The Program Committee evaluates proposals in conjunction with the CLAGS Board of Directors. CLAGS encourages events concerning race, ethnicity, gender, and disability.

CLAGS sponsors many kinds of events, offering classroom and auditorium space in the CUNY Graduate Center building in mid-town Manhattan plus advertising through the CLAGS calendar and events listserv.

Event formats include:

• 1 – 2 hour colloquia featuring a presentation of scholarship or other creative work and sometimes a respondent and discussion
• 2 - 3 hour panel presentations featuring 2 or more presenters and discussion or reception
• 1 – 3 day conferences featuring multiple presentations in many formats.
• Seminars in the City held at the Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center. Seminars are generally 4 weekly sessions held throughout a term, constituting a series of presentations/lectures with reading and discussion, open to the public.
• Pedagogy workshop co-sponsored with NYU Gender Studies program. Generally a 1 – 3 hour presentation/discussion or panel.
• Films or film series.

CLAGS offers the following levels of events sponsorship:

• CLAGS-sponsored events. Conceptualized, budgeted, and developed by the CLAGS board and staff and an invited event organizing committee. CLAGS organizes funding and labor.
• CLAGS major co-sponsorship. CLAGS is shared fiscal sponsor. Events proposed to CLAGS Program Committee and CLAGS staff, then reviewed by the entire CLAGS board. CLAGS Development Director or board member acts as liaison to the event organizers. Event organizers may work from the CLAGS office shortly before and after the event, subject to negotiation. CLAGS is prominently featured as a major co-sponsor in all event literature. CLAGS reserves the right to solicit membership and contributions at the event.
• CLAGS nominal co-sponsorship. Events with CLAGS endorsement, but no significant financial or labor contribution. Requires approval of the CLAGS Executive Director and Program Committee. CLAGS advertises the event on the CLAGS web site calendar, distributes flyers and email notices via the CLAGS events list.

Proposing Events

• Email an outline of the proposed event to CLAGS Executive Officer, the CLAGS office (clags@gc.cuny.edu), and CLAGS Program Committee Co-chairs Polly Thistlethwaite (pthistlethwaite@gc.cuny.edu), and David Serlin (dserlin@ucsd.edu). The committee may wish to discuss the event proposal, suggesting changes or conditions.
• Identify the type of event and level of CLAGS sponsorship.
• Include a budget, and identify non-CLAGS sources of funding.
• Identify organizers and participants with brief biographical description.
• Programming Committee recommendations are subject to the approval of CLAGS Executive Director and board members at meetings usually held in September, December, February, May.
• CLAGS events calendars are usually set at least one academic term in advance, e.g. the fall schedule is established in the spring of the previous academic year.
• CLAGS calendar deadlines for printed material can be several months in advance of the event.

Allow at least 18 months lead time to organize a conference or other major event. Proposals should be concise and descriptive, no more than 5 pages, including:

• Title and summarized scope of conference.
• Proposed dates with 2-3 alternatives.
• Organizers’ names and affiliations, with emphasis on organizers’ related experience.
• Description of the project. A short description of the nature and significance of the project.
• Conference goals and objectives.
• Anticipated publication, product or archive. CLAGS has a publishing series with the New York University Press which reserves the "right of first refusal" for sponsored and major co-sponsored conference publications.
• Proposed panels. Include titles and descriptions, and names and biographical notes of participants if an open call for papers is not anticipated.
• Budget. Include a detailed statement of anticipated costs and sources of funding. Include consideration of room rental fees (Graduate Center weekend rental fees can run $2500-$3000), supplies and program printing, web site construction and maintenance, travel (typically for keynote speakers only), honoraria (typically $500 for keynote speakers and $100 for invited panelists), and recording expenses. CLAGS office staff can provide a summary of Grad Center rental, printing costs, and audio-visual fees.

Organizing a Conference

• Once approved by both the CLAGS Program Committee and the CLAGS Board of Directors, contact the CLAGS office to make room arrangements. There is great demand for the larger rooms; early arrangement (over a year in advance) is essential. All arrangements for taping, microphones and room set-up are made by CLAGS staff in conjunction with Graduate Center room reservations office. The Graduate Center printing service (for flyers and other publicity materials), requires a mock-up of the program (including participant names and event locations) 3 months before the event. If program design and printing are done elsewhere, organizers are responsible for all arrangements and deadlines. CLAGS encourages that conference printed matter be reviewed by the Program Committee.
• All publicity about the conference must indicate the participation and co-sponsorship of CLAGS.
• All correspondence and inquiries are the responsibility of the event organizers. CLAGS office staff will not be responsible for conference inquiries and correspondence.
• Prepare a pool of volunteers to work the conference.
• Conference organizers are responsible for reception arrangements. If the Conference is held at the Graduate Center, catering must be supplied by the Graduate Center’s in-house caterer. If the reception conference is held elsewhere, other arrangements are required.
• The CLAGS office needs original receipts and invoices to provide reimbursement for conference expenses.

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