We Welcome All!

In the past few months most of us have been following news and developments of Black Lives Matter and the renewed discussion this has precipitated regarding – amongst other things –
the decolonisation of curricula, the dismantling of current systems of oppression within organizations and our responsibilities as scholars within our respective HEIs and countries
to keep looking inward and outward in order to enable individuals to take action, ensure positive change and, last but not least, remain accountable. Many of us have seen and received institutional statements against racism, discrimination and violence, some of which were very heartfelt, others more matter-of-factly or oddly worded. To the extent that, in some cases, they were seen as rather self-serving; others, paradoxically, led to vehement criticism of (in all likelihood unintended and yet telling) added insult to injury.

The SRN Executive Council has been paying close attention to the current situation and pondered whether we should issue our own formal statement as well. As we all reflect on many personal and much broader issues in these unprecedented trying times, we would like instead to reiterate two founding tenets of our Constitution that outline, amongst the principle aims of the SRN, “to promote policies which encourage full participation in screenwriting studies by all sections of society; and which address issues of gender and sexual orientation, ethnicity and disability” and “to establish, maintain links with, and encourage dialogue with similar Associations and other appropriate bodies, both nationally and internationally.”

First of all then, rather than simply showing off how good we are, we felt we wanted to renew our support to all colleagues who might be experiencing difficult work and/or life situations, wherever they are and for whatever reason.

When the C19 crisis is over and we are finally able to officially confirm SRN2021, the plan is to make our next Annual Conference into a champion of inclusivity: the theme is “Pushing boundaries” – let’s push them! The following year in Vienna, it will be about “Global” issues; in Missouri in 2023 the conference will tackle “Gender inequality”; and as for Rio de Janeiro in 2024 we’d like to borrow Stuart Hall’s words to consider “colonization as part of an essentially transnational and transcultural global process”. In other words, we have already set a four-year path that calls out to submit bold papers to advance and establish our field at the forefront of the challenges of our times.

What about now? In the last academic year, one of the long-term actions introduced and pursued by the Executive Council has been to reach out and encourage more and more active participation from members from so far underrepresented regions. This is an ongoing, systematic commitment, also reflected in the new role of Membership and Inclusion Officer (currently, Rose Ferrell). We invite all members to participate in and contribute to this effort: any suggestions to take down barriers and make our members feel “at home” and valued in the SRN will be most welcome.

SRN Executive Minutes – June

Minutes — SRN EC Meeting

Monday 22.6.2020 at 10 pm GMT/UTC (via Skype)

Circulation list: Carmen Sofia Brenes (CSB), Rose Ferrell (RF), Alexandra Ksenofontova (AK), Rafael Leal (RL), Margaret McVeigh (MM), Paolo Russo (PR), Rosanne Welch (RW)

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence: MM

2. Minutes of previous EC Meeting for approval

  • a. All pending Action Points have been itemized in the agenda.
    Minutes approved.

3. Ratification of results of online voting to CTM/Resolution re: AGM and EC elections 2020 (PR, All)

Data collected shows 22 respondents, 100% of which in favour of Option 1 as per EC recommendation (i.e. both AGM and EC elections postponed to SRN2021 and mandate of current EC members extended by one year). The EC ratifies the result.

ACTION – PR to notify Membership within a few days via mailing list and Facebook.

4. Discussion re: institutional statement in light of recent events (Black Lives Matter, etc.) (All)

The EC has initiated discussion on this issue via email in the past few weeks. Today’s discussion focused on whether it is advisable, timely and necessary to issue a formal statement as SRN. A necessary premise is that the EC is (as defined in the Constitution) the body elected to make such decisions on behalf of the Association and in the interests of the Membership. The discussion continued to consider other statements issued by other institutions that have attracted some criticism. The EC agrees about the need to avoid sounding self-serving or making a statement
that simply joins the bandwagon.

It also needs to be clear that making a statement of social standing, while also a political act (in the civic sense of taking a stand), is not necessarily political in content. At the same time, deciding not to make a statement would itself amount to a political act. CSB shared memories of EC meetings in the first years of the SRN to point out that the opportunity of making such statements – about inclusivity, gender balance etc. – has been a sensitive topic since the inception of the Network so as to define its very nature.

RL added that it is also in the best interest of our members to stand up for scholars and screenwriters from underprivileged areas or other “problematic” regions. The EC also weighed pros and cons and whether making any statement could be a cause of concern for or make any Members uncomfortable. The EC carefully revised the wording of the current working draft of the statement and observes that only two short passages make reference to specific issues (e.g. racism, oppression) or express a judgment value on recent events (using the adjectives sad and contemptible) but they are not overtly political in their essence. The core message of the statement is, and has to be, that the SRN and the EC will continue the work initiated in the last year by increasing our efforts towards being more inclusive in line with the core aim of the association, which is to bring scholars together to exchange ideas (any ideas). This also reflects the feeling of countless members and conference delegates who over the years have expressed the sincere joy we all share in being an inclusive group.

ACTION – The EC approves the implementation of the slogan/banner suggested by RF “We Welcome All” on our website and other materials in future communications.

