The USETDA Board and Conference Organizing Committee have been meeting regularly to discuss plans for the annual conference in light of the worsening coronavirus crisis. Any major changes to the event will be complex and potentially costly, thus we need to proceed carefully and thoughtfully as we determine how best to resolve the situation in a way that will be the most beneficial to our membership.
In an effort to provide a safe meeting environment as well as to preserve the work and funding already put into this year’s conference, we sought new opportunities for outreach and engagement. As a result, this year we are pleased to announce:
- The USETDA 2021 Conference will be held as an online conference, scheduled for Wednesday, September 22-23, 2021.
- The Call for Proposals will be issued in mid-December 2020.
- The USETDA conference (face-to-face meeting) has been postponed until September 2022, to be held in Cleveland, Ohio.
- We have launched the USETDA Forum, a dedicated listserv for the ETD community to facilitate networking and dialogue regarding North American-based ETD program discussion topics.
Details for the USETDA online conference are still being determined. For the virtual program, we plan to include a keynote presentation as well as panel discussions in which participants can join in the live discussion. We will also include concurrent breakout presentations in the virtual program, we encourage the community to submit proposals on traditional ETD topics and best practices, from which, the presentations (slides, papers, posters, videos) will be included in the online meeting proceedings.
We would also like to encourage membership with the USETDA – institutional members qualify for the discounted conference registration rate. Additionally, we are also in the process of adapting our sponsorship options for the virtual venue. All contributions will help sustain the USETDA organization well into the future. Details are available online at www.usetda.org/.
Thank you for your understanding during these challenging times. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the board at info@usetda.org.
Sincerely,
USETDA Board and Conference Organizing Committee
theses and dissertations. At each yearly conference, the group will meet to discuss the past year’s challenges, issues and successes in the field, and to share knowledge and resources with colleagues. Furthermore, we will consider the future of formatting and format reviews: how is our field changing? How should our field change?
