Guide for short course organisers (Word file, 57 KB)

SETAC Europe Short CoursesGuidance for Proposals September 2005Version: 3.0Page 5 of 5Introduction The following information is meant to provide guidance to instructors interested in presenting Short Courses at SETAC Europe Annual Meetings. Persons interested in presenting a Short Course or partici?pating as an instructor in one, should contact the SETAC Europe office: Av. de la Toison d’Or 87. Tel: +32-2-772-7281, fax: +32-770-5386, email: setac@setaceu.org (att. Katrien Arijs). The office will provide the coordinates of the person responsible for Short Courses at the next Annual Meeting, further referred to as the Coordinator. ?Short Course Procedure Overview The development and presentation of a Short Course at an Annual Meeting begins with the submission of a Short Course proposal to the Coordinator. The proposal should describe the content and approach of the proposed course, the intended audience (background, level of experience, etc.), the proposed instructors and their qualifications, and any particular needs required to present the course material. Details are given in the REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPOSALS section of this document. Although not required, submission and distribution of proposals is greatly facilitated by the use of e-mail. Complete Short Course proposals are due by 30 November prior to the Annual Meeting in May of the next year. Submitters of proposals should pay particular attention to the role of the Lead Instructor. Short Course Lead Instructors are responsible for all communications between SETAC Europe and all other instructors involved with the course, during proposal submission and review, course development and preparation, and other activities subsequent to the meetings (e.g., timely submittal of expense reimbursement requests). The SETAC Europe Office will notify the Lead Instructor that the proposal has been received and is in the review process. The Coordinator will recruit reviewers and communicate with the Lead Instructor regarding any questions or necessary modifications to the proposal. The decision on which course proposals to accept for the programme will be made by the Scientific Committee end November, and by 20 December, the Coordinator will notify the Lead Instructors of courses that are selected of the course’s acceptance. Once a course has been accepted for inclusion in the Annual Meeting programme, the Coordinator will communicate regularly (at least monthly) with the Lead Instructor about the development of the course. The Coordinator will facilitate inquiries and logistical questions and problems, provide oversight of the quality and appropriateness of course materials as they are developed, ensure that course preparations proceed in a timely manner and serve as conduit for communication between the Scientific Committee and the Lead Instructor. Experience has shown that interaction between Coordinators and Course Instructors has helped to ensure high quality courses. On the other hand, in almost all of the courses, which have run into logistical and/or material problems, the course Coordinator reports little to no communication or interaction with the Lead Instructor. Consequently, the SETAC Europe insists upon cooperation between Short Course instructors and Coordinator. Failure to cooperate could result in withdrawal of the course from programme. As noted above, the Coordinator should be in contact with Lead Instructors to review course development at least monthly. By 15 February, a detailed outline including topics, instructors and time allocation should be provided to the Coordinator for review and suggestions. A first draft of the course materials/manual is required by 15 March and a final draft of course materials must be submitted by 15 April. (See timeline section following). This schedule should allow sufficient time for Coordinator review and incorporation of any modifications deemed necessary. The Coordinator will also provide timely information regarding shipping of materials, equipment, etc. as the date of the Annual Meeting draws close. Short Course Format Short courses are either half- or full-day courses. Half day courses are 4 hours in length, and are presented either in the morning (8 am - 12 noon) or the afternoon (1-5 PM). A coffee break is provided mid-morning and mid-afternoon. A full day course includes 4 hour sessions in both the morning and afternoon, with a lunch break at mid-day and coffee breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Distribution of course contents and teaching responsibilities is left up to the instructors. The number of instructors depends on the nature of the course and the number of participants. Typical formats might be as follows (but can be liable to changes): Half-day course (8:00 am - 12:00 noon OR 1:00 - 5:00 pm)Introduction and overview 15 minFirst half of material 90 minCoffee Break 15 minSecond half of material 90 minReview, student questions and course evaluation 30 minFull-day course Morning session (8:00 am - 12:00 noon) Introduction and overview 15 min Course material 90 min Coffee Break 15 min Course material 90 min Discussion 30 minLunch breakAfternoon session (1:00 - 5:00 pm) Course material 90 min Coffee Break 15 minCourse material 90 minStudent questions 30 min Course evaluation 15 minThese are general format strategies that fit