The EC also considers the timeliness of issuing a statement which should not necessarily depend on specific episodes happening in a given country, especially since issues such as racism are widespread and transcend national boundaries. At the same time, it is simply not realistic to release a statement every time any such episodes occur. It goes without saying, the EC is not so naïve as to believe one statement will end racism.

The EC also pointed out that even in case a formal statement was made by the EC on behalf of the SRN, any member agreeing with it would do so by expressing their own individual views, which
would not be representative of their respective affiliations, and that individual members will always be entitled to their own opinions regardless of any statement issued. Having said that, it is also important to point out that when members subscribe to the SRN they also subscribe to what the SRN stands for, as per the articles of the Constitution.

In light of the above, CSB suggests the following:

  •  The discussion and the decision about the statement will be adjourned to the next EC meeting in September. As this will be at a time when the Membership will be informed about the new
    Executive Council, the Annual Report, the Action Plan for next year and the introduction of the role of the Inclusivity Officer, it would be the best time to release the statement as drafted
    by PR, minor amendments pending and to be discussed and agreed upon, as part of our ongoing business rather than due to contingent events.
  • The themes of the upcoming conferences also show our work towards bridging rather than dividing. We will remind the Membership of those, without waiting for the Calls for Papers to be issued in the forthcoming years.
  • We will introduce the slogan mentioned above.

The EC seconds the suggestion.

ACTION – As per above at September 2020 EC meeting.

5. EC roles (All)

  • a. Rota for Chairperson, Secretary/Acting Chairperson following CSB standing down as of September 2020
    i. Updating profiles on website
    This is now the first point of order in the agenda for the September 2020 meeting of the EC. Based on the result of CTM, all current members of the EC will be in attendance for this, minus CSB as noted. However, CSB has given her conditional availability to stay in post, should the need raise.
    The entire EC expresses their gratitude to CBS for her wonderful leadership.
  • b. Membership Officer to become Membership and Inclusivity Officer
    Approved.
  • c. Call for Expressions of Interest in ECR post for 2020-21 (AK, All)
    The EC discussed the text of the current draft of the CfE; it is relevant to keep AK’s description (it gives a more real/personal feel of the role, rather than a utilitarian one). But the text can be streamlined a little and made more to the point.
    AK makes herself available to any potential nominees who would like an informal chat with the current ECR.
    ACTION – AK to revise her quotation. PR to finalize draft and issue Call to Membership by the end of June. Deadlines are fine as stated in draft.
    AK thanks the EC for the “amazing year”. PR asks the EC to include in the minutes that AK has done an amazing job in reviving and managing the network’s social media outlet; the EC thanks AK especially for all her contributions to our discussions!

6. Newsletter (MM, RW)

  • RW confirms the June issue is being finalized for publication in July. She suggests that a more flexible template could eventually be more useful in the future. CSB observes that this is fine as long as the Newsletter format as a whole maintains its typical brevity.

7. Website

  • a. Update on ongoing history(ies) of SRN (RF, CSB, RL)
  • b. Analytics/data
    RL reports that the data are the same as last sent. He is working on ways to convert data into useful strategies to recruit other people. So far he has tried to contact and attract new members from Paraguay and Argentina.
    RW suggests that, following RF’s work in the past months, we should be asking more peer reviewers to join.
    RF points out that it is important that invites are “personal” to make them more engaging.
    RF and RW also suggest more and better use of the information we collect on subscription form – e.g. welcoming new members on our social media. PR reminds the EC that this would be possible only if we get expressed permission from members due to Data Protection laws.
    AK also notes that data analysis on Facebook page show that posts dedicated to individuals evoke the least interest whereas book suggestions gain the most, as do Calls for Papers.

8. Social Media (AK, All)

  • a. Planning use of Facebook over Summer months
    AK provides a status update. Currently, the SRN has 1,200 followers on Facebook – i.e. double the
    Membership. AK will keep the Facebook page alive during the Summer months.
    ACTION – AK to draft summary of activity on Facebook for last year.

9. Planning EC Activities Report and Action Plan for next year (All)

  • a. Brainstorm items to include (in addition to AP from previous meetings)
  • b. Assign sections to draft by September
    ACTION – PR to draft Report and Plan over the Summer and share with EC members who will then
    add their own paragraph/information (e.g. data re: Membership, Website etc.). Ready to share with
    Membership in September.
  • c. Further discussion on short videos to report on achievement of last year and to lay out
    our vision for next year/rest of mandate
    Carried forward to September to be started in new academic year.

i. Updates (if any) from RF and CBS on contacting previous conference organizers for interviews
RF explains proposal of collating interviews for gaining histories of previous conference organizers. There will not be a specific time line for doing this, but we will kick it off ASAP in the forthcoming months.
CSB will host the pilot episode with the founders of the SRN, which will then work as a sample to share with Membership and future Interviewees for subsequent episodes.
RL offers to help with the technology during production of interviews.

