Amenities & General Information

Updated 3.5.22

COVID-19 Update: Masks requested, not required.

The city of Boston's mask mandate for indoor space has been lifted.  As of Saturday, masks will no longer be required by the city in indoor public spaces, such as gyms, bars and restaurants, museums and entertainment venues. Individual operators may still choose to require masking.

Public transportation, health care settings, and congregant care settings are still subject to state and federal mask orders.

The OAH requests that all attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and staff continue to wear masks in any OAH designated space (breakout rooms/exhibit hall/ lobby areas outside these spaces) for the safety and comfort of others.

We will continue to track local guidance and consider other adjustments as warranted.

2.21.2022

On February 18, Mayor Michelle Wu and Dr. Bisola Ojikutu of the city of Boston announced that the City’s proof of vaccination policy will be lifted effective immediately. The public health data show Boston has a:

• 4.0% community positivity rate
• 90.7% occupancy rate of adult ICU beds, and
• 7-day average of adult COVID-19 hospitalizations at 195.9 per day, falling below all three previously announced thresholds.

The mask mandate at the hotel is still in effect. This means that attendees will not be asked for proof of vaccination, however masks must be worn In all indoor settings.

2.16.2022

Since our last update on the plans for the 2022 OAH Conference on American History, scheduled for March 31 to April 3, 2022, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, we are encouraged by declining COVID numbers nationwide but are keeping a close watch on the public health situation and will continue to update you frequently. At this time, we are planning to move forward with the in-person conference while offering a separate online program of recorded and select live sessions. You can learn more about the conference formats and register for either the in-person or online conference here. All registered attendees, regardless of type, will receive access to session recordings made at/for both formats.

• The city: The city of Boston continues to uphold their mask mandate and proof of vaccination requirements. Please be aware that both these requirements will be enforced by the hotel for anyone attending the in-person conference. We encourage you to view the links below which include FAQs and other information to ensure that you are fully informed about the requirements for in-person attendance.
  • Proof of vaccination requirement
  • Mask mandate
  • Boston Public Health COVID-19 Metrics
• The hotel: We are continuing to work with the hotel to maximize attendees’ ability to safeguard themselves while providing the customary networking and socializing opportunities. Rooms will be set to maximize the ability to distance, and sanitation stations will be placed throughout the venue. In addition, we will provide ways for attendees to quickly identify their comfort levels for engaging with others during their in-person, socially distanced interactions.
• The program: Some sessions at the in-person conference will be presented in a live-hybrid format and a small number have converted to fully online (a list of these sessions can be found here). All registered attendees will have access to the recordings of converted sessions. Please note that we will not be able to offer hybrid technology at the event without prior arrangement. Our aim remains to greet one another in person next month, but we will continue to monitor the situation and be in touch with updates, reminders, and announcements in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Kind regards, Hajni Selby Director of Programming and Conferences

>1.10.2022

Regarding the 2022 OAH Conference on American History, scheduled for March 31‑April 3, 2022, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. As we move into the new year, we are working to calibrate conference planning to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Currently, we are planning to go forward with the conference, continuing the option to register for the in-person or online format. All registered attendees, regardless of type, will receive access to session recordings made at both events.

In this light, the official OAH22 program will be hitting OAH member mailboxes in the next couple of weeks. Since the program went to print, in addition to the standing mask mandate requiring masking in all indoor public spaces, the city of Boston has announced it will be implementing a new city-wide vaccination mandate starting January 15. This vaccination mandate states all customers, employees, and vendors are required to provide proof of vaccination to be allowed entry into any fitness centers, indoor dining at restaurants, bars, catering/event facilities and any other indoor sit-down dining located in the city of Boston. This means that all registered attendees and their guests at the in-person conference will need to present proof of vaccination status to be admitted to the hotel facility and therefore the conference. (Please see information below)

As planning moves forward, we are continuing to work with the hotel to maximize attendees’ ability to safeguard themselves while providing the customary networking and socializing opportunities. Rooms will be set to maximize the ability to distance, and sanitation stations will be placed throughout the venue. In addition, we will provide ways for attendees to quickly identify their comfort levels for engaging with others during their in-person, socially distanced interactions.

