Training Course Proposals

The following information provides guidance to instructors interested in presenting a professional training course at the SETAC Latin America biennial meeting:

Professional Training Course Procedure Overview

If you are knowledgeable about a scientific topic and would like to share your knowledge with the SETAC audience at the upcoming Latin America meeting, you can submit a course proposal at sla2021@setac.org. The proposal should describe:

• Content and approach of the proposed course
• Intended audience (backgrounds, level of experience)
• Instructors and their qualifications
• Any particular needs required to present the course material

Lead Instructor

Submitters of proposals should pay particular attention to the role of the lead instructor. Professional training course lead instructors are responsible for all communications between SETAC Latin America and all other instructors involved with the course during proposal submission and review, course development and preparation, and other activities subsequent to the meetings (e.g., timely submittal of expense reimbursement requests).

Review and Coordination Procedure

The program committee of the meeting will designate a committee or staff member as the coordinator for each course. The coordinator will recruit reviewers and communicate with the lead instructor regarding any questions or necessary modifications to the proposal. Once a course has been accepted for inclusion in the meeting program, the coordinator for each course will communicate regularly with the lead instructor about the development of the course. The coordinator will facilitate inquiries and logistical questions, provide oversight of the quality and appropriateness of course materials as they are developed, ensure that course preparations proceed in a timely manner, and serve as conduit for communication between the committee and the lead instructor.  Timelines and deadlines are presented below.

Professional Training Course Format

Professional training courses are either half- or full-day courses. Half-day courses are four hours in length and are presented either in the morning (8:00 a.m.—noon) or afternoon (1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.). A coffee break is provided midmorning and mid-afternoon.

A full-day course includes two four-hour sessions with a lunch break at noon and coffee breaks midmorning and midafternoon. Distribution of course contents and teaching responsibilities is left up to the instructors. The number of instructors depends on the nature of the course and the number of participants. Typical formats for short courses are as follows:

Half-day course
Introduction and overview – 15 min.
First half of material – 90 min.
Coffee break – 15 min.
Second half of material – 90 min.
Review, questions and course evaluation – 30 min.

Full-day course
Morning session (8:00 a.m—noon)
Introduction and overview – 15 min.
Course material – 90 min.
Coffee break – 15 min.
Course material – 90 min.
Discussion – 30 min.

Afternoon session (1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.)
Course material – 90 min.
Coffee break – 15 min.
Course material – 90 min.
Final review and questions – 30 min.
Course evaluation – 15 min.

Handouts and Teaching Aids

As much as possible, SETAC will provide professional training course instructors with all necessary instructional equipment, including audio-visual equipment such as screens and computer projectors. Requirements for any specialized equipment, such as personal computers, microscopes, aquaria, etc., must be conveyed to the program committee in the proposal and included in the estimated costs for the course. If necessary, instructors may be requested to provide specialized equipment. SETAC encourages instructors using PowerPoint to bring their own computer to both minimize the cost to SETAC for computer rental and to ensure program compatibility.

Course participants view the course manual as an important deliverable. The manual should be well thought out and of high quality. It should include all visuals and references used in the course. In addition, materials that summarize and supplement the course prove to be most useful to the participants. Course instructors are responsible for preparation and reproduction of course materials, unless prior approval is received from the program committee and SETAC staff. SETAC will provide card stock covers with the official SETAC logo and course information to lead instructors prior to the meeting; these covers must be used. The use of electronic formats for providing background or reference materials (e.g., USBs) is encouraged.

Presentations should closely follow the outline for the course, which should be included in the course manual, and it should also include a clear delineation of instructor assignments. The cohesiveness of the outline is an important criterion for the success of the course and should be reviewed by all instructors and the committee.

Costs and Reimbursement

Although SETAC appreciates and encourages the volunteerism that has contributed to the success of the professional training course program, we recognize that expenses are incurred in preparing and presenting professional training courses and, within reasonable limits, will reimburse instructors’ costs of reproducing and shipping course materials. Instructors should endeavor to keep costs low.

