Dear RSA Member,
After much deliberation, the RSA has determined that our 2021 Annual Meeting will be virtual. While we had hoped to gather in person in Dublin on 7–10 April 2021, the safety of RSA members and staff is our top priority.
Our decision was informed by the best available information from public health authorities and medical experts suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic will not be sufficiently resolved by April. We also took into consideration the nearly 2,000 responses we received to the conference survey sent to members this summer regarding their thoughts about the 2021 Annual Meeting. Approximately 60 percent of respondents indicated that they would be unable to attend a face-to-face meeting.
A virtual RSA meeting will enable us to widen our reach and create a more inclusive conference, with more Renaissance studies scholars coming together across borders. Planning for the 2021 conference is currently underway. We are confident that attending this virtual conference will provide you with the main benefits associated with our in-person meetings: opportunities to share new research, hear from esteemed colleagues, and connect with peers.
The RSA continues to look ahead and we are excited to announce that the Dublin conference has been officially rescheduled to the spring of 2022. The San Francisco conference, previously scheduled for 2022, has been rescheduled to 2026. You can view the full schedule of our Annual Meetings here.
Please note that our usual fall submission review process will be delayed while we plan the virtual conference. We know that you will have questions about what will happen to Dublin 2021 submissions, and what may now be possible for the virtual meeting and the rescheduled Dublin meeting in 2022. We are working through these matters and will have more information to share at the beginning of November.
Please keep an eye out for that announcement for more details about our plans. We look forward to seeing you online in spring 2021!
Thank you,
The Renaissance Society of America