10. Update on Membership (RF)

  • a. To be included in Annual report
    RF reports current membership standing at 604 members.
    ACTION – RF and PR to weed out a few duplicate records over Summer.

11. Any other business

PR is networking with Romanian National Film School about potential future collaborations.

Date of next meeting (after Summer break): Monday 7 September 2020 (TBC), 10 pm UTC/GMT
(consider DST)

Meeting ends at 23:32 UK time.

SRN Executive Minutes – May

Minutes of SRN EC Meeting

Monday 18.5.2020 at 10 pm GMT/UTC (via Skype)

Circulation list: Carmen Sofia Brenes (CSB), Rose Ferrell (RF), Alexandra Ksenofontova (AK), Rafael Leal (RL), Margaret McVeigh (MM), Paolo Russo (PR), Rosanne Welch (RW)

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

AK, MM

2. Minutes of previous EC Meeting for approval

Some minor phrasing/wording and a few typos amended.

Minutes Approved.

Action: PR to send final draft to RL for upload to website

3. Contingency Plan for SRN EC elections in light of COVID-19 (Cont’d from April meeting)

a. Proposal for special Call to Membership (CTM) to outline/consult on the following:

  • i. No AGM in 2020
    ii. No EC elections in 2020
    iii. Current EC members’ appointment extended by one year (next 3 up for election in September 2021 when usual rota will resume)
    iv. EC to issue Plan for 2020-21
    v. Next AGM (incl. 2-year Activities Report and Election of new EC) in September 2021 in Oxford

ACTION: PR to draft the CTM text to send to Membership. Will circulate to EC members later this week for approval, aiming to sending it out to Members next week.

This is in accordance to the SRN Constitution, which recommends appropriate consultation of Membership before making significant decisions. The CTM will include the main points of discussion from the April and May 2020 EC meetings and outline the legal framework of the SRN, the Articles of the SRN Constitution that apply to the current situation and any further guidance.

The CTM will outline two options:

  1. (recommended by the EC) Postpone AGM and EC elections by one year and mandate of current EC extended accordingly. But constitution requires consulting members before making decision.
  2. No AGM in 2020 but virtual elections held in September 2020.

The CTM must explain that Option 2 is not devoid of risks (e.g. secrecy of vote, polling apps, etc.). On RF’s suggestion, the deadline for expressing preferences will be by mid-June, so as to be able to ratify the result by the June meeting of the EC (the last one before the Summer recess). CSB suggests that if members should be able to propose ‘other ways’ provided they give reasoning
for it. If so, the EC will consider their feasibility before final ratification. RF thanks PR for the in-depth research conducted into the matter at hand.

PR advises to use all available outlets to inform members of CTM and related deadline for expressing preference between two options – i.e. mailing list, Facebook page, Newsletter, Website, Twitter. With regards to the extension of the mandate of the current members of the EC, RF asks: should Option 1 go through, what if current members need/choose to step down. The SRN Constitution specify clearly that a minimum of 5 members if needed; therefore, so as long as no more than one current member decides to leave, there is no need the replacing them. In case, two or more did, the plan is to go back to the Membership for an interim election (protocol TBD by the EC).

CSB notifies the EC of her decision to step down from her role in September 2020.

b. Update on COVID-19 emergency and potential timeline back to normality

Unfortunately, the situation is still unfolding and there is too much uncertainty at the moment for a realistic forecast.

ACTION: EC to assess again in September 2020 meeting.

c. Drafting Call for Expressions of Interest in ECR post for 2020-21 (June posting, and deadline for submission)

The Call for EoI’s in the role of ECR will go out in late June, after the last EC meeting. The role will be filled/renewed in September 2020, at the first EC meeting of the new academic year.

ACTION: EC to finalize and issue Call for ECR at/after the June 2020 meeting.

4. Newsletter (MM, RW)

ACTION: MM and RW will put out a call for more news to be included in the June 2020 issue. Suggestion/plan to add a section analysing how the CTM was received. Another suggestion for a section titled “What I’m Watching/What I’m Teaching?” in these difficult times, and how SRN colleagues can share/help each other with example of good practice. RF suggests drafting and posting a Call for diversity in membership to follow up on and keep building on the major strategy about inclusivity initiated by the EC this last year.

5. Website

a. Update on ongoing history(ies) of SRN (RF, CSB, RL)

RF shared a spreadsheet on Google drive to collected information/history about the SRN conferences. This is already getting populated with facts and data – PR and Ian Macdonald have added substantial info. Suggestion/discussion re: RW and/or CSB to figure out how to approach past conference organizers to collect their info/experiences as well. CSB suggests short oral interviews – 5 questions, same for all – which can then be transcribed and slightly edited (if needed).

RW notes this would help create a sort of oral history that can then be posted on the website or bitesize on Facebook. Suggestion to set up a YouTube Channel to post/share this type of content. RL points out this would also allow us to stream the interviews live. PR also thought of implementing new initiatives in a similar way as a proposal in next year’s Action Plan. Given that the AGM is not going to be had this year, RF suggests EC members could record short videos to report on  achievement of last year and to lay out our vision for next year/rest of mandate.