lecture courses well. Courses involving hands-on activities or interactive work may require varied formats. It is very important that t he type of course be specifically referred to in the abstract describing the course, so that the Scientific Committee, and the SETAC Europe office can evaluate each course in the context of the entire programme. Handouts/Teaching Aids As much as possible, SETAC Europe will provide short course instructors with all necessary instructional equipment, including audio-visual equipment such as overhead projectors and screen(s), etc. Requirements for any special equipment, e.g. personal computers, microscopes, aquaria, etc., must be conveyed to the Coordinator in the proposal, and will be included in estimating costs for the course. If necessary, instructors may be requested to provide special equipment and be reimbursed by SETAC Europe. Those instructors wishing to use computers within their courses must ensure that specifications are made very clear. It is highly recommended that the instructor has direct contact with the short course computer supplier well in advance of the approval of the proposed course to ensure exact delivery of the required computer specification. Those instructors employing computers must ensure that any software is installed and operating correctly prior to running the short course (preferably, the day before the course). The same also applied to any technical support materials such as demonstration apparatus etc. Course participants view the course manual to be an important deliverable. This should be well thought out and of high quality. The manual should include all visuals and references used in the course; in addition, materials that summarise and supplement the course prove to be most useful to the participants. Course instructors are responsible for preparation and reproduction of these materials, unless prior approval is received from the Coordinator and the SETAC Europe office. Instructors are responsible for shipping the manuals and other materials directly to the site of the Annual Meeting; appropriate shipping information will be provided by the SETAC Europe Office. A sufficient number of extra copies should be shipped to allow for additional on-site registration. A final copy of all materials should also be prepared for the SETAC Europe office files. In general, students prefer that the manual include a schedule of topics to be covered. Presentations should closely follow what is scheduled in the manual. The structure of the manual should be reflected in the outline for the course, with clear delineation of instructor assignment. The cohesiveness of the outline is important criteria for the success of the course and should be reviewed by all instructors and the Coordinator. Costs and Reimbursement Although SETAC Europe appreciates and encourages the volunteerism that has contributed to the success of the short course programme, we recognize that expenses are incurred in preparing and presenting on short courses and, within reasonable limits, will reimburse instructors costs of preparing, reproducing and shipping course materials. Photocopying expenses that can be absorbed by supporting institutions is encouraged and appreciated. Fee waivers and personal expense claims above and beyond those associated with preparation of presentation materials are considered an exception to the rule. Travel reimbursement is strongly discouraged as SETAC Europe members would normally be attending the Annual Meeting. The Lead Instructor for each course is responsible for providing accurate cost estimates in the short course proposal and must receive formal approval from the Coordinator and the SETAC Europe Executive Director before any expense is incurred. Requests for reimbursement of expenses, including receipts or any other documentation, should be submitted within one month after the Annual Meeting to allow the SETAC Europe office time to honour and process all requests in a timely manner, (See REIMBURSEMENT POLICY below) Enrolment limits SETAC Europe encourages high enrolment limits to allow maximum opportunity for members and guests to attend Short Courses. Instructional approach and/or equipment needs may impose limits on the number of participants in order to maintain the quality of the course, and the instructor needs to carefully consider this issue. Once a limit has been set and published in the Preliminary Programme, any change must be approved by the SETAC Europe Executive Director. Instructors Instructors must have demonstrable expertise in the discipline (qualifications to be included in the initial proposal). A course should generally have multiple instructors with varied backgrounds, reflecting at least two of the following membership sectors: government, industry/consultant, academia. Full-day courses, because of the greater amount of material, might require 1 or 2 additional instructors. Maintenance of balance and diversity in this manner will help assure that the course material is not too narrowly focused on one sector or special interest. Each instructor’s role in the course should be clearly defined. The Lead Instructor is responsible for forwarding all communications from the Coordinator to the co-instructors for the course. Conflict of Interest Considerations The subject matter of short courses should be application based, rather than based on specific operations or