MLA Gives Preliminary Approval, Seeks Formal Proposal

We are writing today on behalf of the Program Committee to invite you to submit a full proposal for the creation of the new forum TC Medical Humanities and Health Studies.

The proposal should consist of a letter of application of at least two pages but no more than five and should include the following:

• a description of the forum’s field of interest
• a justification of the need for the forum
• a history of the development of the forum, including any past convention sessions or other meetings that show evidence of member interest
• biographical information about the members of the executive committee, establishing their credentials in the field

Proposals are due 1 September 2014 and will be reviewed by the Program Committee at its fall meeting. Those forums that are approved will be formally established on 12 January 2015 and will be invited to participate in the 2016 convention.

The petition drew eight volunteers to serve on the founding executive committee for the forum:

• Thomas Lawrence Long
• Tana Jean Welch
• Erin Lamb
• Diana Perez Edelman-Young
• Andrea Charise
• Leni Marshall
• Rebecca Garden
• Amy Rubens

Because the strength of the founding executive committee will be among the criteria used in the evaluation of your proposal, the Program Committee offers you the option of selecting the four members of the committee, as well as naming the committee’s initial chair. You may decide collectively to recruit committee members from outside this list of volunteers if you feel that doing so will best serve the interests of the group. Successfully established forums will hold elections in 2015 for a fifth committee member, to serve a five-year term. From 2016 on, elections will be held each year to replace one of the founding committee members, beginning with the 2015 chair. Please include in your information about the founding executive committee an order of succession for the members, indicating the years that each will serve as chair.