FAQs
Congress 2013
Q. What is the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences?
A. The Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences is Canada’s largest multidisciplinary annual conference. A meeting of meetings, it also features Canada's biggest academic trade show. The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the host university, almost 70 academic associations and partners develop more than a week of presentations, workshops, panels, public lectures, cultural events and receptions. The result? Luminaries, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and students from across Canada and abroad meet, share ideas and engage in discussions that have direct importance for Canada and the lives of Canadians.
Q. Which associations are meeting at Congress 2013?
A. The associations listed here are meeting at Congress 2013.
Q. How do I submit a proposal for Congress?
A. The Federation is not responsible for calls for papers. To present at Congress, you must approach your academic association and inquire about their calls for papers. A full list of associations participating in Congress is available here.
Events and programs
Q. How do I use the online calendar?
A. The online calendar lists all events that are happening at Congress. Use one or more of the filters – date, association, series, or access – to narrow your search results. You can also type a word or phrase such as the name of a speaker or event into the keyword field. You can choose how the search results are displayed by selecting which field to sort by and whether the list is ascending or descending. When you have entered all of your search criteria, click “Apply” to see the results. To start again, click “Reset” to see all events.
- For example, to find all events that are open to all registered attendees on June 4th, you would select June 4, 2021 from the calendar under Browse by Date and you would also select “All registered Congress attendees” under Browse by Access, and then click Apply.
- Note: The meeting of an association is treated as a single event in the calendar, even if the meeting spans several days and has many concurrent sessions. To view the full details of the association meeting, click on the calendar event for that meeting. A PDF document of the association program will be posted within the calendar event for the meeting, as the programs become available.
Q. What events can I attend?
A. Anyone who has registered for Congress, and thus has paid the Congress fee, may attend any event marked with the Access level of “All registered Congress attendees” in the online calendar. Additionally, anyone who has also registered for the meeting of a specific association, and thus has paid the Association meeting fee, may attend any event hosted by that association. Everyone, regardless of registration, may attend events marked in the Access level in the online calendar as being open to the “General public”.
Q. My association is meeting at Congress. How do I find my association’s program?
A. To find your association’s program, go to the online calendar. Use the Browse by Association option to find your association’s meeting. Click on the calendar event to open it for full details. The programs will be posted here as they become available.
Q. Where can I find out what is happening at Congress?
A. See the Programs section of the website for full details on what is happening at Congress. You can use the online calendar to find a specific event, or take a look at pages such as Big Thinking and Career Corner for descriptions of these program series.
Q. In the online calendar, what does “series” refer to?
A. In the online calendar, “series” refers to the type of event.
Q. In the online calendar, what does “access level” refer to?
A. In the online calendar, the “access level” refers to which registered attendees may attend the event. When you register for Congress, you have the option of registering with specific associations. The access level for some events is marked as “Registered attendees of the association” which means that the session is only open to attendees that have registered with the host association of the event. In contrast, if the access level is marked as “All registered Congress attendees”, then anyone who has registered for Congress may attend regardless of whether s/he has registered with the host association. If the access level is marked as “General public” then anyone may attend the session, including those who have not registered for Congress.
Q. I have some free time in between sessions. Is there anything I can do to fill my day?
A. There are many events happening all the time at Congress! Check out the online calendar of events and use the Browse by Date option to see all events that are happening that day.
Q. Which events are open to the general public?
A. The Big Thinking series is made available to the general public at no cost, through the generous support of our sponsors. To view a list of all events open to the public, go to the online calendar of events and under Browse by Access, select “General public”, then click “Apply” to apply the filter. No registration is necessary for these events.
Plan your trip
Q. How do I get to the University of Victoria?
A. See the travel page for a list of transportation options, and the maps page for more detailed information about the area. There is also a Google Map for Congress 2013 that you can use to help you navigate.
Q. What accomodations are available in Victoria?
A. A large number of rooms are available both on and off campus. Click here for the full list.
Q. I require accessible transportation and accommodation. What services are available?
A. Together the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the University of Victoria are committed to improving the accessibility of Congress for delegates with disabilities. The full details about accessibility at Congress is posted here.
Fees
Click here for a description of the Congress fee and the association meeting fees.
Q. What are the registration fees?
A. The registration fees are available here. The Congress fees and association meeting fees vary depending on the category (regular, retired, student, unwaged). There is also a discounted early-bird rate if you register before March 31st.
Q. What is the difference between the general Congress fees and the association meeting fees?
A. The Congress fees go toward the costs associated with planning and organizing Congress. The association meeting fees are collected by the Federation on behalf of the associations, and all of the funds collected from these meeting fees are given directly to the associations. Generally, the associations use these funds to cover the cost of planning and holding their sessions at Congress.
