Policies
Appropriate Conduct at the MLA Annual Convention
The MLA is committed to providing an inclusive and harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity.
Please review the MLA’s guidelines on appropriate conduct at the convention as well as our policies on discrimination and harassment and on professional ethics.
Photography and Recording of Sessions
The MLA will be photographing and recording a number of sessions taking place during the convention, so attendees’ audio, video, or written participation in the convention may be recorded, and attendees may be photographed as part of this event. Session recordings will be available to convention registrants through the online convention platform. The MLA’s recordings and photographs from the convention will also be used to share the work of members and the atmosphere of the convention with a broader public. It is a violation of MLA policy for individuals to record either audio or video of presentations or sessions. Occasional exceptions may be made for members of the media taping short segments designed to convey the convention atmosphere. Such arrangements must be made in advance through the director of outreach and require the consent of all speakers at a session. When taping is approved, a representative of the MLA’s media staff must be present during the session. The session organizer will announce to the audience that audio or video recording will take place during a part of the session. Only background taping is allowed, not the taping of an entire session. Requests to use brief recorded elements of the convention as part of a creative or documentary project should be sent to press@mla.org.
Badges
Badges are required for admission to convention sessions, the exhibit hall, and the MLA Professional Development Hub. Badge holders are available at the MLA registration and welcome center, where attendees can also replace lost badges for $25.
COVID-19 Safety Protocols
The MLA is dedicated to ensuring to the best of our ability the health and safety of convention participants. To that end, we ask that all convention attendees, exhibitors, and visitors attest to our COVID-19 safety protocols.
Fragrance
The Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession reminds attendees that refraining from using scented products will help ensure the comfort of everyone at the convention.
Guest Passes to Sessions
All MLA members and members of the profession that the MLA serves are required to register in order to participate in or attend sessions. A convention speaker may obtain a pass for a guest who has no professional interest in language or literature; the pass is valid only to hear a presentation given by that speaker at a single session. The speaker must request the pass at the MLA registration and welcome center on the day of the session, before the center closes. The guest must accompany the speaker to obtain the pass, must be vaccinated, and must agree to the MLA COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Passes may not be requested by guests of speakers or by MLA members who have not registered for the convention.
Reading in Absentia
Sessions at the 2024 convention will take place either in person or online. To encourage discussion and dialogue among panelists and attendees at convention sessions, reading in absentia (whether by Skype, videoconferencing, audio delivery, or presentation by surrogates) is not normally permitted at sessions taking place in person. Presenters who are unable to attend the convention because of unforeseen emergencies may circulate their papers in advance through private or public groups on MLA Commons or upload them to the MLA’s open access repository, CORE.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in most public places in Philadelphia.