Our aim is to greet one another in person in a few months’ time, but we will continue to monitor the situation and adapt as events warrant. The conference team will continue to be in touch with updates, reminders, and announcements as they become available.

Updated: 1.5.2022
*Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission, regarding vaccination requirements in Boston states that all customers, employees, and vendors are required to provide proof of vaccination to be allowed entry into fitness center, indoor dining at restaurants, bars, catering/event facilities and any other indoor sit-down dining located in the city of Boston.*

“Proof of vaccination” means proof of receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use or licensed for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization, as required under the phased implementation of this order.

Such proof may be established by:

• a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card
• a digital image of the CDC card
• any other official immunization record from the jurisdiction, state, or country where the vaccine was administered 
• a digital or physical photo of such a card or record, reflecting the person’s name, vaccine brand, and date administered 
• a letter, digital image, or report from a health care provider, pharmacy, or vaccination site establishing proof of COVID-19 vaccination 
• or any vaccination verification smartphone application developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or developed or endorsed by the City of Boston.

The OAH asks that all attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and suppliers comply with all local and state health mandates and guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID and expect that all attending do the same. If you exhibit symptoms of COVID we respectfully ask that you do not attend the conference. Conference attendees who do not follow the health and safety directives will be asked to leave the conference space without refund.

All-gender restrooms will be available at the Sheraton Boston Hotel on the third floor near the Commonwealth room.

Visit the OAH Registration Desk or the OAH Booth in the Exhibit Hall to pick up an application for a Professional Development Certificate. Completed forms can be returned to the Registration Desk or emailed to membership@oah.org. Certificates will be mailed within 30 days of the conference

Attendees who have child care needs during the meeting are advised to make arrangements prior to the conference, as formal child care services are not provided at the meeting. The OAH assumes no responsibility with respect to the services and accepts no liabilities related to the services provided by the options below. The recommendation below was provided by the Boston Convention Bureau.

Boston's Best Baby Sitters

Want more in-depth information? The 2022 OAH Conference App lists complete session abstracts and speaker information! By creating a profile, you can build a personal daily schedule and utilize the messaging system that allows everyone registered to communicate. The OAH App is a great way to plan, network, and stay informed. Download the Crowd Compass Directory from your app store in late March and search for the 2022 OAH Conference on American History App. All registered attendees will receive an email in mid-March with quick login information.

OAH CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) holds an annual conference and may at times hold other smaller meetings both in person and online. To ensure that all participants benefit from these events, the OAH seeks to provide a harassment-free, respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity. The OAH has no tolerance for sexual harassment or any other form of harassment at its events.

The following professional conduct guidelines apply to any OAH-sponsored event and refer to anyone present at these meetings, including staff, contractors, vendors, exhibitors, venue staff, speakers, OAH members, non-member attendees, and any other participant.

All participants at the OAH Conference on American History and any other events sponsored by the OAH are expected to:

• Abide by the norms of professional conduct that are necessary to promote free academic exchange
• Alert OAH staff or security personnel if a situation arises where a person or persons are in imminent danger.

Behaviors that violate OAH’s expectation of professional conduct include but are not limited to:

• Actions that endanger the safety, health, or well-being of others.
• Prejudicial actions or comments that coerce others, foment broad hostility, or otherwise undermine the principles of free academic exchange.
• Sexual harassment or intimidation, including unwelcome sexual attention, stalking (physical or virtual), unsolicited physical contact, and requests for sexual favors. (For a fuller description, see OAH’s Sexual Harassment Policy.)
• Harassment or intimidation based on race, religion, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, appearance, or other group status
• Verbal or physical threats of either physical or professional harm, punishment or retaliation.

Speakers and attendees are asked to frame discussions as openly and inclusively as possible and to be aware of how language or images may be perceived by others.

These minimal guidelines are expected to be observed at all meeting venues (in person, teleconference, and online) and conference social events.

Dry Bars will be available at select receptions. Use your Opening Night Drink ticket for a Mocktail! Dry bars will be available at the Opening Night Reception, OAH Committee’s Reception, Distinguished Members, Donors, and Award Winners Reception, and the President’s Reception.

