Virtual Conference
The Canadian Sociological Association will hold a second section of the Conference outside of Congress with fully virtual sessions from Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 13.
See also - General information for all Conference participants
Participating in the Virtual Conference
Virtual sessions will be utilizing the Zoom platform.
Closed captioning will be enabled, and presenters are strongly encouraged to review accessible presentation guidelines.
The CSA Virtual Conference will be using the Zoom platform.
Each session will have a unique sign-up form posted in the Conference Schedule (refer to dates June 9 - June 13).
Sign-up for each virtual session you plan to attend (this includes session presenters and chairs).
A confirmation email with a link to join the session on the specified date and time will be sent along with a calendar invitation.
Speakers are asked to log into their session 15 minutes in advance for Green Room time. The CSA Zoom Room Monitor will ensure their video, audio, and screen-sharing for presentations is working correctly.
Audience members will be allowed into the session by the CSA Zoom Room Monitor at the designated session start time. However, space is limited and we cannot guarantee your admission if the session reaches capacity.
The CSA strives to support member participation in the annual Conference by recognizing the financial and logistical challenges experienced by members requiring childcare
Apply for the CSA Childcare Subsidy by April 11, 2025
Everyone attending our virtual sessions must comply with our Virtual Code of Conduct.
Audience members, presenters, and panelists should keep their microphone and cameras off unless invited by the session chair to turn them on. This is typically done during the general Q&A portion of the session.
Note: Panel sessions will be held in 'Webinar' Zoom format and therefore the audience members will not have the ability to turn their microphones or cameras on.
Virtual Code of Conduct
The Canadian Sociological Association promotes research, publication, and teaching of sociology. Our virtual events are intended to provide our membership and the community more broadly with an opportunity for knowledge sharing and professional development as well as to facilitate discussions on current issues affecting our discipline and society.
The opinions expressed during virtual events are those of the speakers and are not considered official statements or positions of the Canadian Sociological Association (unless otherwise stated).
We endeavour to provide a forum free of harassment or intimidation based on race, religion, ethnicity, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, appearance, or another group status.
All participants (speakers and attendees) must agree to our Virtual Event Code of Conduct in advance and compliance will be monitored during the event.
The CSA Zoom Room Monitor may take the following actions (pending approval from the session chair) for non-compliance;
Mute and/or turn off video of the attendee
Remove attendee from the session
Disengage Q&A and/or Chat feature from all attendee access.
Review the complete Virtual Events Best Practices and Code of Conduct
Session Support
A CSA Zoom Room Monitor will be assigned for each session. They will lead the Green Room, open the session to attendees, and manage the zoom technology during the session. They will also monitor the session for adherence to our Virtual Code of Conduct policies.
Green Room
Session presenters and chairs must log in 15 minutes prior to the session start time. The session Room Monitor will complete a video and audio quality check.
The Session Chair will confirm pre-arranged presentation elements such as, overall session flow, Q&A organization, and timekeeping with presenters.
Virtual Session Format
Presentation Sessions will be in ‘Meeting’ format whereby all attendees are able to be seen, heard, and share their screens.
Speakers are responsible for sharing their screens from their own computer for presentations during the session (if applicable).
Presentations should proceed in the order listed in the program and vary in length from 12-20 minutes each depending on the number of presentations in the session; 3 presentations - 20 minutes each; 4 presentations - 15 minutes each; 5 presentations - 12 minutes each.
Chairs may use the ‘Chat’ feature to give 2-minute warnings or turn on their video if the time limit has been reached.
Attendees may type in their questions through the Q&A tool or ask them orally.
Attendees will be reminded to turn off their cameras and mute themselves during the presentations.
Session Chairs
During the session, the Chair will be responsible for the following; Welcome attendees; Give Land Acknowledgement; provide housekeeping reminders and Q & A instructions; introduce each of the speakers and keep time for each presentation; moderate questions from the audience; and thank everyone for attending acknowledging the support of the CSA.
The CSA has standard slides that will be customized for each session. The Zoom Room Monitor will advance the slides while the Chair reads them to the audience.
We suggest that the chair prepare a few questions in advance if attendees are slow to submit their questions during the Q & A period.