Plans for Fall Meetings & Events at IRWG

May 2021

With the expected return to in-person instruction and campus life in the fall, we surveyed IRWG faculty affiliates, committee members, program directors, researchers, and working group members about their preferences for virtual or in-person meetings and events.

Our survey included preference rankings for small meetings (fewer than 10 people), larger meetings (more than 10 people), and public events like lectures or symposia (20 or more people). We received 78 responses. The results are displayed in the chart below.

The majority of survey respondents indicated a preference for virtual events and meetings in the fall. Respondents noted the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic as well as the convenience of joining meetings and events without travel and parking challenges as reasons for continuing with virtual formats. Additionally, with the resumption of in-person teaching, virtual events will allow members of our community to mitigate higher-risk classroom time with lower risk virtual meetings and events.

Given this feedback, IRWG plans to continue hosting our events and meetings online through December 2021. We plan to implement more hybrid options in January 2022 so that people can participate online or in person.

We will keep our community members apprised of more developments regarding our return-to-campus plans. If you have questions or concerns, please contact IRWG event coordinator, Heidi Bennett.