Dear SPSSI Members, Conference Participants, Colleagues,

On behalf of our Executive Committee and Council, we write to share that SPSSI leadership made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s conference.  Our planning team worked diligently to consider the possibility of a virtual meeting this year, examining various technological options, logistical concerns, and resource allocation.  We also surveyed all participants who planned on contributing to our program, and took your feedback into serious consideration.  Thank you again for your commentary and for your commitment to SPSSI. 

Overall, we learned that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our community members are wide-ranging, and it has become clear that the most equitable decision to make for everyone involved in its execution is to cancel our valued annual meeting.  This is a first in more than twenty years since the onset of the event, and leaders of SPSSI were deliberative and careful, yet saddened at coming to this conclusion.  Like everyone, our community members are dealing with great uncertainty and upheaval, illness, loss of loved ones, and more.  Our members are attempting to navigate new approaches to the classroom, research directions, and other professional endeavors.  They are care giving and attempting to maintain normalcy at home, facing economic disruption, and feeling overwhelmed by these many unknowns.  We could not responsibly request more time, commitment, and effort from those of us experiencing these difficulties.  

We greatly appreciate all the submissions we received toward summer conference programming.  We will be working to develop an online acknowledgements program, to share widely, and to support our members seeking credit for their accepted proposals. We will share this publicly and with all contributors upon completion. Thank you for your understanding of this hard thought conclusion.  We wish you good health, and we look forward to continuing to support the critically important work of our members and community.  Thank you for being a valued member of our SPSSI community! 

Sincerely,

Stephanie Fryberg, SPSSI President
Anila Balkissoon, SPSSI Executive Director

Hotel Reservations 

All reservations made by guests in the SPSSI block at our meeting hotel (Embassy Suites Downtown Denver) have been canceled without penalty.