collect membership
fees, journal subscriptions and various types of information needed, such as languages spoken,
written. etc.
SM will contact PE, Sally McConnell-Ginet and Mary Bucholtz (IGALA list) to
get the necessary information to create the list.
b) Collecting information on the languages spoken by IGALA members and their geographical
distribution (both institutional base and country of origin) so as to consider ways in which
members can help to make IGALA more international and multilingual (e.g. reviewing articles;
updating more wide-ranging bibliographies, etc.). Ultimately this information should be posted on
the IGALA website.
CM agreed to collect this information once she gets the list of IGALA
members. She will also contact Maria Stubbe on this matter.
c) JS agreed to send a message to the GALA-L list to encourage members to put messages on
other lists announcing the appearance of the journal and inviting people to join IGALA. She will do
this as soon as the new joining mechanism (i.e. membership including journal subscription) is
clear on both the IGALA and Gender and Language (Equinox) webpages.
d) Joan Pujolar agreed to produce a draft paper with recommendations for multilingual practices
within IGALA by January the 31st. The paper will be discussed at the next IGALA executive
meeting, and ultimately posted on the IGALA website.
1. IGALA 2008 in New Zealand: preferred dates and suggestions for plenary speakers
JH proposed two preferred dates: November 2008 or February 2009, when mild weather can be
expected in NZ and accommodation and university venues may be easily available. A less-
preferred option would be June 2008, as this is in winter. It was agreed that the options should be
offered for discussion to IGALA members at the Business meeting the following day. The final
decision would however be taken by the conference organizers. Exec. members come up with
various possible names for plenary speakers (Debbie Cameron, Surinderpal Kaur, Ann Pauwels,
Dale Spender) and recommended that a strong local candidate also be invited. The final decision
again will be made by the conference organizers.
2. Membership fees/journal subscriptions/the Gender and Language journal/IGALA4
Proceedings
BM reported that Equinox, the publisher of the new Gender and Language journal, has agreed to
collect membership fees. These will be included in the journal’s subscription fees and later
transferred to IGALA (i.e. to the account maintained by Penny). It will be possible to pay in
different currencies (at least US dollars, sterling and euros) and by credit card. It was agreed that it
would not be necessary to be a member of IGALA to attend or present at IGALA conferences, but
the Exec. recommended that future conference organizers should set lower fees for IGALA
members than for non-members.
Journal subscription rates
? $ €
Institutional 90 145 145
Individual 35 55 55
Student 28 44 44
Developing world (institutional) 35 55 55
The journal has received as of today 41 submissions.
BM raised the issue of publication of conference papers – in general, and the IGALA4 conference
papers in particular. JSE reported that Cambridge Scholar Press had agreed to consider publication
of a selection of papers. Valencia University were also thinking of publishing the proceedings,
maybe in CD format. It was agreed that the local Valencia IGALA4 organizing committee would
discuss this issue, in particular whether they would consider publishing the Proceedings
unreviewed, so as not to compete with the Gender and Language journal, and to make it possible
for people to submit publications to both.
The Valencia IGALA4 organising committee would also discuss whether they would wish to use the
journal in any way, such as editing a special issue with a selection of papers.
It was agreed that, in the future, the journal editors and local organizing committees should agree
in advance as to a policy for the publication of papers derived from IGALA conferences. It was also
agreed that it should be possible for different languages to be used in the publication of the
proceedings. Papers in languages other than English could be edited by IGALA members (i.e. not
necessarily someone from Equinox).
3. Appointment of Advisory Council Members: Student Representative, Representative for
Research on Language and Sexuality, Representative for Researchers in Non-Academic Positions,
Representative for Research on Minority Languages
SE has received various nominations for the posts of Vice-President/President Elect and Secretary
of IGALA. She is now checking with the nominees if they are willing to be candidates. Once this is
done, she will call for a vote to the GALA-L list.
