Instructions for Submitting Your
Biographical Information and Position Statement

General Instructions:

• In general, focus on recent information, present posts, and most significant events in your career. Listing dates is not necessary, but we will print them if you think they are important.
  
  
• When listing past or present positions or memberships on committees or commissions, be sure to indicate the sponsoring organization:
  example:  CCCC Committee on Computers and Writing (not: Committee on Computers and Writing)
  
  
• Include the state when you're not sure that readers will know where an institution is located:
  example:  Mount Rollie College, Mississippi
  
  
• Use acronyms to save space but also give the full name once so readers will recognize the acronym:
  example:  MSCTE, Mississippi State Council of Teachers of English
  
  
• The maximum word limit is 150 words.  Candidate for the office of Vice President are allowed 750 words.  This does not include category titles such as "Membership(s)," "Awards," "Formerly," etc.  It is advisable not to have fewer than 50 words, since voters might feel they have insufficient information.  Standard, hyphenated adjective forms count as one word (e.g., decision-making).

Name:  list your name exactly as you'd like it to appear on the ballot

Office:  list the NCTE office you are a candidate for

Present Position(s):  include the professional role(s) or office(s) that you presently hold.  (Optionally, you may choose to place the present professional role(s) and office(s) information in the "Member" category):
example:  Assistant Professor of English, Mount Rollie College, Mississippi; Chair, CCCC Committee on Computers and Writing; treasurer, Mississippi State Teachers Association

Formerly:  include past positions, offices, or roles, if you feel that listing them would be significant:
example:  Middle school English teacher for ten years, department chair; editor, MSCTE Newsletter; consultant, Mississippi Education Association; Local Arrangements Chair, 1995 NCTE Annual Convention

Membership(s):  include present memberships and/or offices in NCTE and other organizations:
example:  NCTE Commission on Media; MSCTE, CCCC, IRA, NEA

Award(s):  include honors, listings, fellowships, etc., that you feel would be significant.
example:  NEH Fellow (1997); MSCTE Service Award.

Publication(s):  usually consists of names of journals, books, etc., in which you have published.  (Do not include names of commercial publishers)
example:  Teaching the New Media; co-editor, Television, Reading, and Writing (forthcoming); grade 10 literature text for commercial publisher; articles in College Composition and Communication, Mississippi English Teacher, MSCTE Newsletter

Program Contribution(s):  you may include a list of conventions/conferences of professional organizations at which you presented.  (Do not include session titles to minimize word count)
example:  Presentations at NCTE, IRA, MSCTE

Position Statement:  You may include an optional statement of positions, emphases, goals, etc., you think would be of interest:
example:  NCTE needs leaders who have expansive backgrounds and the ability to represent a wide-ranging constituency of language arts teachers.  Leaders must act boldly in developing programs that are helpful to our members, especially in neglected areas such as media and mass communications.  They must also influence decision-makers and the public about the needs of the profession.

HYPOTHETICAL BALLOT STATEMENT

ARLISS TEMPLETON, Assistant Professor of English, Mount Rollie College, Mississippi; Chair, CCCC Committee on Computers and Writing; treasurer, Mississippi State Teachers Association.  Formerly: Middle school English teacher for ten years; department chair, editor, MSCTE Newsletter; consultant, Mississippi Education Association; Local Arrangements Chair, 1995 NCTE Annual Convention.  Membership(s): NCTE Commission on Media, MSCTE, CCCC, IRA, NEA.  Award(s): NEH Fellow (1997); MSCTE Service Award. Publication(s): Teaching the New Media; co-editor, Television, Reading, and Writing (forthcoming); grade 10 literature text for commercial publisher; articles in College Composition and Communication, Mississippi English Teacher, MSCTE Newsletter.  Program Contribution(s): Presentations at NCTE, IRA, MSCTE.

Position Statement: NCTE needs leaders who have expansive background and the ability to represent a wide-ranging constituency of language arts teachers.  Leaders must act boldly in developing programs that are helpful to our members, especially in neglected areas such as media and mass communications.  They must also influence decision-makers and the public about the needs of the profession.