Society for American Archaeology Ombuds Report 2021

Planning for the SAA Annual Meeting Ombuds The SAA initiated a conference ombuds program for the 2020 conference in Austin, and at that time we were selected to be Co- Ombuds. [...] The 2020 conference was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and when the 2021 conference was planned as a virtual conference, additional conversations took place between the ombuds and SAA to adapt the ombuds program to a virtual format, utilizing phone and zoom communications. [...] In addition to ombuds services provided during the conference, we also agreed to monitor the email and respond to concerns that could come in within the two weeks following the conference, and to provide a summary report to give non-identifying aggregate and demographic information connected with the ombuds services provided during the conference. [...] Because the SAA Leadership had the foresight to publicize the availability of the Co-Ombuds to participate in the virtual Annual Meeting in a visible way, the Co-Ombuds had multiple opportunities to observe and share in the discussion of important topics at sessions including: Increasing Transparency at the SAA; Women in the SAA; Curation, Repatriation and Accessibility: Vital Ethical Conversation. [...] There appears to be a disconnect between the well-intentioned SAA Board, which seems to us to be open and receptive to feedback and ideas, and some of the members who view the actions of the SAA Board as defensive and indifferent to the feedback provided.