Q. I am presenting at Congress, do I still need to pay the Congress fees?
A. Yes. The payment of Congress fees is mandatory for all attendees including speakers, presenters, panelists and those chairing or attending a session.
Q. I am presenting at Congress, do I still need to pay the association meeting fees?
A. Yes. The payment of association meeting fees is mandatory for all attendees including speakers, presenters, panelists and those chairing or attending a session.
Q. I have already paid my association membership fee. Do I still have to pay the association’s meeting fee?
A. All attendees are required to pay the association’s meeting fee to attend or participate at Congress. The meeting fee is not your membership fee. The meeting fees are collected by the Federation on behalf of the associations at Congress. Membership fees are paid directly to your association and are not usually collected at Congress. For information about membership, contact your association directly. You can find association contact information here.
Registration
Q. When does registration open?
A. Registration opens in mid-January.
Q. When is the early-bird registration deadline?
A. The early bird deadline is March 31st. The fees increase after this date.
Q. Is there a deadline to register?
A. There is no deadline to register online; you can register from mid-January until June 8, 2013. However, if you register by mail or fax, the deadline to submit your form is May 20, 2013.
Q. Where do I get my receipt and my access badge?
A. If you register online, by mail or by fax then you will receive a confirmation email as soon as your registration is processed. This email is not your official receipt. Print the confirmation email and bring it with you to the onsite Congress Registration Desk in the McKinnon Building, where you can pick up your receipt along with your official access badge and registration package.
Q. How do I register online?
A. Visit the Congress registration portal and follow the instructions. If you registered for Congress in the past five years (2008 to 2012), you can return to your account to register for Congress 2013. If you have not been to Congress before, you will be prompted to create a new account.
Q. What is my username and password?
A. If you registered for Congress in the past five years (2008 to 2012) then you already have an account. Go to the Congress registration portal and select “I want to register for Congress 2013 and I have been to Congress in the past five years (2008-2012)”. Then click on “Forgot your log-in information?” to have your username and password emailed to you.
Q. I started registering for Congress 2013 but did not submit my form. How do I get back to the form to complete it?
A. Return to the Congress registration portal and click on “I want to modify my Congress 2013 registration”. Enter your username and password to access your account, and then select “Register for Congress”.
Q. How do I verify my registration, make changes or add another association meeting fee?
A. Return to the Congress registration portal and click on “I want to modify my Congress 2013 registration”. Enter your username and password to access your account, and then make the necessary changes or additions.
Q. How do I cancel my registration and obtain a refund?
A. Return to the Congress registration portal and click on “I want to modify my Congress 2013 registration”. Enter your username and password to access your account, and then click on “Refund request”.
Q. I am having trouble registering online, what can I do?
A. It could be a number of issues. Please check the following:
- Is your registration form complete? Please ensure that all required fields, marked with an asterisk (*), are filled in.
- Is your payment information accurate?
- Is JavaScript enabled on your web browser, and is your browser up-to-date? You may need to update your software or try again from a different computer.
Q. Can I register onsite?
A. Yes, you may register onsite in the McKinnon Building, however we recommend that you register online to reduce the line-ups at the Congress Registration Desk. Please note that only credit cards and interac will be accepted. The hours are posted here.
Q. Can I register by mail and by fax?
A. Yes, you may register by mail or by fax. Download the association meeting and fee schedule (pdf) and the registration form (pdf). Mail your form and payment to Congress 2013, 300 – 275 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2L6, or fax your form to 613-238-6114.
Q. Can I register by telephone?
A. No, we do not accept registrations over the phone.
Q. What are the payment options?
A. The payment options are listed here.
Q. Do I have to be a member of an association to attend the association’s sessions at Congress?
A. No, you do not need to be a member of an association to attend meetings at Congress, however the registration fees are generally higher for non-members. If you are presenting at Congress or if you wish to become a member, you should contact your association prior to registering.
Q. How do I register as an international attendee?
A. You can register online, however, before you register, international attendees should confirm whether a visa is required for entry to Canada. More information is available here.
Q. Can the Federation/Congress provide a letter to international attendees to participate at Congress?
A. The Federation is unable to send letters of confirmation of any kind other than the registration confirmation automatically generated and sent, by email only, once your payment has been processed. More information is available here.
Q. What is the cancellation policy?
A. Cancellations will be accepted until April 15, 2013, subject to a $20 processing fee. No refunds will be possible after this date.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected].
