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 Ken Bleile
Convention Chair for Speech-Language Pathology and Discipline-Wide Issues
Welcome to the 2003 ASHA Call for Papers! Your nearly 200 colleagues on the Convention Program Committee and I look forward to reading your proposals for Convention presentations!
In recognition of the growing importance of biology in the field of communicative disorders, the theme of this year’s conference is Exploring New Frontiers in Biology. Additionally, ASHA has designated 2003 The Year of the Volunteer. You’ll find many invited sessions this year related to biology and volunteerism – these sessions will complement the many excellent programs which will be submitted on clinical and research topics across the Speech, Language, and Discipline-Wide spectrum.
You will notice several changes for the 2003 Convention. Update Sessions provide the latest information across a wide range of topics. You’ll also find more advanced sessions, many with web sites from which you can download readings and information prior to the convention. In response to concerns raised by attendees regarding session fees, the Institute format has been dropped and additional seminars have been added.
Perhaps the most noticeable change this year is deletion of the official Sunday morning program. This change was initiated based on low attendance on Sunday sessions at previous conventions. In its place, ASHA is providing convention space for professional groups that wish to meet Sunday morning. This allows any professional group that so wishes to develop their own Sunday morning business meeting or program.
Chicago is a big, bustling city, and within a short distance of convention hotels are many world-class restaurants, entertainment spots, and museums. In addition to attending the convention, hopefully you will get an opportunity to see some sights. To help you, ASHA members who live in the city have kindly developed an insider’s list of places and things to see and do. This list will be published in an upcoming ASHA Leader.
Thanks for submitting a paper to the 2003 ASHA Convention. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago and to an outstanding educational program!
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