ATTW 2020 Conference

Language, Access, and Power in Technical Communication

Cancelled

Hilton Milwaukee City Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
March 24-25, 2020

See our ATTW 2020 cancellation frequently asked questions for more information. If you wish to donate your payment, move your payment to next year, or request a refund of your payment, fill out the ATTW 2020 refund preferences form before midnight (Eastern) on 3/31/2020. [Updated 3/17/2020]

ATTW 2020 Conference & COVID-19
The ATTW Executive Committee and the Program Chairs are writing to inform you that the 2020 Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW) conference in Milwaukee, WI is cancelled due to the potential public health risks associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although there is still so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, our assessment of the possible risks to our ATTW community, the staff at the Hilton, the broader Milwaukee community, the communities we connect with on our travels, and our home communities led us to decide that cancelling would best mitigate these risks.

In making this decision, we discussed several options and possibilities. We decided that, because the conference is only two weeks away, holding a virtual conference is not ideal. Our primary goal is to offer an equitable, accessible, and meaningful conference experience for all participants. We understand that retrofitting the conference to be hosted online would not allow us to be as inclusive as we aim to be. Instead, we intend to offer the “Language, Access, and Power” program in 2021. The Executive Committee is so grateful to Program Chairs Laura Gonzales (University of Florida) and Ann Shivers-McNair (University of Arizona) for their shared vision and labor. Their conference call solicited the largest number of proposals in ATTW history and thus demonstrates an exigency for conversations and research located at the intersections of language, access, and power in technical communication studies.

We are saddened to make this decision. Like you, we have been anticipating our annual conference since last March, as we always look forward to reconnecting with returning members, welcoming those new to ATTW, and sharing our research and pedagogy. Dozens have donated hundreds of hours of their time, labor, and expertise to preparing two full days of innovative programming, community activities, meals, and our awards reception. We are thankful to everyone who has contributed to this planning, as well as to participants who planned to attend.

It was important to us to make and announce this decision as early as possible for those who have already made plans. We still have subsequent decisions to make moving forward, and it is our goal to be as transparent as possible as we do so. To this end, in terms of registration fees, those who have already paid to register will have the option to either: 1) receive a refund for your registration or 2) transfer your registration to next year’s conference. If you choose to transfer your registration to next year’s conference, you will not be impacted by any potential increases to the registration fee or potential fee increases due to a change in your registration status (e.g., moving from grad student to faculty rate). More details are forthcoming regarding this year’s registration, awards, sponsorships, and other protocols. We appreciate your patience while we work together to make the most equitable and inclusive decisions we possibly can. In the meantime, we are happy to take your questions and will be responding vis-a-vis an evolving FAQ section on our ATTW website.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Angela, on behalf of the ATTW Executive Committee and 2020 Program Chairs

Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2020