“ENGAGING OUR DIFFERENCES”

2007 CIES ANNUAL MEETING

51^st ANNUAL CIES CONFERENCE

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

FEBRUARY 25 –MARCH 1, 2007

WELCOME!

President-Elect Steve Klees, the CIES Program Co-Chairs, and the Conference Planning Committee want to welcome you in advance to the 51^st annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society to be held in Baltimore, Maryland at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel.  The conference begins early Sunday morning, February 25, and the opening reception, sponsored by the Academy for Educational Development, will be held that evening.  The conference concludes with a final half-day session on Thursday, March 1.  The conference is being hosted by the University of Maryland, in conjunction with our partners in the Washington Consortium of International Education and Training – American University and The George Washington University. 

The information about the conference contained in this Newsletter and additional details are available on the CIES 2007 conference website located at:

http://www.register123.com/event/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x52422c051

Conference Planning

There are a number of people involved in conference planning and you may contact any of them for more information or to offer suggestions.

President-Elect

Steven Klees, University of Maryland, sklees@umd.edu

Conference Program Co-Chairs:

Flavia Ramos, American University,      framos@american.edu

Carol Anne Spreen, University of Maryland, spreen@umd.edu 

Jim Williams, George Washington University, jhw@gwu.edu

Conference Planning Committee

William Cummings, George Washington University, wkcum@usa.net

Jack Levy, George Mason University, jlevy@gmu.edu

Jing Lin, University of Maryland, jinglin@umd.edu

David Post, Pennsylvania State University, post@pop.psu.edu

(committee also includes the President-Elect and Program Co-Chairs)

Theme:  Engaging Our Differences

When Gail Kelly was CIES President, she was asked why our Society did not consider and pass the kind of resolutions that groups like the Latin American Studies Association and the African Studies Association did.  Gail replied that our Society brings to the table a very diverse range of opinions and perspectives that makes it hard to agree on such resolutions but instead offers an unparalleled richness.  That diversity is one of the most important strengths of our Society.  We bring together people engaged in grassroots efforts, field projects, NGOs, universities, and local, national, and international agencies.  Moreover, within and across these sites of practice we bring together people with very different understandings, perspectives, and theoretical frameworks.  This diversity illuminates our discussion of all issues and makes the annual CIES conference a fascinating and engaging crossroads where people, perspectives, and positions meet, sometimes even clash, always raise issues.  The 2007 CIES Conference theme, “Engaging Our Differences,” is meant to stimulate even more debate and dialogue than usual. 

Venue, Transportation, and Accommodations

Baltimore is a large city with excellent museums, great restaurants, and interesting neighborhoods.  The Inner Harbor is the revamped seaport area that is a major tourist attraction for the whole family boasting the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, excellent eating, and much more.  Please remember, the conference will be held in Winter – so bring warm clothes!

The Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, the conference venue, is best reached by air to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).  Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) Airport serves the Baltimore area.  The Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel is about 20-25 minutes from BWI and can be reached by taxis (about $25-$30), shuttle vans (about $12), or by car (see directions on website).  Washington Dulles, Ronald Reagan National, and the Philadelphia airport are all about 2 hours driving from Baltimore, so they are not convenient.  If necessary, from Dulles or National you can take a shuttle van to BWI and then proceed from there to Baltimore.  Baltimore and the Sheraton may also be conveniently reached by Amtrak train from other U.S. cities. 

To make reservations at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, please call 1-800-325-3535 or go to their website’s CIES conference reservations page at:   http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0608035087&key=1D6FB

If you call, make sure to mention CIES.  We have negotiated excellent rates there:  $159 for a single or double; $169 for a triple; $179 for a quadruple.  These conference rates are guaranteed until December 31^st, 2006. 

Please note that when CIES holds a conference at a hotel, it must guarantee that a large block of rooms will be used by CIES members.  There is a substantial financial penalty if we don’t fulfill that guarantee.  Thus, to help this happen, we are offering an incentive.  If you make reservations at the conference hotel, regular members will get $20 off conference registration fees and student members will get $10 off (the difference due to the large difference in registration fees).  Please try to stay at the conference hotel!

Proposal Submissions Guidelines

The conference program co-chairs invite you to submit proposals to be considered for paper and panel presentations at the CIES 2007 annual meeting.  While you do not need to propose a presentation in line with the theme of the conference, you are welcome to do so!  Possible ways to do so are:

• incorporating diverse views in the substance of your paper;
• structuring a dialogue or debate format to your panel;
• proposing a discussant for your panel who offers alternative perspectives; or
• requesting that we provide a discussant for your panel.

Detailed guidelines for proposal submission are given on the CIES 2007 conference website.  Electronic submission is encouraged but submission by mail is also acceptable.

The “early bird” submission deadline is Oct. 15.  Early birds will be notified of acceptance by Nov. 15.  Final deadline is Dec. 15.  Notification of acceptance will be sent by Jan. 15.  Early birds get preferential scheduling in that we try to avoid the first session on the first day of the conference (Feb. 25) and the last day (Mar. 1).

Please note that to present at the annual conference, you must be a CIES member (which comes with a subscription to the Comparative Education Review and a discount on conference registration).

Please also note that there will be a limit of two paper or panel presentations per person, with the second presentation contingent on space available.  This may mean it will take us longer to notify you of acceptance of the second presentation proposal.

Unfortunately, at the moment, it seems likely that there will not be capabilities for laptops and LCD projectors.  It is simply too expensive even if you bring your own (there is a hookup fee).  So plan on using old technology – overhead projectors.  We are investigating alternatives and will notify people if things change.

Registration

We encourage you to go to the conference website and register online.  You may pay by credit card.  It is quick, secure, and simple.  There are also instructions for paying with a check by mail.  Registration fees go up after December 31, 2006.  Pre-registration ends Feb. 16, 2007.  After that you must register on-site and an additional $20 fee will apply. 

Looking forward to what will hopefully be another excellent conference!