81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2024
Hybrid Format: In-Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online
All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In-Person Only.
Learn more about the conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.
In-Person Conference Participation and COVID-19 Policies
In-Person Participation. All conference events, including research panels, networking and mentoring receptions, will be held at the historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel. For those participating in-person, hotel rooms will be available at various price points at the Palmer House and at multiple nearby hotels. Featuring two international airports (ORD and MDW), Chicago is one of just FIVE cities on Earth with direct air service to all inhabited continents – traveling to Chicago couldn’t be easier!
COVID-19 Policies. The MPSA will follow state and local guidelines requiring masks and vaccination. The City of Chicago has lifted its indoor mask mandate, its proof of vaccination requirement, and has no capacity restrictions; however we highly encourage you to take appropriate health and safety measures. If there are any changes to state and local guidelines, we will communicate them as they become available. Please see additional COVID-19 recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.
Acknowledgment of Personal Responsibility and Liability Waiver
All conference attendees must sign off on the Acknowledgment of Personal Responsibility and Liability Waiver below upon registration.
Upon registering for the conference, all individuals must agree to take necessary precautions while attending the 81st Annual Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) including, but not limited to, engaging in appropriate social distancing and adhering to any masking rules in public areas when not consuming food or beverages that might be required by the hotel or City of Chicago at the time of the conference.
Attendees testing positive for or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should refrain from attending the Annual Conference in person and may participate virtually instead. The Center for Disease Control provides the following recommendations for self-isolation when testing positive for COVID: Isolations and Precautions for People with COVID-19.
Registrants acknowledge that travel to and participation in events may increase the risk of exposure to communicable diseases or other unforeseen dangers. Registrants are required to agree to a liability waiver which releases, waives, and forever discharges any and all liability, claims, and demands of whatever nature against the MPSA and its affiliated partners and sponsors, including in each case, without limitation, their directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents (the “Released Parties”), either in law or in equity, to the fullest extent permissible by law, including but not limited to damages or losses caused by the negligence, fault, or conduct of any kind on the part of the Released Parties, including but not limited to, death, bodily injury, illness, economic loss or out of pocket expenses, or loss or damage to property, which they, their heirs, assignees, next of kin, and/or legally appointed or designate representatives, may have or which may have hereinafter accrue on the registrants behalf, which arise or may hereafter arise from participation at the MPSA Conference.
Presenter Registration Status Flexibility
If you register for in-person attendance and are unable to travel, you can change your registration status to virtual if you are participating on a session featuring a hybrid format (Panel/Paper sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups). You may also switch your registration status from virtual to in-person as needed. If you have a participatory role (presenter, chair, discussant) on a Poster session, you will not be able to switch your registration status from in-person to virtual as this session type is available for in-person participation only.
If you need to change your status, please login to your MPSA account. After logging in, click the “Update Registration” button to begin the updating process. Adjustments to registration pricing (based on in-hotel/virtual, out-hotel status) will be processed accordingly. If a balance is due, your registration will not be updated until the balance is paid in full. Any refunds due to registration status changes will be issued after the conference.