Below is a general overview and brief outline of a typical processing schedule.

Spring, One Year Prior to Meeting

• Local Committe General Chairs receive a schedule.

GSA creates a draft of a schedule with deadlines, etc. The Chair reviews this schedule and either okay's it or requests deadline changes. Once the schedule has been approved by the Chair, the deadlines are firm and cannot be changed. GSA begins publizing these dates in GSA Today and on the Web sites.

• Copy of first announcement is due to GSA.

First announcements should be around 1,200 words. Announcement should include information such as proposed field trips, theme sessions, and symposia sessions.

• Abstracts form goes "live."
• First announcement is published in GSA Today and on GSA's Web site.

• Copy of second announcement is due to GSA.

Second announcements should be around 3,200 words and contains preregistration information. It's always helpful if area and building layout maps could be included.

• Second announcement is published in GSA Today and on GSA's Web site.

• Text for Program portion of the Abstracts book is due to GSA.

Programs (sometimes referred to as Offprints) are the "give aways" at each of the meetings. There is no size limit for the text you can publish in the program. Maps and floorplan layouts are very helpful and should be included.

• The Technical Program Chair will be shown the abstracts database.

Nancy Wright, GSA's Technical Program Manager will guide you through the details of the online abstracts database system, and walk you through your duties as Technical Program Chair.

• Links are sent to Theme and Symposia Chairs.

Information is sent to each of the theme and symposia organizers so they can access their proposed sessions. This link gives them the capability to view abstracts being submitted, making sure all expected abstracts are received by the deadline date. It is their responsibility to be sure all abstracts are submitted prior to, or on, the published abstracts deadline.

• Notices are sent to GSA membership reminding them of the abstracts deadlines.

• Abstracts Deadline

Hard Deadline. No abstracts will be processed after this date.

• Organizing of sessions

The next couple of weeks is spent organizing sessions. As Technical Program Chair, you are responsible for making sure all abstracts are taken care of and that the needed sessions are created and organized. GSA is available to give you guidance throughout this process.

• Technical Program is finalized.

GSA takes over from this point on. Accepantance notices are sent out to speakers, and publication of the printed abstract book begins.