

NEPSA 2020: APRIL 23-25
MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT
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March 17, 2020
To the NEPSA Community:
This is a promised update about the 2020 NEPSA conference.
We are now officially announcing that the 2020 Annual Meeting, originally scheduled to convene at the Hilton Mystic from April 23-25, will not be held.
With this announcement, we now want to give you some important information about how NEPSA is moving forward:
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“WHAT DO I DO ABOUT MY PAPER / ROUNDTABLE / PANEL?”
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All faculty and graduate student proposals which were accepted for the 2020 Annual Meeting are now officially accepted for the 2021 Annual Meeting, which will convene April 22-24, 2021, at Gurney’s Resort and Marina in Newport, RI.
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This of course does not mean that you are “obligated” to present this project next year; it merely means that you have a standing invitation from NEPSA to do so. You are free to accept that invitation – indeed, we hope that you do! You are also free to apply in the fall to apply to present a different project, once we post the 2021 Call For Proposals.
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In the months ahead, we will design and publish a portal on the website where you can indicate whether you want to present your 2020 project at the 2021 Annual Meeting.
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“I PREREGISTERED – HOW DO I GET MY MONEY BACK?”
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If you have already paid for the 2020 Annual Meeting, we have three options for you:
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If you are planning to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting, you can simply elect to apply this year’s registration and luncheon fees to next year’s meeting, and thus lock in the 2020 prices for the 2021 conference. If you choose to do this, simply “sit tight” … and when we publish the portal where you can roll your 2020 project into 2021, there will be an option to confirm that you wish to apply your 2020 payment to the 2021 conference.
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You may apply all or a portion of your payment as a tax-deductible contribution to the New England Political Science Association.
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If you would like a full and immediate refund, we will provide that.
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For the latter two options, please contact Peter Ubertaccio, the NEPSA Treasurer, to either confirm your donation or arrange for a refund.
If you will permit us, we very much hope that you will consider option (2) and transform at least some of your payment into a donation to NEPSA. Although we have managed to avoid a major financial hit in cancelling the conference, it does remain the case that NEPSA has incurred some expenses that are not recoverable. Any generosity you would extend to NEPSA in these difficult times would be profoundly appreciated.
If you do wish to receive a full refund, please keep in mind that Peter is currently overseeing the transition of his campus to online delivery and refunds have to be processed manually, so this may take a little time. But we do promise you that refunds will be done as quickly as possible, and we very much appreciate your patience and understanding.
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Finally, if you signed up for the Mystic Seaport Tour, please also reach out to Peter and let him know if you would like a refund, or if you would like that payment to serve as a tax-deductible contribution as well.
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“MYSTIC SOUNDED LIKE A GREAT VENUE … NOW WHAT?”
We are pleased to announce that we have struck a tentative arrangement with the hotel to bring the 2023 NEPSA Annual Meeting back to the Hilton Mystic. We will have a formal announcement, including the dates of the 2023 conference, in the near future.
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As you can imagine, the hotel industry is extraordinarily stressed in these times, and the folks who work in that industry are overburdened right now. Throughout this process, the Hilton Mystic has been doing everything they can to help us navigate this unprecedented situation. We would like to highlight Stephen Aird, Michelle Davis, and Keith Lindelow of the Hilton Mystic, and express our appreciation for their hard work and their patience. We ask everyone to join us in thanking them for everything they have done for us in 2020.
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“WHAT ELSE HAPPENS WITH NEPSA FROM HERE?”
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We are also pleased to announce that Theresa Marchant-Shapiro, of Southern Connecticut State University, has graciously accepted our invitation to serve as NEPSA President in 2022-2023. Please join us in welcoming Tess to this post, and expressing our thanks for her generous desire to serve NEPSA.
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Formally, the president two years out is officially approved by a vote at the business meeting, which is held on the Saturday of the conference. Obviously, that is not going to happen right now. Instead, we are announcing here that Tess is the 2022-2023 NEPSA President, but her “formal” approval will not take place until the business meeting in Newport in 2021 (at which time we will also present the 2023-2024 President, whomever it shall be, and move for their formal approval as well).
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Finally, on behalf of the NEPSA Executive Council, the 2020 Section Chairs, and everyone involved in the planning of the 2020 Annual Meeting … we are saddened that we are compelled to take this action, but we are determined and hopeful that we will persevere … and we look forward to reconnecting with all of you in 2021 in Newport.
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We wish all of you continued good health and good fortune.
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