Basic wifi will be available in the Exhibit Hall.

Complimentary internet is available in guestrooms for all attendees reserved under the OAH Room Block at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

The Library Lounge area offers a convenient mix and-mingle space in which to relax and catch up with colleagues and friends, meet with publishers, or simply to get off your feet. The lounge also offers a recharging station for electronic devices.

A private nursing mother’s room is provided at the hotel for the duration of the conference. Please note, this is shared space and we ask that you respect other parents in this space. As a courtesy, please knock before entering.

The OAH Career COACH® is the chief online recruitment resource for American history professionals. Whether you’re looking for a new job or ready to start your career, the OAH Career COACH® can help find the opportunity that is right for you. Stop by the OAH booth for a demonstration of the services offered.

Pick up your pronoun sticker at registration or the information desk. These stickers aim to reduce instances of misgendering and to make it easier to know which pronouns to use for someone you just met, especially if you are not sure about their correct gender pronouns.

Please be courteous of attendees with sensitivities to fragrances by limiting scented products while at the conference.

Adopted December 23, 2019 by the OAH Executive Board

Reports of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment will be made to a complaints team

Complaints may be submitted to reports@oah.org

The OAH is committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other forms of sexual misconduct. Our organization’s collective professional and intellectual pursuits can only be realized when we treat one another with dignity and respect. To this end, OAH prohibits discrimination, harassment, retaliation and other forms of misconduct on the basis of sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. The protections and prohibitions in this policy extend to any members and participants, including employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, and guests taking part in OAH-sponsored events and activities. All members and participants, including employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, and guests, shall engage in professional and respectful behavior and preserve common standards of professionalism.

Sexual Harassment. OAH prohibits sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is behavior (speech or actions) in formal or informal settings that demeans, humiliates, or threatens an individual on the basis of their sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Sexual harassment can also take nonsexual forms and includes discriminatory remarks or actions based on an individual’s sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal comment or physical conduct of a sexual nature, including situations in which the request or conduct involves any implied or expressed promise of professional reward for complying; or the request or conduct involves any implied or expressed threat of reprisal or denial of opportunity for refusing to comply; or the request or conduct results in what reasonably may be perceived as a hostile or intimidating environment. Sexual harassment does not refer to occasional compliments of a socially acceptable nature or consensual personal and social relationships without discriminatory effect. It refers to behavior that reasonably situated persons would regard as not welcome and as personally intimidating, hostile, or offensive. According to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, the victim of harassment can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct, not just the individual at whom the conduct is directed.

Sexual Misconduct. OAH prohibits other forms of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct is a broad term encompassing any unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that is committed without consent or by force, intimidation, coercion, or manipulation. Sexual misconduct can be committed by a person of any gender, and it can occur between people of the same or different genders. Sexual misconduct may vary in its severity and consists of a range of behavior or attempted behavior. It can occur between strangers or acquaintances, including people involved in an intimate or sexual relationship. It includes but is not limited to: sexual assault (a continuum of conduct from forcible penetration to nonphysical forms of pressure that compel individuals to engage in sexual activity against their will); sexual exploitation (taking nonconsensual, unjust, or abusive sexual advantage of another person); and sexual intimidation (threatening another person that you will commit a sex act against them or engaging in indecent exposure).

Consent. For the purposes of this policy, consent is a freely and affirmatively communicated willingness to participate in particular sexual activity or behavior, expressed either by words or clear, unambiguous actions. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, and, by definition, a person is incapable of consent if the person is unable to understand the facts, nature, extent, or implications of the situation and/or if the person is incapacitated, which includes incapacitation by extreme intoxication, drug use, mental disability, or being unconscious. Critically, the person initiating a particular sexual activity or behavior bears the responsibility of receiving consent. In examining the existence of consent under this policy, OAH will seek to determine, in view of the totality of the circumstances, whether a reasonable person would conclude that the recipient of the initiated sexual activity or behavior was (a) capable of consenting and (b) affirmatively communicated consent to the sexual activity or behavior at issue by words or clear, unambiguous actions.