utilisation of specific technology, software, etc. If a specific instrument or technology is emphasized, all similar products must be mentioned. There may be no endorsement of specific techniques, instruments, software, etc. as part of the course material or in subsequent literature relating to the presentation of the course. A SETAC Europe endorsement disclaimer will be included for all courses that make reference to specific instruments or technologies. SETAC Europe appeals to the instructor's good judgement in presenting balanced, unbiased presentations. The purpose of SETAC short courses is to educate and promote good science, not sell products or services. Timeline of Short Course Development July 15 Request for Proposals advertised in July /August SETAC Globe Sept 15 Request for Proposals advertised in September/October SETAC Globe Sept Initial responses to Request For Proposal received, Lead Instructors sent full guidance package (proposal requirements, policies, time line). Sept - Oct Initial proposals received, referred to coordinator for review. Coordinator reviews initial proposals, communicate with lead instructors re questions, changes, costs, etc. Nov 30 Deadline for receipt of complete proposals. Dec 15 Coordinator reviews proposals, provide comments to Chair. Final revised proposal packages due Short Courses selected for meeting presented to Scientific Committee. Jan 15 Short Course programme submitted for Final Program. Lead Instructors notified of selec?tion. Feb 1 Detailed outline of course organisation and content due to Coordinator for review. March 15 First draft of course materials due to coordinators for review. Shipping and other meeting information provided to Coordinator, transmits to course in - structors. April 15 Final draft of course materials due to Coordinator for review. May SETAC Europe Annual Meeting: Short Courses take place - Sunday AM & PM Short Course Committee meeting - Wednesday June Thank-you letters to all instructors Evaluations of courses Submission of expense reimbursement requests Requirements for Proposals The SETAC Europe Annual Meeting Scientific Committee invites proposals for short courses to be presented at the Annual Meeting. Please include the following information in the attached word document (Form Short Courses SETAC Europe.doc). Title: The title of the proposed course should be as specific as possible and accurately reflect the content of the course. Use 15 or fewer words. Abstract: An abstract, 200 words maximum, must give a detailed description of the purpose of the course and the topics to be discussed. It should also state the level of experience or prerequisite knowledge the participants need in order to properly understand the course material. This abstract will be used to advertise the course (if accepted) in the Call for Papers, Programme Overview, and Meeting Programme, so it needs to be well-defined, clear, and describe what actually will be taught in the course. Objectives: State the objectives of the course in a few sentences. Outline: Include a reasonably detailed outline of topics to be discussed. A more detailed outline of the course content will be developed in preparation of the course. The cohesiveness of the outline is an important criterion for the success of the course and will be an important component of the proposal review. Instructors: Include the name, position, affiliation, address, phone number, fax number and email address of each instructor. Each instructor’s role in the proposed course should be clearly defined, along with the instructors’ qualifications for their roles. Identify one person as Lead Instructor. Future correspondence will be conducted through the Lead Instructor, who will be responsible for informing the other instructors. Products: List the products to be distributed and their format, including any canned software packages used in the course. The Short Course Committee encourages quality take-home products that participants can use for future reference. Products that summarise and supplement the course prove to be most useful to the participants. Registration Cap: Please determine the maximum number of participants to whom you can provide high quality instruction in the course. Course attendance will be limited to the number you select. Short Courses are becoming a major attraction at SETAC Europe Annual Meetings, and we urge you to make your class as large as possible. SETAC Europe recognises that instructional approach and/or equipment needs may limit the number of people that can be taught effectively. Audio, Visual, Special Needs: Please list all equipment you will need to conduct your course (audio-visual equipment, computers etc.), and any special room or space requirements (see following AUDIO VISUAL/COMPUTER REQUEST FORMS ). Also list items that you expect participants to bring (calculators, for example) . Cost Estimate: Please list all costs for which you expect reimbursement. Itemise by category and provide accurate estimates. Acceptance of short course does not obligate SETAC Europe to financial support other than direct expenses (copying, shipping, AV, etc.) Please note: honoraria will not be provided to SETAC members and should not be included among costs. Short Course Proposals should be submitted to the SETAC Europe office. Submission of proposals in electronic format (setac@setaceu.org, att. Katrien Arijs) facilitates