ACTION: EC to discuss this further in next meeting (either June 2020 or September 2020). PR to include in proposals for Action Plan 2020-21 (to be finalized by September 2020)

ACTION: RF and CSB to start contacting other conference organizers for interviews.

b. Ideas for revamping website over Summer/Autumn (All)

PR praises RL for much good work put in updating the website so far. The EC will need to start considering (soon) how to ensure the website stays on once the agreement
with Leeds University hosting it is over – i.e. Summer 2021.

ACTION: PR to contact host contact at Leeds University to check their intention for the future. In case Leeds University won’t host the SRN website any further, the EC will need to consider an
alternative. RL and PR observe WordPress is probably the easiest solution to use but the EC will need to look into costs.

ACTION: EC to discuss as ongoing “urgent” item in 2020-21 academic year. When the above is sorted would be a good time to think about revamping the website design.

6. Social Media (AK, All)

Item postponed to next month.

7. Membership update?

RF reports subscription of 63 new Members since the Porto conference last September, against only 6 leavers. Which brings the total Membership up to 604! RF reports one issue with JISCMail not admitting one request to which the help desk has not responded.

ACTION: RF to try and add member manually.

RF observes that the new, simplified protocol for subscribing to the SRN is working very well, with 100% of new members now filling out the personal information form. RF also reports a broader range of countries now coming in, with most new joiners coming from Asia and South America, which can be taken as a clear sign that the push towards inclusivity of under-represented regions is starting to work.

RW observes that new peer-reviewers of the journal’s special issue are also joining thanks to RF’s
efforts.

ACTION: RF to include all stats about membership in Annual Report (during Summer 2020). PR thanks and praises RF for her work as Membership officer.

8. Any other business

RW suggestion to swap years of the Annual Conferences between Vienna and Missouri is not applicable. Therefore, the schedule for the forthcoming three years remains as is. PR suggest for EC next year to develop long-term strategy to elicit bids for conferences to be held in Asia and Africa in next call for conferences (due out in 2022-23).

Date of next meeting (last before Summer break): Monday 22 June (TBC), 10 pm UTC/GMT (consider DST)

The meeting ends at 11:10 pm.

Resolution re: 2020 AGM and Election of Executive Council

This Call to Membership (CTM) and Resolution is posted to all SRN Members via the SRN mailing list and is available on the SRN2020 Conference website as well as here on SRN’s website. It aims to consult and call all Members to take action by expressing their preference for one of two options re: this year’s AGM and related EC elections.

1)     Both AGM and elections to be delayed to September 2021 + Mandate of current EC members extended automatically by one year; or

2)     AGM (only) delayed to September 2021 + “virtual” EC elections to be held in September 2020

Members are invited to read the full details in the PDF document attached HERE (also available on the SRN website and on the Conference website) and to cast their preference by clicking by no later than THURSDAY 19 JUNE, 3 pm (UK time).

The CTM follows on from the announcement issued on 17 March re: the postponement of the SRN2020 Annual Conference and Awards due to the COVID-19 crisis. It outlines the legalities of the pending situation and reports about the decision/recommendation reached by the Executive Council re: this year’s AGM and related EC elections, which has been the most substantial item of discussion in the April and May meetings. You can find full details of these in the agendas and minutes available on the SRN website as usual.

Kind regards

 

Paolo Russo

SRN Acting Chairperson

on behalf of the SRN Executive Council

SRN Executive Minutes – April

Minutes of SRN EC Meeting

Monday 20.4.2020 at 10 pm GMT/UTC (via Skype)

Circulation list: Carmen Sofia Brenes (CSB), Rose Ferrell (RF), Alexandra Ksenofontova (AK), Rafael Leal (RL), Margaret McVeigh (MM), Paolo Russo (PR), Rosanne Welch (RW)

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

All present. RL joins at 10.30.

2. Minutes of previous EC Meeting for approval (All)

Minutes Approved. PR to send final draft to RL for upload to website.

3. Contingency Plan for SRN EC elections in light of COVID-19 (All)

a. AGM
b. Alternative options or postponement to 2021

PR initiate discussion amongst the Executive Council (EC), which will be work in progress with a view to reach a decision by the May meeting so as to notify SRN membership in due course.
According to the SRN Constitution, elections of new EC members requires secret ballot which can only be ensured at the AGM.

The EC considers the feasibility of a “virtual AGM” for elections only. First of all, the elections are not meant to happen as a stand-alone event (i.e. not tied to an AGM). Moreover, a virtual AGM would prove very difficult to set up given that members are scattered all over the world in different time zones and would require some form of membership authentication before anyone could be admitted to vote. Similar issues would arise as well if using online polling tools/apps – these would possibly guarantee secrecy of ballot, but would need a separate system to check eligibility and would not comply with the required presence of impartial scrutineers. The SRN Constitution allows “postal” votes for those who wish to express their votes but cannot attend the AGM; but not as a replacement for the elections per se.

