Duties

Under Article VI. of the bylaws of the Botanical Society of America, the Program Director arranges the scientific program, social events, and business and Advisory Council meetings of the Society at the annual meeting. The annual meeting program is planned cooperatively with the Sections of the Society and is coordinated with the programs of other societies meeting with the Society. The Program Director also issues the call for papers, symposia, workshops, and abstracts; arranges sessions, publishes accepted abstracts, and prepares the final program for the annual meeting of the Society.

Committee Assignments – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM COMMITTEE

In cooperation with the Sections of The Society and the BSA Local Representative, the Program Director organizes the annual meeting and publishes the Abstract Book (supplement to the June issue of the AJB).

Post Conference
Appoint a local representative for the annual meeting the next year. Make sure that AIBS, the Program Director and the Secretary of BSA each have this person’s name, address, phone and FAX numbers.

Fall Mailing - al large part of this is now in the hands of the Program Director

Symposia leaders - joint email with the President - For symposia that are already organized, encourage organizers to search for necessary funds, and make sure they have speakers and programs planned. Indicate that there are only limited sectional funds for all symposia, and that you expect the organizers to seek some or all symposia funding from outside sources. For this, look to: The National Science Foundation, other foundations, industry, and other societies.

September

The "Call for Abstracts" and any Conference materials to be included in the Fall Mailing are finished in early September, as soon as all the names of sectional Program Organizers are available. Forward all materials to the Executive Director via email.

October

A set of instructions and abstract forms are mailed to all symposium organizers. At the AIBS Planning Meeting in October, field trips, ticketed and non-ticketed social and meal functions, housing, shuttle service, symposia, workshops and rooms for various events are discussed. The Program Director communicates with sectional Program Organizers via memo, phone and fax to keep them informed about meeting plans.

January

Instructions for preparing sectional programs and the ‘Meeting Room Requirement’ forms are sent to each sectional Program Organizer. Each Organizer prepares the program for her/his section and sends it to the Program Director by 15 March. The Program Director meshes all the sectional programs together, being sure to set times aside for general Society events.

February - March

By 1 April, the completed program, a list of every name in the BSA program and the list of all room and audio visual requirements for the meeting are sent to our partner organizations. Also, by 1 April the abstracts are sent to Allen Press. Before this happens, however, abstracts must be sorted by Section, and within each Section arranged alphabetically under symposia, contributed papers and posters. Each abstract is given a number, an author index is generated, and a table of contents, list of all sessions, letter to BSA members and copy for back cover are prepared; a picture for the front cover is obtained from the BSA Local Representative.

April

Prepare Abstracts and meeting schedule.

May

The Call for Symposium Titles is prepared.

Ongoing

Throughout the year numerous requests for information are answered, and many official letters of invitation are written and faxed to foreign countries. The Program Director attends the Executive Committee meeting in April and prepares an annual report, which is presented at the Council and Annual Business Meetings.