Events
Your AAR staff continues to work toward holding the Annual Meeting in Boston, Nov. 21-24, 2020. We are aware of the uncertainty and contradictory projections related to the COVID-19 pandemic and with health and safety as a priority, we will continue monitoring the guidance of governments and health experts as we plan and make decisions. Should any changes need to be made related to the 2020 Annual Meeting, we will promptly notify you.
Open Registration:
All remaining regional meetings for 2020 have been canceled
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March 6, 2020
Dear AAR colleagues,
I write with an update regarding our 2020 regional and annual meetings and the impact of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Our regional and annual meetings are core to our mission, values, and long-range goals—offering our membership opportunities for networking, mutual support, intellectual growth, and professional development. We also know that many members, their institutions, affiliated organizations, and exhibitors are concerned about the coronavirus that has spread across the globe.
We recognize that health and safety are priorities. We also know you need practical information in order to arrange travel with as little personal or financial risk as possible. We do not want to make decisions, such as cancellations, that leave members without options. Should we do so, it would be only as a last resort when unexpected developments occur. We will make every effort for this not to happen.
The trajectory of the spread of the virus is uncertain and governments and institutions are taking actions they determine to be responsible, while trying to avoid sowing fear or misinformation. Many of these decisions, such as travel restrictions by institutions or governments may impact AAR members. AAR staff members as well as our Board of Directors are closely monitoring the guidance of governments, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to strive for the safety of our members and make professional decisions regarding our meetings.
Likewise, AAR staff is in conversation with organizations such as the American Council of Learned Societies and the American Society of Association Executives to hear what decisions they are making as virus developments continue to evolve day by day. We will monitor them closely and provide you with the best information available to us.
Of immediate concern are the scheduled AAR regional meetings in March through May. We are watching for cancellations and will send out notices as soon as we get the information. Out of an abundance of caution, Princeton Theological Seminary cancelled all events for which people are traveling from outside the area, including our Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting. SBL and AAR are deeply grateful to Princeton for forgiving all the contracted charges for the meeting space, the catering, and the on-campus lodging.
Registration for the Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts (November) typically opens in mid-April. We hope more clarity on the situation will occur between now and then. At present, the best information and guidelines we can provide are from the CDC, which has put out guidance regarding coronavirus and mass gatherings. Currently the CDC does not recommend postponing or cancelling large events. If this changes, we will share new information. We suggest that you postpone booking airfare that does not have flexible change policies until registration opens. AAR Annual Meeting travel updates will be available soon.
For all these meetings, we will strive to provide the best information as you register and make travel plans. You can expect updates on our meeting pages, through emails, and via social media.
The CDC and the WHO have provided guides for prevention and treatment.
We hope for the containment of this virus and the health of everyone across the globe. In the meantime, please stay safe.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at ahunt@aarweb.org.
Sincerely,
Alice Hunt
Executive Director
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