NCTEAR

Just a reminder that shuttles will run between the four hotels and Graves Hall will start at 7:15 am. The shuttle will start at the Microtel and then move to the other three hotels and then Graves Hall. Two rounds of shuttles will run.

The final program was too big to upload to the website, so hard copies will be available as of 2/24. Registration opens 8:00 at Graves Hall.

We have chartered University of Alabama buses to provide transportation between the Birmingham airport and Tuscaloosa on Friday the 24th and Sunday the 26th. There will be two airport pick-up times on the 24th: noon and 3:00 PM**. The bus will drop attendees off at one of the conference hotels or the conference center. On Sunday the 26th, one bus will leave Tuscaloosa (Graves Hall on the UA campus) around 12:30 PM to take attendees to the airport.

The cost is only $25 each way. Each bus can accommodate 20-25 people comfortably.

The conference program is finalized and will be distributed at the conference.

Registration is open!!

https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1019850

Lisa Scherff and Carol Donovan are planning an edited book proposal based on papers and research presented at the conference. Like the conference, the book will focus on The Peril and Promise of Place in Literacy Research. In addition to inviting chapter submissions from our keynote and pre-conference speakers, we would like to invite all conference participants to submit chapter proposals. Proposals will be reviewed and accepted based on not only the quality of the research, but also the needs and direction of the emerging volume.

The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa.

PLANE: If you are coming by plane, the closest airport is Birmingham International (code BHM), which is a 45-minute drive on I-59. The Birmingham airport serves all major airlines, including Southwest.
http://www.flybirmingham.com/

TRAIN: Tuscaloosa has an Amtrak station located about two miles from the university campus. There are several routes that have stops in Tuscaloosa. (Several of us have used the train for conference travel and it is wonderful)
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/Page/1237405732511/123740573...

DRIVING: Tuscaloosa is about 45 minutes southwest of Birmingham. From past experience, it is a 4-5 hour drive from Knoxville, TN; 3-4 hours from Nashville, TN; 5 hours from Tallahassee, FL; 10-12 hours from Tampa/Orlando, FL; 5 hours from New Orleans, LA; 9 hours from Louisville/Lexington, KY.

SHUTTLE SERVICE: Executive Shuttle in Birmingham (http://www.eshuttle.net/) is offering the following rates for round trip travel between the Birmingham Airport and Tuscaloosa:

--For individual travelers: $100 round trip per person (with two person minimum)

--Group Travel: For 7+ people, $85 round trip per person. The reservation and payment NEEDS TO COME FROM ONE PERSON. With this option, travelers from one institution, or several, can work together to ride to and from Tuscaloosa for the reduced rate. However, one person needs to pay for the travel.

Please call this special reservation number: 205/915-7522 or go to the following link to fill out the form (the comment box at the bottom can be used to list the travelers' names): http://www.eshuttle.net/edispatch.htm.

Parking at the university can be a challenge; however, Hotel Capstone and the Conference Center are on campus and a short walk to Graves Hall. There are two multi-story parking decks and a large open parking lot very close to the conference site. A campus map with a list of parking lots can be found here: http://bamaparking.ua.edu/pages/parkingmaps.html