Exec. members also commented about the need to clarify job descriptions in relation to all these
positions. JS presented a draft of job descriptions; which she considers to be in need of
completion. In connection to this, she has become aware that the structure of IGALA is excessively
complex and that the advisory committee has many members whose roles are not “functional” but
simple representations of “areas of study” whose definition would require closer scrutiny. BM
suggested that the IGALA bylaws may have been adapted from those of a larger academic
organization such as the American Anthropology Association, i.e. one that had developed a need
to create different types of representative bodies for a very large and diverse constituency. JS is of
the mind that the Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee should be united in a single
body. JS offered to study the bylaws and come up with a proposal to restructure the Executive, the
Advisory Committee and the relationship between them by amending the Bylaws. The proposal will
be discussed in the next Exec. (e-)meeting and later voted by on all IGALA members.
In relation to the appointment of Advisory Council members, there will be a call for nominations
once this process and the job description documents are completed. Current Advisory Council
members will, we hope, remain in their positions until then.
4. IGALA website
It was agreed that there was a need for a ‘Webweaver’: the job would not currently require
programming or webweaving skills; but simply content maintenance and liaising with PE. It the
forthcoming IGALA e-meeting, it would be proposed that the Webweaver would be an Executive
position. We would ask for volunteers for the new ‘Webweaver’ position at the IGALA Business
Meeting the following day.
SM volunteered to contact PE to ensure that information on the new Gender and Language journal
appears on the IGALA website.
5. Policy on future conference bursaries
Bursaries are needed and sought to allow students/academic staff from less developed countries
to attend IGALA conferences. IGALA has some money from donors, past conferences and
publications that allow for the provision of bursaries for students or scholars from countries with
currency problems or lack of resources. PE as Treasurer is in charge of this. However, general
procedures for application and the overall functioning of bursary provision have not been
finalised. SU proposed that a document defining bursary award criteria is posted on the website.
The upcoming Webweaver should take care of this, using wording developed for the IGALA4
bursday applications.
The local organizing committee has not yet received the money for the bursaries offered for
IGALA4: aprox. 2000 € for three successful applicants. SM will contact PE to ensure that the
money gets transferred to the organizing committee.
6. Executive committee members' job descriptions
JS will ask for further comments, particularly from PE (Treasurer) and SE (Secretary) for the
document providing executive job descriptions. See item 3 for more details.
7. Role of IGALA
JS expressed the view that IGALA could and should not only have an ‘internal’ role, i.e. with
reponsibilities to its members, but also an external one, for example lobbying (e.g. by writing to
the press) on language and gender issues, or issues connected to it, particularly to issue informed
opinions and declarations to the media when particular events take place. She proposed that
members could act in representation of IGALA in particular contexts subject to a short
confirmation procedure of sharing the information (e.g. a letter) with the IGALA executive. The
Exec. agreed with this proposal. This role of IGALA would be expressed in the proposed new
Bylaws and in the Executive Job Descriptions.
8. AOB
A) SU proposed that all IGALA conferences include two professional development sessions, one of
them devoted to publication.
B) SU proposed accelerating the nomination and election of a new student representative. JS asked
for this to wait until the new job descriptions and the new bylaws are in force. SU commented that
the above initiative should be passed to the new student rep, to whom she would also hand over a
number of proposals for consideration: 1) to take care of information on the website addressed to
graduate students, 2) creation of a network involving formal membership, 3) creation of
scholarships, 4) organization of essay writing contests, etc. SU agreed to send JS a draft job
description for the student representative.
C) It was agreed that the next meeting will be held via e-mail in early March. JS will ask PE to post
the Agendas for and Minutes of the meetings on the IGALA website.
Additional Action Points
CM will start making contacts in Japan to explore the possibility of organizing IGALA 6 there in
2010. JS had also been approached by members who were considering organizing an IGALA
conference in Brazil.