distribution and is greatly encouraged, although not required. Reimbursement Policy The purpose of Short Courses at SETAC Annual Meetings is to provide educational opportunities to the membership and our guests and to provide income for SETAC's other nonprofit activities. SETAC appreciates and encourages the volunteerism that has contributed to the success of this programme. However, SETAC also recognizes that expenses are incurred by instructors in preparing and putting on Short Courses and, within reasonable limits, will reimburse instructors for costs of course materials and equipment. The Lead Instructor for each course is responsible for providing accurate cost estimates in the short course proposal and must receive approval from the Short Course Committee and the SETAC Executive Director before any expense is incurred. Course materials and equipment Within reasonable limits, SETAC will reimburse instructors costs of preparing and reproducing course materials. Photocopying expenses that can be absorbed by supporting institutions is encouraged and appreciated. Generally a manual or handout, including copies of all slides and overheads used in the presentations, should be distributed to attendees of each short course. Course instructors are responsible for preparation and reproduction of these materials, unless prior approval is received from the SETAC Europe Office. Instructors are responsible for shipping the manuals and other materials directly to the site of the Annual Meeting; appropriate shipping information will be provided by the SETAC Europe Office. A sufficient number of extra copies should be shipped to allow for additional on-site registration. A final copy of all materials should be sent to the SETAC Europe Office, preferably at least two weeks prior to the meeting. Limits on reimbursement: As general guidance for developing a Short Course, costs must remain below the expected income for the course. The Lead Instructor for each course shall provide the most accurate cost estimates possible. The SETAC Europe Office and the Coordinator will estimate expected income, based on registration fees, historical attendance of similar courses, and other factors, and evaluate estimated revenue and costs for each course proposal. Advance approval of allowable expenses will be made by the Coordinator and the SETAC Europe Executive Director. Requests for reimbursement of any additional or changed expenses subsequent to acceptance of a course proposal must be approved by the SETAC Europe Executive Director. All requests for reimbursement must be submitted to the SETAC Europe Office no later than 30 June following the Annual Meeting. Pre-approval and final re-imbursement The lead instructor for each course is responsible for providing accurate estimates in the short course proposal, and must receive written approval from the Short Course Committee Coordinator and the SETAC Europe Executive Director before any expense is incurred. All requests for re-imbursement must be submitted to the SETAC Europe Office no later than 30 June following the Annual Meeting. Requests for reimbursement list for each item the pre-approved and actual expense, and attach as Annexes sufficient proof of the expense incurred (e.g. invoices paid). Only requests submitted with the attached form (Form Short Courses SETAC Europe.doc), obtained from the SETAC Europe Office, will be considered. Non-specified costs SETAC Europe will reimburse upon request by the lead organizer a lump-sum of 200 EURO/half day/course and 300 EURO/full day/course. This sum is intended to cover non-specified items incurred by organizers, for example additional meals and beverages. This sum has to be requested with other reimbursement via the attached word document (Form Short Courses SETAC Europe.doc). Course materials and equipment A manual or handout, including copies of all slides and overheads used in the presentations, should be distributed to attendees of each short course. Course instructors are responsible for preparation and reproduction of these materials. A sufficient number of extra copies should be shipped to allow for additional on-site registration. A final copy of all materials should be sent to the SETAC Europe office, at least two weeks prior to the meeting. Photocopying expenses that can be absorbed by supporting institutions is encouraged and appreciated. Instructors are responsible for shipping the manuals and other materials directly to the site of the Annual Meeting; appropriate shipping information will be provided by the SETAC Europe office. Travel & Lodging SETAC Europe will not provide for travel reimbursement for those instructors who attend the meeting. For others not attending the meeting, travel reimbursements is discouraged, but SETAC Europe realizes that sometimes reimbursement may be necessary. SETAC Europe may provide an additional 100 EURO reimbursement/instructor/Saturday night in case travel arrangements and course timings require an additional nights lodging. A maximum of 3 instructors per short course can receive this re-imbursement. The lead instructor is responsible for providing accurate cost estimates in the short course proposal, and like all other reimbursement, travel & lodging reimbursement requests must receive prior written approval. Registration Fee Annual Meeting SETAC Europe will not waive registration for attendance of the Annual Meeting.