[Linganth] SLA and the AAA in Tampa

[E. Summerson Carr]

Dear SLA members,


We know many of you are making decisions about whether or not to attend the upcoming AAAs in Florida. Some members feel compelled to attend the conference for a variety of reasons, while other members do not feel safe, comfortable, or otherwise inclined to travel to Florida. Some members are participating in a boycott of the meeting. One thing that is clearly shared across the membership: we all want chances to share our work with colleagues and learn about our colleagues' work in kind.



With this all in mind, the SLA Executive Board wants to reduce pressure to attend the AAA meeting and has therefore made the following adjustments:


  1.  The SLA business meeting will be held virtually immediately preceding the AAA meeting.
  2.  The SLA extended board meeting will also be held virtually, with a date to be determined.


As for future opportunities for in-person gatherings to share research, we have begun planning for an SLA meeting in Chicago to take place in the Spring of 2025. At this event, which will be held a mere six months after the AAAs, we will host award ceremonies (i.e., Sapir Prize, student paper prizes) as well as the graduate prize panel, along with the usual array of panels and events that feature members' work.


We are also committed to building some virtual programming and are currently seeking nominations for a virtual programming coordinator. Members interested in nominating or self-nominating for this position should contact Summerson Carr at esc at uchicago.edu<mailto:esc at uchciago.edu> by March 30, 2024. (See position description below).


The SLA is seeking a virtual program coordinator who will be responsible for creating online content of broad interest to the SLA community. Programming may include: workshops on professionalization (structuring key documents, mock interviews, non-academic careers, etc.); methodology (recording, transcription, fieldwork ethics, etc.); coordinating online writing groups; establishing online mentoring workshops; and organizing conversations on social justice issues and contemporary political problems (along the lines of "Talking Politics"). The coordinator will work with different constituencies within the SLA, as well as related groups beyond the SLA, to develop virtual programming.


In the meantime, for those planning on attending the AAAs, you should know that the SLA will have an in-person presence at the AAA in Tampa, if in a more limited way. We ask that you please participate in the survey<https://s-2e1413-i.sgizmo.com/s3/i-a8lQY3f4v1QxtVQeZo-6845805/?sguid=a8lQY3f4v1QxtVQeZo> on the Tampa meeting that the AAA released today. We have asked them to design it in such a way that we will be able to discern the section membership of respondents. This will help us determine how many SLA members will be in attendance at the Tampa conference and to scale and organize an informal social event for attendees if there is interest.


For those seeking more information, you can find the AAA's official stance on the Tampa meeting here<https://annualmeeting.americananthro.org/general-info/faqs/tampa-faqs/> and read an open letter <https://americananthro.org/news/presidents-letter-regarding-annual-meeting-in-tampa/> from AAA's President, Professor Whitney Battle Baptiste. You will also find that other sections are taking various actions, including boycotting<https://my.americananthro.org/community/NC__Login?ec=302&startURL=%2Fcommunity%2Fs%2Fgroup%2F0F98W000000wmoH%2Fall-members-community%3Fs1oid%3D00D5e0000011Wlu%26s1nid%3D0DB8W00000158U4%26emkind%3DchatterGroupDigest%26s1uid%3D0058W00000AA1ZW%26emtm%3D1709445096237%26fromEmail%3D1%26s1ext%3D0> the Tampa meeting. Finally, as members make decisions about how to proceed, some may wish to take the opportunities for virtual submissions for the Tampa AAA.


We hope these pragmatic shifts will serve the SLA membership as a whole by providing some meaningful options for participation. Please reach out to Summerson Carr (esc at uchicago.edu<mailto:esc at uchicago.edu>) and Jillian Cavanaugh (jillianrcavanaugh at gmail.com<mailto:jillianrcavanaugh at gmail.com>) if you have questions.


All best,


The SLA Executive Board (Lynnette Arnold, Netta Avineri, Summerson Carr, Jillian Cavanaugh, Kate Graber, and Xochitl Marsilli-Vargas)


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/linganth/attachments/20240304/292b2738/attachment-0001.htm>