Program Planning

Nate will work with you after the abstract submission deadline to adjust the sessions in your program, including transferring abstracts and withdrawing sessions that did not receive enough/any abstract submissions.

When setting up a session that is generally popular for abstract submissions, create just a single session for authors to submit to. Nate will work with you after the abstract submission deadline to adjust the sessions in your program, including creating additional sessions with the same title followed by roman numerals (i.e. "General Session Oral I", "General Session Oral II", etc.). Abstract submissions can then be transferred to allow for a balance across the sessions.

Symposia are technical scientific sessions. They are similar to topical scientific sessions, but focus on fewer presenters for longer presentations - heavy hitter speakers invited for a “best of the best” feel of presentations. For this reason, symposia do not lend themselves to rapid or normal fifteen minute presentations. Organizers generally utilize 3 speakers at 40 minutes per presentation or 4 speakers at 30 minutes per presentation. Symposia are the centerpieces or "Super Bowls" of section/division/community programs.

General/Topical Sessions

• No limits on how many general/topical sessions a program can have
• No time limit on how long the session can be
• Accepts contributed and invited presentations
• Can contain any combination of member and non-member presenters
• Can be oral or poster in format
• Can contain 5-minute rapid presentations
• No complimentary benefits for presenters

Symposia

• Each Section and each Community can only have one symposium session in their program. Each Division can only have two.
• The presentations within the session should last no longer that two hours when added together.
• Invited presentations only
• Should contain at least one non-member presenter
• The sessions are oral in format.
• Does not contain 5-minute rapid presentations
• Member and non-member presenters receive waived abstract fees. Non-member presenters receive waived registration fees.

CSSA and SSSA Divisions are each allotted two 2-hour symposia. ASA Sections and Communities are each allotted one 2-hour symposium. If you would like to have additional symposia, you can consider "cosponsoring" with another Division/Section/Community that has not used up their allotted number of symposia.

You can cosponsor as many symposia as makes sense for your community’s interests. It really comes down to a matter of where the session is “housed”. You would be able to house your allotted symposium/symposia within your program and then cosponsor other symposia housed in different communities, sections, or divisions.
You would not however be able to house more symposia in your program than allotted.

There is no financial obligation to split costs on a cosponsored session. Generally it just means that a topic is of interest to more than one group, and this is a way to boost attendance at that session.

That being said, sometimes communities/sections/divisions will share the cost if they are trying to make the session a bigger event than they can normally afford on their own. They can also share the work load even if unable to financially assist. Those details are left to the Chairs/Leaders to work out.

Please make sure that Chairs/Leaders are aware and agree to a session's cosponsorship before you list their group as a cosponsor for your session.

There is a limit of two presentations per person per Society.

• "Poster and 5 Minute Rapid" presentations are both oral and poster formats all within one abstract submission. This format is more for authors who would like to give a quick oral commercial/teaser for the poster format they will be presenting in a later poster session.
• Additional Rapid Presentation Information

The question to ask, when committing these funds, is “does this expenditure enhance the quality of the program, the involvement of meeting participants, or the recognition of excellence during the current or previous CANVAS programs.”

Examples of appropriate expenditures are, but not limited to:

• Paying expenses and awarding stipends to invited speakers of symposia
• Monetary awards to graduate students for outstanding accomplishments
• Monetary award for outstanding young scientist
• Interactive events that improve the communication and/or promote the activity of membership in professional activities such as poster session discussions or graduate student meet and greet events with division/section/community members
• Underwriting costs of field trips to augment the educational and collaborative experience of field trips
• Underwriting costs of symposia or thematic sessions for the use of technology to deliver talks, such as costs associated with Zoom presentations, from cutting edge scientists via distance technology

It is best if you coordinate all outside funding requests first through the ASA, CSSA and SSSA Sales Coordinator, Dave Kathe. He can be reached at Send Message. Dave has many connections and is a great resource for sponsorships/additional funding.

You can also utilize your Circles communications at any time to encourage members to donate through your Division/Section/Community website. There are links under the titles of each Division/Section/Community with the option to donate specifically to your program:

• https://www.crops.org/membership/divisions
• https://www.soils.org/membership/divisions
• https://www.agronomy.org/membership/sections-communities

All award/reimbursement/stipend payments are processed after the conclusion of CANVAS. For additional details on travel reimbursements (tipping policy, no per diem reimbursements, etc.), please see the Societies' Travel Policy.

The Societies having been moving away from plaques in recent years in favor of certificates. This has been for reasons of cost, transportation, and an expressed overall disinterest of recipients in receiving plaques.

If you would like to create a certificate for a recipient, this can be done by anyone authorized as a Section/Division Chair or Community Leader by logging in through the certificate generator. As Chair/Leader, you will be responsible for creating, printing, transporting, and presenting any certificates you feel are appropriate for your program.

Non-members receive waived CANVAS registrations, but Society members register normally. Both non-members and members receive waived abstract fees.

1. Either send your invited symposia speakers the invited speaker link or start their submissions for them. 
   (https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2025am/invited.html). Please do not share the link with anyone else.
2. If sending your invited symposia speakers the link: From the link, please instruct them to click “Submit a New Abstract” and then select your Section/Division and the proper symposium title (send them the exact titles of both of these).
3. If entering the speakers yourself: Start the submission and make sure to enter the speaker’s email address within the “Submitter’s Email Address” field on the Session Setup step. Please forward them the confirmation email you receive, allowing them to access their submission and make any edits. On the “People” step, your name will automatically be entered as the presenting author because you are logged in. Please make sure to enter their name as an author, change them to the presenting author, and delete your own name from their author list. Once you complete their author information, you may close the submission window (no final confirmation necessary). You will need to start over from the original link for each new entry.
4. You will then want to email the speaker this link: (http://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2025am/gateway.cgi). When speakers login to that link, they will be allowed to access their submission and make any edits. 
5. The deadline for invited speakers to enter papers is the early abstract deadline on Tuesday, June 17. This will ensure that your non-member invited speakers are sent their complimentary registration codes.

Important: Please make sure non-member invited symposia speakers do not register for CANVAS before September. After the CANVAS program is finalized, the Technical Program Manager will pull a list of the invited non-member symposia speakers, and they are sent a special code in late August to receive complimentary registration. Invited symposia speakers who are Society members do not receive complimentary registrations.

There are a couple ways to promote sessions to potential authors and/or attendees.

• Community/Section/Division Circles—session organizers can develop an announcement to be broadcasted to members via Circles communications. Circles entries must focus on Community/Section/Division activities and business. Sending job announcements and promoting other Societies’ meetings is prohibited. You can receive your Circles communication information by emailing Membership.
• CSA News magazine—highlight the topic(s), day, and time of the session to promote. Email your promotional text to Send Message and consider including a photo if possible. There is no charge for this service. When writing the call for papers, make sure to mention the lead Section, Division, or Community and the full title so authors can choose it when submitting their abstract. Email Send Message for further details.