The Division Chairs are responsible to the BEA Board of Directors through the BEA’s Interest Division Representative. Chairs are responsible for the overall organization of the Interest Division, the election of officers, activities defined by the Division and convention program panels/workshops sponsored by the Division.
The Division Chair supervises the activities of the Vice/Co-Chairs of the Divisions and where necessary works with the Program Chair and the Division Representative to acquire Board approval of such activities.
The Chairs are elected for either one or two year terms (as stated in individual Interest Division Bylaws), but no Interest Division chair can serve for a period of more than two consecutive years. They are elected at the annual business meeting each year along with all other Division officers.
The Division Chair Committee is comprised of those sitting Division Chairs and meets annually in conjunction with the convention.
Financial Support
Each Division receives $500 from BEA’s general fund at the beginning of each calendar year. The Executive Director will keep track of accounting for each Division. At any point during the year, division Chairs may ask the Executive Director for a record of their Division’s balance.
BEA division guidelines, as approved by the BEA board of directors provides for a $200 award for 1st place winning DEBUT Papers and $100 award for 2nd place for winning DEBUT Papers. This monetary award comes from the BEA general budget funds.
If your division has voted to give OPEN papers monetary awards, that money is taken from your division funds, and not the BEA general budget fund, as per the BEA board of director’s board policy handbook.
Division Fund Ideas
Over the years BEA divisions have planned creative uses for their funds:
– Commemorative gift (like a pin) for division members attending the convention.
– Sponsor a graduate student paper award.
– Sponsor a student to do on-site social media coverage that is related to the interest division. (If your division elects to do this, BEA will comp the student’s registration fee.)
– Door prizes in Las Vegas.
Email help@BEAweb.org for a reimbursement form.
Questions?
BEA Executive Director, Heather Birks: heather@beaweb.org.