MM and AK point out that, from a strictly legal point of view, a virtual AGM does not equate to an in-person AGM; the same is true for “postal” and “email”. Unfortunately, the SRN Constitution does not include any special arrangements in case of extraordinary circumstances such as the current COVID-19 crisis; at the same time, there is no precedent to base a decision on. This vulnus can be addressed by amending the Constitution but any changes need approval by two thirds of members at an AGM; and therefore, while the SRN might consider adding alternative arrangements in case of any future unforeseen circumstances similar to the current one, this can only be done at the 2021 conference at the soonest, and at the moment these are not viable.

Given the above, it will be down to the EC to make a decision, bearing in mind that the Constitution also states that decisions made by the EC must benefit all members. The most sensible option at the moment seems to issue a Call to Members with a proposal to extend the mandate of the current EC by one extra year (one off, until 2021), including the three members who are due to step down this year (i.e. Carmen Sofia Brenes, Paolo Russo and Margaret McVeigh – pending individual availability) as well as the other three members due to step down in 2021 (i.e. their mandate will extend until September 2022) so as to ensure that the new members elected in 2021 are supported by the extant members with more experience of the roles and duties. This would ensure continuity for all the initiatives developed by the EC these past few months, whose visions and future plans (which were due to be reported at the SRN2020 Oxford conference) can be duly actualized. The EC would keep expanding membership, especially by promoting the SRN in underrepresented regions; revamp the website; draft proposed changes to the Constitution to be put to Membership in 2021.

ACTION – PR and All to draft Call to Membership for EC approval in May meeting before sending out to Membership. Point raised by AK, to which PR confirms that the Early Career Representative (ECR) is an exception to the above as it is not voted in by members but rather chosen and co-opted by the EC.

ACTION – EC to put out Call for Nomination for new ECR by June meeting (min. 60 days before deadline). Nominations to be collected over the Summer; decision to be made by EC in September.

4. Newsletter and social media updates (MM, RW, AK)

a. Updates on skipped March issue of newsletter and Facebook posts
b. Planning June issue of newsletter

PR and AK have planned the move of March news items to the Facebook page. MM wonders whether this would make the newsletter redundant but the general consensus is that the newsletter and Facebook complement each other rather than overlap.

In general, with regards to news items, we should keep using Facebook to tease members to read the full items in the newsletter. Moreover, even though some content will have been released on Facebook in April and May, nothing prevents us from including it in the June Newsletter for reference anyway. It is also noted that the Newsletter is then archived on the website and remains always accessible, not just at the time of the issue’s original release.

On the other hand, the Facebook address can also be a useful port of call for new members, especially from underrepresented regions who can find and connect with colleagues who have similar research interests.

The EC notes that – without the usual lead-up to annual conference – the Facebook page might not be as lively in the upcoming Summer months. MM suggests using it to share stories of transferring teaching online (and more) that most colleagues will be experiencing at this time.

RF congratulates AK on her excellent work on the Facebook page! AK thanks everyone for sourcing content for the Facebook posts.

5. Future conference dates (RW, All)

RW raises some uncertainty over the 2023 slotting of the Missouri conference due to the now much later date further into the future and her contractual position with Stephens College. She therefore wonders whether she could swap with the Vienna conference in 2022. The EC cannot make such a decision and advises RW to contact the Vienna organizer (Claus Tieber) directly. Should he agree on the swap, the EC would second the new plan.

6. Any other business

RF proposes to create content on the history of the SRN to put on the website.

The Facebook page can be used to attract contributions/stories from members and conference organizers that can then be collated and uploaded onto the website. All agree this is a good idea and PR notes this should/could be an ongoing task – not just one point in time – with the new website section kept open for any future contribution.

To this purpose, RL has prepared a shared folder in Google Drive that can be further customized and used as a template/work-in-progress document for members to add content. PR has lots of useful information about past conferences that he can share.

CSB offers to help RF with this ongoing project.

Date of next meeting: Monday 18 May, 10 pm UTC/GMT (consider DST)
Confirmed.

Meeting ends at 11.12 pm

SRN Executive Minutes – March

Minutes of SRN EC Meeting

Monday 16.3.2020 at 9 pm GMT/UTC (via Skype)

Circulation list: Carmen Sofia Brenes (CSB), Rose Ferrell (RF), Alexandra Ksenofontova (AK),
Rafael Leal (RL), Margaret McVeigh (MM), Paolo Russo (PR), Rosanne Welch (RW)

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

  • MM

2. Minutes of previous EC Meeting for approval

  • Minutes Approved. PR to send final draft to RL for upload to website.
  • Note: the agenda for the March meeting was modified in order to priorities decision re: SNR2020 in light of the COVID-19 emergency; PR has circulated a memo outlining possible scenarios and implications prior to the meeting (attached here for reference).