Photocopying expenses that can be absorbed by supporting institutions is encouraged and appreciated. Travel reimbursement and registration waivers are discouraged for SETAC members who would normally be attending the meeting; SETAC does realize that some travel reimbursement and waivers may be necessary for non-members. Travel costs should be kept to a minimum; courses with high travel costs may not be approved.

The lead instructor for each course is responsible for providing accurate cost estimates in the proposal and must receive approval from the program committee and the SETAC Global Executive Director before any expense is incurred. Requests for reimbursement of expenses, including receipts or any other documentation, should be submitted no later than 30 days after the meeting to allow SETAC staff time to honor and process all requests in a timely manner.

Enrollment Limits

SETAC encourages high enrollment limits to allow maximum opportunity for members and guests to attend professional training courses. Instructional approach or equipment needs may impose limits on the number of participants in order to maintain the quality of the course, and the instructor needs to carefully consider this issue. Once a limit has been set and published in the preliminary program, any change must be approved by the program committee and SETAC. SETAC reserves the right to cancel any course that does not have sufficient pre-registration enrollment. You will be notified after the last early bird registration deadline whether or not your course has met the minimum number of participants.

Instructors

Instructors must have demonstrable expertise in the discipline, and qualifications must be included in the proposal. Each course should generally have two to four instructors with varied backgrounds. Instructor composition should reflect at least two of the following membership sectors: government, business and academia. Full-day courses, because of the greater amount of material, might require one or two additional instructors. Maintenance of balance and diversity in this manner will help assure that the course material is not too narrowly focused on one sector or special interest. Each instructor’s role in the course should be clearly defined.

Conflict of Interest

The subject matter of professional training courses should be based on applications and not on proprietary operations or technology, software, etc. If a specific instrument or technology is emphasized, all similar products must be mentioned. There may be no endorsement of specific techniques, instruments, software, etc. as part of the course material or in subsequent literature relating to the presentation of the course. A SETAC endorsement disclaimer will be included for all courses that make reference to specific instruments or technologies. SETAC appeals to the instructors’ good judgment in presenting balanced, unbiased information. The purpose of SETAC professional training courses is to educate and promote good science, not to sell products or services.

Course Submission

• Course Title: The title of the proposed course should be as specific as possible and accurately reflect the content of the course. Use 15 or fewer words.
• Lead Instructor: Identify one person as lead instructor. Future correspondence will be conducted through the lead instructor, who will be responsible for informing the other instructors.
• Course Length: Professional training courses are generally either half-day (four-hour) or full-day (eight-hour) courses. For half-day courses, the proposal should indicate if morning or afternoon is preferred.
• Course Level: State the level of experience or prerequisite knowledge the participants need in order to properly understand the course materials.
• Registration Cap: Please determine the minimum and maximum number of participants for your course. Course attendance will be limited to the maximum number and may be cancelled (in consultation between SETAC and the lead instructor) if the minimum enrollment is not achieved.
• Objectives: State the objectives of the course in a few sentences.
• Description: The description, 200 words maximum, must cover the purpose of the course and the topics to be discussed. If the proposal is accepted, this abstract will be used to advertise the course on the website and in the meeting program.
• Instructors: Evidence of qualifications (bio or resume) for each instructor should be submitted with the proposal. Each instructor’s role in the proposed course should be clearly defined.
• Products and Course Materials: List the products and formats that you intend to distribute for the course, including any software packages. The committee encourages quality, take-home products that participants can use for future reference. Products that summarize and supplement the course prove to be most useful to the participants. Documents and supporting materials on USB are encouraged to save paper and shipping costs.
• Audio/Visual: Please list all A/V equipment you will need to conduct your course. A/V requests should be limited to just what you need to conduct the course as high A/V costs can limit the viability of a course.
• Cost Estimate: Please list all costs for which you expect reimbursement, itemize by category. Provide accurate estimates. Acceptance of a professional training course does not obligate SETAC to financial support other than direct expenses (copying, shipping, A/V, etc.). Note, honoraria will not be provided and should not be included among costs. Costs should be kept low (i.e., below the expected income for the course) to ensure course acceptance. SETAC will endeavor to work with the lead instructor to keep costs low.
• Other Needs: List any special room, space or other equipment requirements. Also list items that you expect participants to bring (e.g., laptop computers).