SSSL 2022 is rescheduled for June 26-29. See updated lodging support below!
Purpose
The organizing committee has committed to making SSSL an equitable and accessible conference for all scholars, regardless of affiliation, rank, or level of institutional support. We hope to offer opportunities throughout the conference experience that ease our attendees’ financial burden. There are currently two new lodging programs that will help support attendees with financial need: SSSL’s Voucher Program and Room Share resources. While we won’t be able to fully cover anyone’s total costs, we hope to make SSSL a viable place in an increasingly prohibitive academic system.
Note on Confidentiality
These resources are non-scholarship-based ways of offering some financial and logistical assistance to conference attendees with minimal-to-no institutional support. We are especially supportive of graduate students, faculty without permanent contracts, and independent scholars. If you need support and would like to take advantage of these programs, we do NOT require that you divulge any personal information to “prove” your need. Instead, we simply ask that all applicants respect the inclusive and equitable intent of these programs, and the committee will assume that if you apply, you fall into one of these categories of need.
Room Share Discussion Board
Room Share Discussion Board: For underfunded attendees who would like to find a roommate with whom to share lodging costs, we have opened the Whova online conferencing app early so that attendees can register and post roommate inquiries on our “Room Share Discussion Board” in the online interface. This discussion board is accessible in the desktop and mobile version of Whova, which is free to download on Google Play and in the Apple Store.
Update on Two-Queen Room Availability: Following the Program Committee’s decision to reschedule SSSL 2022 for June 26-29, 2022, these new dates offered an abundance of double-queen bedrooms added to our room block. Now, we can offer these room types to any member who would like to book one, for any reason.
Lodging Voucher Program
This year marks a first attempt at providing financial support for those in most need through a new lodging Voucher Program, which we developed alongside the conference hotel – the Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta. For every 30 nights booked under the SSSL room block, the Hyatt will provide a voucher for one free night’s stay. If we sell out all rooms for all nights of the conference, that will fund seven vouchers, offsetting nearly $1000 in lodging expenses for our attendees most in need of financial support. If we exceed the room block, the vouchers continue to accrue at the 1/30 ratio. If we do not meet the block, then fewer vouchers will be available. Thus, we will accept applications until the May 25th deadline, but we will not be able to distribute vouchers until after that date, once the final SSSL hotel block numbers are final.
To Apply for a Lodging Voucher:
By May 25, 2022, email [email protected] with your request. If you are room sharing, please ensure that only one of the guests planning to stay in your hotel room requests the voucher. Please indicate in your email:
- Whether you will book (or have already booked) a hotel room on the SSSL room block,
- Whether you are the only person in your room applying for a voucher (one voucher per room);
- Whether you are anticipating any institutional support for incurred travel expenses;
- How far you will be traveling to attend the conference; and
- Any other information you would like to share briefly with the committee.
- Note on Confidentiality: Applying for a lodging voucher indicates that you have financial need as indicated in the above “Need-Based Support” policy. If you are room sharing, there is no requirement to disclose the details of your rooming arrangement. This policy operates on the “honor code.”
Donation to a Fund
If you live in Atlanta and won’t be needing housing for this conference, or if you are financially able, please consider donating to offset the housing cost for others by clicking the “Donate” below.
Please note that the voucher program is independent from the merit-based graduate student travel awards also offered by SSSL. Details on those awards can be found here: https://southernlit.org/graduate-student-travel-awards/