Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Opening Session/President's Forum
6:30 p.m.−8:30 p.m.
Austin Convention Center (ACC) Ballroom D
Organizers: Amber VanDerwarker and Maureen Meyers
Participants: Joe Watkins, Laura Heath-Stout, Kathleen Sterling, Dana Bardolph, Maureen Meyers, Lisa Hodgetts, and Sarah Herr
What Is at Stake? The Impacts of Inequity and Harassment on the Practice of Archaeology
Research and reporting on equity and harassment in the academy and across various fields in both public and private sectors reveals the extent of chronic inequalities and significant problematic behaviors in various workplace settings. Groups most negatively affected by these inequities and often illegal behaviors are women, the LGBTQ+ community, and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. For archaeologists, workplace settings include many locales (offices, labs, classrooms, field sites, conferences) and thus many potential sites for inequity, harassment, and assault to occur. To be clear, this is a broad disciplinary issue affecting the very performance of archaeology. In addressing this looming and serious problem, this session brings together a wide range of practicing students and professionals to consider (1) equity (e.g., gender pay gap, publication/citation practices) and (2) sexual harassment and assault (e.g., as experienced and perpetrated by different subgroups, effects on professional outcomes, effective training/reporting, resources for survivors). Wherever possible, presenters discuss recommendations at several scales (e.g., individuals, workplaces, field settings, conferences). We hope that highlighting these issues at the forefront of our annual meeting will make evident that inequity and harassment affects all practitioners and open a dialogue on these issues that continues throughout and beyond the conference itself.
First-Time Attendee and New Member Meeting Orientation
Come and get the scoop on how to navigate the annual meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Ask questions and then join us at the Opening Session/President’s Forum kickoff. We would like to welcome you to Austin at this brief but info-packed session!
Not sure about attending, presenting, or chairing your first session at an archaeology conference? SAA will offer a free one-hour online seminar called Conference 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Participating in the SAA Annual Meeting. Check www.saa.org/onlineseminars for details.
Student Welcome Reception from SAA’s Board of Directors and Cambridge University Press
All student attendees are invited to attend a reception hosted by SAA’s Board of Directors and SAA’s publishing partner, Cambridge University Press. From 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., attendees will have the opportunity to network with other students and connect with SAA’s leadership while enjoying wonderful food. Don’t forget to preregister for this free event in the special events section of the advance registration form!
Thursday, April 23
Open Town Hall with the SAA Board
The board invites attendees to an open discussion on Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Salon E at the Hilton Austin.
16th Annual SAA Ethics Bowl
The Ethics Bowl is a space where students and audience members can critically and creatively engage with the diverse ethical issues that face the practice of archaeology today. Each year, student teams come up with innovative arguments, considerations, and solutions that move the discipline forward. Preliminary rounds begin at 7:30 a.m., with the final round taking place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Graduate and undergraduate students are invited to organize a team of 3–5 participants with a faculty mentor to take part in the annual SAA Ethics Bowl. If your university is interested in participating in the event, please contact us at saaethicsbowl@gmail.com by January 31, 2020. All Ethics Bowl team members must be registered for the SAA 85th Annual Meeting in order to participate.
Ethics Bowl Discussion Forum
This year, the SAA Committee on Ethics, the Register of Professional Archaeologists, and the Task Force on the Revisions of the SAA Principles of Archaeological Ethics II invite practicing and professional archaeologists to take part in the discussion. Join us after the final round of the 2020 Ethics Bowl from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a forum led by former contestants, judges, and supporters to discuss lessons learned from the SAA Ethics Bowl through the years. The forum will be a conversation during which archaeologists of all sectors can confer on past, current, and future trends in the ethics of our discipline. We will address the challenges of navigating ethics in practice as well as ideas about what role our core ethical principles may play in today’s changing world. It will also be an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the student teams.
Title: Archaeological Ethics in the Past, Present, and Future: Lessons from the SAA Ethics Bowl
Sponsored by the SAA Committee on Ethics, Register of Professional Archaeologists, and Task Force on the Revisions of the SAA Principles of Archaeological Ethics II
Organizers: Katherine L. Chiou, Patricia G. Markert, and Daniel M. Perez
Discussants: Dana Bardolph, Siobhan Hart, and Kisha Supernant
Posters After Hours
Thursday, April 23, 2020
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
The Posters After Hours session is back for 2020. This session will feature 100 posters. With a relaxed atmosphere and a cash bar, this session serves as the perfect venue to connect with colleagues and discuss current research.
Women’s Networking Reception
The Women in Archaeology Interest Group (WAIG) and the Committee on the Status of Women in Archaeology (COSWA) invite you to attend their annual Women’s Networking Reception. Come meet the COSWA board and mingle with fellow students and colleagues! The reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; the WAIG Business Meeting will follow from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
New this year: We will have volunteer mentors available to listen to your concerns and give informal advice and mentoring regarding applying for grants, publishing, nonacademic careers in government and CRM, working overseas, job interviews, family balance, and other topics. We can also help put you in contact with mentors who have agreed to work with individuals on low-stress, pre-peer-review reading of manuscripts and grants. (We’ll also have a sign-up sheet for anyone who is willing to be an on-call volunteer pre-peer reviewer.)
The Women in Academia Support Network (WIASN) will be present at this event to offer support and resources to women.
Friday, April 24
Annual Business Meeting and Awards Presentation
Join us at the Annual Business Meeting in the Austin Convention Center’s Ballroom D from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to hear about SAA activities over the past year. You can toast our score of SAA award and scholarship recipients with a drink from the cash bar. Please note: Only members who have registered and joined by March 19, 2020, will be eligible to vote at the Business Meeting.
Saturday, April 25
Austin Public Archaeology Day
SAA will host Austin Public Archaeology Day from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All members of the public are invited to explore Austin’s history through hands-on activities, educational materials, and talks from local archaeologists and SAA members at this event. Analyze modern trash as a way to understand how archaeologists piece together history. Learn how to make stone tools. Put broken pottery back together. Explore real artifacts. Talk to archaeologists about their work while picking up posters, stickers, and fun educational resources. This event is free and does not require a meeting registration. For questions or ways that you can participate, please contact public_edu@saa.org.
Texas organizations participating in the event include the Texas Historical Commission, Texas Archeological Society, Texas Parks and Wildlife, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas Department of Transportation, Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center, and others. Participating archaeology education networks include the Heritage Education Network, the Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network, and the Florida Public Archaeology Network.
Public Archaeology Day is supported by the generous donors of the Public Education Endowment.
CRM Expo
The CRM Expo is jointly sponsored by ACRA and SAA. Scheduled between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., the expo showcases CRM practitioners from around the world. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about important CRM projects in your region; meet firm principals, agency archaeologists, and educators; and inquire about employment opportunities in the CRM field. For more information, contact expo coordinator Teresita Majewski at tmajewski@sricrm.com.