3. Contingency Plan for SRN2020 in light of COVID-19, and

4. SRN2020 Oxford Conference update (PR)

  • The EC agrees that given the circumstances SRN2020 can no longer be held in September 2020 and therefore postponement options are to be discussed. Given the exceptionality of the situation, there is no precedent to rely on; which means that the decision made by the EC will set such precedent although, hopefully, never to be needed again in the future. AK praises the level of detail outlined in the memo and suggests September 2021 as the best option. RW considers whether the EC should survey the membership about this. CB points out that the EC chooses the locales and dates without asking for a group vote from membership and therefore this too is a decision that pertains the EC.
  • The EC agrees that, should the conference be postponed by only a few months (i.e. January 2021), this would impact the Vienna conference negatively. Also, RL notes that if the pandemic is not over by the Summer we would have to postpone again anyway, leading to even more complications. Moreover, Claus Tieber having offered to move Vienna to 2022, and RW and RL agreeing to do the same for their conferences in 2023 and 2024, the EC agrees that postponing by one year to September 2021 is the best option (note: MM was consulted after the meeting and agreed as well). PR thanks CT, RW and RL for their help and availability.
  • PR thinks postponing to September 2021 should be feasible in terms of practicalities. Shortlisted delegates will be accepted for 2021 automatically, as long as they are still willing to attend. PR also assures that any PhD students who might become faculty or change their status in the meantime will still access discounted registration fee, although their access to travel and budget arrangements at their institutions may change by next year. PR will have to look into and iron out some financial concerns as a result of postponing – e.g. non-refundable deposit for the booking of the conference dinner, extension of website subscription fee for another year. AK asks for details re: the course of action if postponing by one year, what questions will come from the membership, and what issues need to clear with Oxford-Brookes.
  • ACTION: PR will email membership tomorrow with the EC’s decision and will deal internally re: all logistical issues at Oxford Brookes. Registration will be suspended and any payments made reimbursed. Once the September 2021 date can be fully confirmed, PR will set up the registration system and the website again. The information will then be posted on Facebook, on the SRN2020 website and on the SRN official website as well.
  • CB points out that since the responsibility for the decision ultimately lies with the EC, should anyone not be happy with it they can speak directly to the EC. RF wonders whether the postponement will cause issues/problems to the organizing committee of SRN2020. PR replies that, since a lot of work had already been put into it, the committee will simply have to pause preparation for now, then resume whenever possible. Anyone whose proposal had been accepted will roll over – those who can’t attend in 2021 will open it up to others and a new CfP can be posted in the Autumn of 2020 if needed. PR informs that, so far about 15 delegates had already registered and 3 already informed they could not come at all due to the pandemic.
  • SRN Awards: the prize money being funded by Oxford Brookes and the award ceremony being held during the AGM, the awards will be pushed to 2021 and nominations will cover a two-year time span. PR has liaised with the Jury members who agreed on this change. PR has also tried external funding/sponsors for the prize money but no luck so far.
  • ACTION: The newsletter and Facebook page should inform the members that the Awards will skip a year.
  • AGM and EC Elections in 2020: the question is raised about whether there can be elections without an in presentia AGM in 2020. Can elections be held online or should the current EC serve for another year ex officio? RL observes that Google just opened a platform for conference: could we use that to call a virtual AGM and hold the elections this way?
  • ACTION: to be discussed in the April meeting and that the platform could be tested before making a decision. If, eventually, the current EC members are to serve an additional year, the EC could seek Ian MacDonald’s advice about how to formally action this extension.
  • ACTION – PR to double check the SRN statute by the April meeting. Should this be the case, the EC could use the extra year to focus more systematically on the plan to reach out to underrepresented regions (as per RF’s memo).

5. Any other business

  • AK informs that German colleagues including CT are planning to go ahead with a local German event in Hanover in November 2020 (expected attendance: 40 delegates). Anyone who speaks German can think of attending: the CfP will be posted by end of April to see how people react. Two diverging opinions emerged among the organizers: is it the right or wrong time to call for abstracts? And does everyone presume that by November this pandemic will be over?

Date of next meeting: Monday 20 April (TBC), 10 pm UTC/GMT (consider DST)

The meeting ended at 10:05 pm

SRN2020 postponing to September 2021

17 March 2020

 

Dear SRN Members and SRN2020 Delegates

I hope this finds you well despite everything that is going on. I am aware that you were awaiting this with some understandable trepidation, and given that there is no way of sugar-coating this, I’ll cut straight to the chase. Here’s the tagline version:

SRN2020 WILL BE POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER 2021

And here are the (rather) lengthier but important details.

Yesterday the Executive Council of the SRN discussed as a matter of urgency the current emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. After careful evaluation of all possible scenarios, data and information available thus far, the EC has come to the conclusion that running SRN2020 in September 2020 as per plan is no longer a viable and safe option. 

Under no circumstance, even assuming the most optimistic outcome in the shortest period of time, we will put the safety and wellbeing of our members/colleagues/friends at risk; at the moment and for the foreseeable future, there is no way of guaranteeing that if we were to still run the conference next September.