Retaliation against a complainant of sexual discrimination or harassment or other forms of sexual misconduct is also a violation of these policies. Retaliation occurs when a complainant is deterred from, or punished for, making a complaint in good faith. Retaliation is not limited to formal employment actions such as termination, demotion, non-promotion, or non-selection, but includes any harassing behavior made against a complainant as a result of filing a complaint in good faith.

Members and participants, including employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, and guests, should be aware that their home institution’s policies (such as Title IX) may require them to report allegations of sexual discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other forms of sexual misconduct involving people affiliated with their institution.

OAH will endeavor to keep all proceedings related to sexual discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other forms of sexual misconduct confidential between OAH, the parties and witnesses. However, OAH cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality of such proceedings. OAH will cooperate with and otherwise share its knowledge and findings with public authorities as required by law. OAH reserves the right to respond to authorized inquiries received from a member’s employer concerning allegations, proceedings, and outcomes under this policy.

This policy will be clearly and prominently displayed on the OAH website. All participants in the annual meeting and anyone obtaining or renewing an OAH membership will be required during the registration process formally to acknowledge the policy and their responsibility to abide by it.

Complaints

Each year, the OAH will designate a complaints team, normally composed of the executive director, a representative from the OAH staff, a member of the OAH executive board, and an additional OAH member. The complaints team will be available to receive complaints from, describe reporting procedures to, provide advice on resources to, and discuss issues with participants in any OAH-sponsored event or activity who have experienced or witnessed violations of this policy. The team’s contact information will be made available on the OAH website and in annual meeting registration materials. Neither the complaints team nor any other OAH official can provide legal advice to those who make reports under this policy.

Members and participants, including employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, and guests, who in good faith believe that they have been aggrieved by or witnessed conduct prohibited by this policy should contact the OAH complaints team. The OAH executive director will alert the OAH executive committee to any reported complaints. The executive director will work with the executive committee to review complaints that require action. The OAH will endeavor to respond proportionally and fairly to all complaints. Responses may range from informal resolutions agreed to by the parties to investigations conducted by trained external investigators. In any reported complaint, if any members of the complaints team or executive committee have conflicts of interest, they will recuse themselves.

Possible Consequences

In investigating a complaint, the OAH will hear from both the accuser and the accused. If a violation is determined, possible consequences to be implemented during or after the meeting, activity, or event may include:

• Warn the violator to cease their behavior and that any further reports will result in more serious consequences
• Issue a “no-contact’ directive that prohibits the violator from contacting the complainant
• Require that the violator immediately leave the event and not return
• Ban the violator from future events (either indefinitely or for a certain time period).
• Immediately end any volunteer responsibilities and privileges the violator holds.
• Require that the violator not volunteer or serve as a contract employee or vendor for OAH, either indefinitely or for a certain time period.
• Remove and ban the violator from membership in OAH, following established procedures.

The OAH executive director is responsible for implementing and enforcing any response to a violation.

Appeals Procedure

Violators who wish to appeal the OAH’s decision may contact the executive committee in writing with further information regarding the incident. If necessary, an external investigator or consultant ombudsman will conduct additional interviews or other information gathering.

If a majority of the executive committee finds that a reconsideration of the decision is warranted, it may overturn the earlier decision in consultation with the full executive board.

Annual Report

The Executive Director will prepare an annual report of complaints or other evidence of policy violations (with no names used). The report will be circulated to the full executive board at the fall meeting and made available to the membership on request. If sufficiently aggregated to protect privacy and confidentiality, the report may identify how many reports were received, the forms of sexual discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other sexual misconduct alleged, how long the matter took to be resolved, and the outcome.

The text in this policy borrows directly from documents produced by the Society for the History of American Foreign Relations and the American Historical Association. It also draws on documents produced by the Western History Association, the American Geophysical Union, the Shakespeare Association of America, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the University of Iowa.

The Official Annual Meeting Hashtag is #OAH22.

Most social media will occur on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Solicited sessions are those that have been organized entirely by the committee or the organization listed. An endorsed session indicates sessions that an organization or committee believes may be relevant to those sharing their interests. View the Session Endorsers and Sponsors Index in the Annual Meeting Program to follow a committee or association's topical stream.