This guide describes the policies of MLA divisions and discussion groups—their purpose and function, their structure and formation, and their governance. It also describes MLA policies regarding allied and affiliate organizations. All correspondence concerning these policies should be sent to the MLA convention office. The e-mail address for the convention office is convention@mla.org.

Definition. The MLA divisions encompass the primary scholarly and professional concerns of the association, with each division representing a major area of membership interest. The divisions are not autonomous organizations but are an integral part of the MLA; they have no corporate identity beyond that afforded by the MLA, and they may not use the name of the association for any project or program unless specifically authorized to do so by the MLA Executive Council.