The situation so far shows that:

  • All 35 countries the SRN2020 delegates come from have been affected, some in a very significant way;
  • Around 20 have now closed borders and/or banned flights from some/all countries, and this number is increasing daily;
  • Almost all 35 countries have introduced some form of lockdown, plus quarantining for incoming visitors, and self-isolation;
  • Universities from almost all 35 countries have suspended all travel abroad until at least end of April or indefinitely;
  • Insurances (both via university or private) are not guaranteeing cover anymore or refusing flat out at the moment.
  • According to most reliable data (which I have narrowed down to the WHO and the CSSE at Johns Hopkins University), the peak is yet to come in most countries and is to be expected between now and the early Summer, depending on the country. Other projections seem to indicate a risk in some countries (including the UK) for the outbreak to last until or have a double peak into the Autumn, or to subside by the Summer to then come back in the Winter;
  • Adding to that, the official position of UK authorities so far has caused no little extra uncertainty and the situation is still escalating pretty much everywhere.

In light of the above, the EC has considered other options but none seemed viable or offer any certainty. Postponing would only be possible by moving the Oxford dates to January 2021, but this would most certainly have a rather negative impact on the Vienna conference and delegates would still have to start making plans in the middle of the crisis; furthermore, should the more negative projections prove true, we would still have to cancel or postpone again with even less time to do so.

We also considered whether we could save SRN2020 by the bell by turning it into a virtual conference and still run it this year, but the resources, time and infrastructure will simply not be there. Most colleagues and universities all over the world (including Oxford Brookes) will spend the next few months having to deal with very serious circumstances and work hard at all sort of backup plans, with added pressure on already heavy workloads, and with all the resources available prioritized to this purpose. 

The good news is that all colleagues who were set to organize the Annual Conference in the 2021-23 cycle came to my help and generously agreed to push their events forward by one year in order to free up 2021 for Oxford. I therefore wish to express my deep gratitude to (in chronological order) Claus Tieber, Rosanne Welch, and Rafael Leal. I owe you. This means, to sum up, that our conference agenda for the forthcoming years will be:

  • September 2020 – No International conference (local conferences might still happen later in the year but will be discussed in their respective fora)
  • September 2021 – Oxford (possible dates: either 1-4 or, more likely, 8-11 September)
  • Early October 2022 – Vienna
  • 2023 – Missouri, US
  • 2024 – Rio de Janeiro

I also want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding, and for the many supportive messages and emails received in the past few days.

 

SO, WHAT NEXT?

  • As of today, registration, on-campus accommodation booking and dinner booking are suspended
  • Delegates who have already registered or booked their on-campus accommodation via Brookes’s online facilities will be reimbursed – I will send out instructions and contact details soon
  • The conference theme (i.e. Pushing Boundaries) will remain the same – and, perhaps, now more than ever sounds appropriate
  • Delegates already shortlisted for this year’s original dates are automatically confirmed but will have to confirm their intention to attend in 2021; should any delegates decline for whatever reason, a new CfP will be issued later in the year and we will accept new submissions accordingly to add to the current shortlist
  • Delegates who qualified for the student rate this year will be automatically considered eligible next year too, regardless of whether their status will have changed by then
  • Keynotes will be re-invited with the awareness that they might not be able to confirm availability until nearer the new date next year
  • The SRN Awards 2020 will be pushed to 2021, which will cover a two-year time period with submissions extended until May 2021

New deadlines will be set up for all stages but I will have to rework and restart the whole planning machine all over again and this might take some time. My hope is to get everything geared up by the Summer so as to give everyone plenty of time to adjust their plans. So, please bear with me until then. I will be in touch every now and then anyway.

In the meantime, if you have queries or need any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me either at info@srn2020.com or paolo.russo@brookes.ac.uk and I will do my best to help.

Finally, without a conference being held this year, it means that we don’t know yet whether the AGM (and therefore the EC elections) may take place anyway. The EC will discuss this next month and we will inform all Members once a decision has been made on this matter. One tough bite to swallow at a time!

So… I have managed to draft all this without a hint of irony and it’s been as tough as I had imagined it last night. Apologies for the unusually sombre tone of this announcement but given this is an unprecedented situation for everyone, clarity is paramount. You will allow me one last remark: for all the thinking, planning and energy I have been putting into this in the past few months, this is the one email I never thought I would have to send out.

May all of you be well and safe!

 

Paolo Russo

on behalf of

SRN Executive Council

SRN2020 Organizing Committee

SRN Executive Minutes – January

Minutes of SRN EC Meeting

Monday 27.1.2020 at 9 pm GMT/UTC (via Skype)

Circulation list: Carmen Sofia Brenes (CSB), Rose Ferrell (RF), Alexandra Ksenofontova (AK),
Rafael Leal (RL), Margaret McVeigh (MM), Paolo Russo (PR), Rosanne Welch (RW)

Agenda

1. Apologies for absence

RW and MM.

2. Minutes of previous EC Meeting for approval

  • Minutes Approved. PR to send final draft to RL for upload to website.
  • Note: the date of the January meeting was postponed to today (27th) from the date scheduled originally (20th) due to availability of most EC members.