Signed
Joan Pujolar Jane Sunderland
Acting Secretary President
IGALA Business Meeting
Friday, November 10th, 2006
18:00-19:00
Sala de Juntes
Facultat de Filologia
Universitat de Valènciu
Participants: Executive committee
BM: Bonnie McElhinny (ex-officio, present as journal co-editor)
CM: Claire Maree
JH: Janet Holmes
JP: Joan Pujolar (acting secretary)
JS: Jane Sunderland
JSE: José Santaemilia
SM: Sara Mills
SU: Susanne Unger
Various conference participants
1. Information on and discussion of IGALA-5 in New Zealand
JH summarized the existing options for dates of the conference: June 2008; November 2008;
February 2009. Some members at the meeting suggested mid-January 2009 as a possibility. JH
agreed to consider this possibility as well.
2. Update on the Gender and Language journal and publication of conference papers
BM informed the meeting that Equinox, the publisher of the journal, has agreed to collect
membership fees that shall be included in the journal’s subscription fees and later transferred to
IGALA. It will be possible to pay in different currencies and with a credit card. It was also agreed
that it would not be necessary to be a member of IGALA to attend or present at conferences.
However, the Exec. recommends future conference organizers offer lower fees for IGALA
members.
BM also informed the meeting about the good start of the journal. 25% of the papers have been
accepted with minor or major revisions, while 35% have received a "revise and resubmit" (note: this
is not a guarantee of publication). This strikes a balance between being selective, but
encouraging. Most papers came from the US, UK, Japan, and Canada, with a reasonable spread
from 14 other countries 11 papers had been published in the first issue (of 41 received). The
average time for review of ms. is currently 3.8 months.
BM reminded the meeting that we invite people to contribute to the journal not only as authors of
papers, but also as reviewers of ms, and book reviewers. She stressed the importance in these
early days of people subscribing as individuals and getting their institutions to subscribe also.
BM then raised the issue of publication of conference papers. JSE said that Cambridge Scholar
Press had agreed to consider publication of a selection of papers. They were also thinking of
publishing the proceedings, maybe in CD format. It was agreed that the local organizing
committee would discuss this issue and confirm whether they would wish to use the journal in any
way, such as editing a special issue with a selection of papers.
3. Summary of current state of nominations and nomination procedures
SE has received various nominations for the posts of Vice-President/President Elect and Secretary
of IGALA. She is now checking with the nominees if they are willing to be candidates. Once this is
done, she will call for a vote to the IGALA list.
JS shared her ideas about the structure of IGALA. She has become aware that the structure of
IGALA is over-complex. She is of the mind that the Executive Committee and the Advisory
Committee should be united in a single body. JS offered to study the bylaws and come up with a
proposal to reestructure both the Executive and the Bylaws. The proposal will be discussed in the
next Exec. (e-)meeting and later voted on by all IGALA members.
In relation to the appointment of Advisory Council members and a new student representative,
there will be a call for nominations once this process and the job description documents are
completed.
4. Call for volunteers to update the contents of the website
No volunteers came forward. Exec. members called for conference participants to sound out
colleagues and students from their Departments as potential Webweavers. JS will also post a
message on the IGALA list. [Although probably SE is more appropriate here.]
5. Treasurer’s report
SM informed the meeting that the treasurer was PE, who was not able to attend. A full report was
not available. However, IGALA has not incurred any debt and is in possession of a small amount of
money that is used to provide bursaries to attend IGALA conferences. SM will take care that a more
detailed Treasurer’s Report is attached to these minutes once they are made available on the
IGALA website.
6. AOB
Members proposed that the Executive continued to devise specific actions to promote the
internationalization of IGALA, particularly in relation to the next conference.
Members proposed that previous conference organizers share information on how to organize
conferences. JS noted that conference organizers should share this information amongst
themselves. She will be putting together a document on organising IGALA conferences, and will be
seeking input from PE (IGALA1), Sally McConnell-Ginet (IGALA3) and JSE (IGALA4). (JS herself was
the main organiser of IGALA2.)
Signed
Joan Pujolar Jane Sunderland
Acting Secretary President
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