3. Membership: quarterly update

  • RF reports healthy numbers and steady increase in the number of new members since last September with only a few members having signed off the network. Currently, membership
    stands at around 590.
  • RF suggests to establish stronger contacts with other networks in underrepresented regions – e.g. India (where she has a good contact) or Singapore, both English-speaking countries and therefore potentially good places to start with. The EC agrees this is a good idea.
  • ACTION – RF to proceed.
  • RF also points out that the procedure/protocol to join the SRN seems to be confusing for some people, due to the double-step process (i.e. joining the JISCMail mailing list and filling in the
    registration form separately). RF suggests to simplify instructions on the website as follows: 1) Keep only the link to JISCMail on the website; 2) As soon as a new member joins, RF receives a
    notification anyway; 3) At that point, RF follows up by welcoming the new members and invites them to fill in the form via email, which also makes the process more “personal”. The EC agrees this is a good idea.
  • ACTION – PR and RL to update the relevant section on the website.

4. News/update re:

a. SRN2020 Oxford Conference (PR)

  • PR reports that the shortlisting process should be completed by the end of this week (31 January) at which point he will notify all delegates via email. Although numbers are not final yet, SRN2020 has received 124 submissions, 112 papers have been shortlisted, with 120+ delegates from 36 countries from all continents (including some new countries: e.g. Paraguay, Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Georgia, Greece, Estonia, Mexico, South Africa). PR also reports that the keynotes should hopefully be secured and confirmed soon.
  • ACTION: PR to send JISCMAIL update to all members re: shortlisted papers before individual notifications are sent out + another update on keynotes as soon as available.
  • ACTION: AK to post updates of the above (i.e. shortlisting and keynotes) on FB as soon as available.

b. Newsletter

  • This item was postponed to the February meeting.

c. Website

  • RL confirms that a plugin has been added to the website which automatizes Newsletter alerts. This is now ready to be tested with the next issue.
  • Google Analytics has also been installed and RL has emailed some interesting data about the users of the website in the past few months. He will keep checking every few months, so we can
    have an overview by the end of the academic year.
  • ACTION: The SARP section should be nested under Resources, to make room for the upcoming SRN Awards section.
  • ACTION: Also under Resources, RL will add a section for “Local Initiatives” as per discussion in the December meeting. In order to start populating it: 1) AK will send one short para re: the German network plus link to website, which can then be used as a (flexible) template; 2) RL will then contact John Finnegan asking him to write a similar paragraph re: his initiatives.

d. Social media

  • Facebook page: PR has sent past membership statistics those to AK who posted them.
  • AK also shared her posting schedule for the upcoming weeks. The EC commends AK for her excellent work on the SRN Facebook page which shows some really good stats, with interactions
    growing from previous months.
  • ACTION (linked to 4a): PR to send AK some stats about SRN2020 once the shortlisting is complete.
  • ACTION (for future months’ meetings): when the EC posts the Call for nominations for the next election round, it would be good to include a description of the role of the ECR so as to attract
    interest for next year’s nominees to replace AK. AK can also suggest names of potential ECRs.
  • The Twitter account has been revived. The EC acknowledges that it will become more useful when SRN2020 will be approaching and that for now, it can be used to retweet basic info about
    FB postings and similar.

5. SRN Awards (PR, All)

  • PR reports he has contacted and liaised with the new Jury members with the suggestion of adding Book chapters from edited volumes as a new award category and to set up a subcommittee who
    could screen submissions to avoid excessive workload for the jurors. All three Jurors welcomed the idea but agreed to include the book chapters in the same category as journal articles. The EC agrees.
  • Also, the Jurors don’t think a subcommittee is necessary as they envisage that the book chapters should not add too much work; moreover, they’d prefer to assess the submissions as they are sent in to them, whereas with a subcommittee in place they should wait until the deadline and until the initial screening process is completed. The EC welcomes the suggestion and decides to keep the idea of the subcommitte only as a backup in case the submissions do eventually end up being too many in number, and following consultation with the Jury anyway.
  • The Jurors also confirmed that they did not use a specific template or rubric to guide last year’s proceedings. Instead, they designed a spreadsheet used by each jury member to vote the quality of each publication (1-5), then tallied up the votes to determine the winners. They confirm they are happy to do the same this year too.
  • The Jurors also agreed that the website should contain clear information and a Call for submissions.
  • All Jurors gave expressed permission to provide their contact details for submissions.
  • Finally, the Jurors agreed to revise the yearly time frame (and related deadline) for acceptable publications to 1 June/31 May to better accommodate their other commitments.
  • ACTION – PR to draft text with info about SRN Awards, categories, submission protocol, jurors’ email and mail addresses, and revised deadline. This will be run by the Jury first, and then sent to RL for upload on the website. Once this is done, AK will publicize the Call on the FB page. This should be done within a couple of weeks.

6. Suggested items for February EC meeting

  • a. Diversity and awareness
    b. Address membership in underrepresented regions
    c. Initiatives in specific regions (visibility, liaising, etc.)
    d. Elections: Call for nominations
  • Approved.

7. Any other business

  • There was no other business.

Date of next meeting: Monday 17 February, 9 pm UTC/GMT
Confirmed.
The meeting ended at 9:48 pm