Grading Jamboree April 2020

CAIA Grader Agreement

Graders must agree to the CAIA Grader Agreement. You should have signed this agreement prior to registering but will find the full text of the agreement here.  

The key points of the CAIA Grader Agreement are:

• Graders agree to keep confidential indefinitely all materials provided for use in grading.
• ​Graders agree not to instruct or teach any course or program designed to prepare others to take a CAIA exam, or assist anyone else in doing so, from the time they agree to participate in this Grading Jamboree until two years after completion of the event.
  
   

Event Information

• We will begin with a training session during dinner on Thursday and will grade starting after breakfast on Friday morning through the late afternoon on Saturday. We will have a celebratory dinner on Saturday evening, and graders are welcome to stay through Sunday and enjoy the Pioneer Valley.
• You must commit to the entire training and grading period.
• The CAIA Association will reimburse all travel expenses, including meals, after the event. CAIA will arrange and cover the cost of accommodations at the Hotel Northampton for Thursday through Saturday nights. This is otherwise a strictly volunteer event.
• Four weeks before the event, you will receive an invitation to Base Camp, our collaboration website, where you will find the readings you will need to prepare to grade your assigned essay question.  You will be expected to thoroughly prepare by reading the material prior to the start of grading.
  
   

Schedule

Thursday, April 16

2:30 pm	Check-in begins at Hotel Northampton
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm	Dinner & Orientation at Smith College Conference Center (see map)

Friday, April 17

8:00 am	Breakfast (provided)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Work Session
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch (provided)
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Work Session
6:30 pm	Free Evening, Dinner will be reimbursed by CAIA

Saturday, April 18

8:00 am	Breakfast (provided)
9:00 am - 12:00 pm	Work Session
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm	Lunch (provided)
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm	Work Session
7:00 pm	Closing banquet at The Deerfield Inn (optional)

Sunday, April 19

11:00 am

Check-out time at Hotel Northampton

 

Dress Code

The dress code for this event (including grading and all meals) is business casual.

The weather in New England can be unpredictable, as can the temperatures in the meeting venue. We recommend dressing in layers.

 

Social Media

For security reasons, we ask that you refrain from sharing on social media the fact that you are participating in CAIA grading, as well as the dates and location of the Jamboree.

 

Travel Information

You will need to make arrangements to arrive in Northampton, Massachusetts on Thursday, April 16, 2020 and to depart on Sunday, April 19, 2020.  

You may make your own travel arrangements, which will be reimbursed after the event, or you may contact Thompson Travel for assistance in arranging air and train travel. Travel arranged by Thompson Travel will be direct-billed to the CAIA Association. To make arrangements through Thompson Travel, please fill out and submit this form.   

 

Air Travel

The major airports closest to the Pioneer Valley are:

• Bradley International Airport (BDL), Hartford, CT (less than one hour drive)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, MA (two hour drive)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, NY (three and one-half hour drive)

To get from these airports to Northampton, you may choose to arrange for a rental car or take a taxi or shuttle, bus, or train. A carpool may also be available.

 

Train Travel 

• Train service to the Pioneer Valley is provided by Amtrak.
• Your destination should be either the Northampton, MA station or the Springfield, MA station.
• The Northampton station has limited service. It is a 5-minute walk (0.2 miles) to the Hotel Northampton. If needed, taxi services are available to transport you from the train station to the hotel.
• The Springfield station has more frequent service. You will need to take a taxi or shuttle service to the Hotel Northampton. There may be taxis available on demand at the station.
  
   

Bus Travel  

• Bus service to the Pioneer Valley is provided primarily by Peter Pan Bus Lines. Routes serve many locations in the northeastern United States, including Logan Airport in Boston.
• The Northampton bus stop is a 10-minute walk (0.4 miles) to the Hotel Northampton. If needed, taxi services are available to transport you from the bus station to the hotel.
  
   

Hotel Accommodations 

• The CAIA Association will arrange accommodations for all participants at the Hotel Northampton from Thursday, April 16, 2020 through Sunday, April 19, 2020. Lodging expenses will be direct-billed to the CAIA Association.
• Accommodations will be arranged for participants for Thursday evening through Sunday morning. If you require a different time frame, please contact us as soon as possible.
• The hotel is located in downtown Northampton, MA and is within walking distance of many restaurants and shops. The hotel is about an 8-minute drive from the Hadley Farms Meeting House, where all grading will take place. If you will not have a car, carpools will be available to transport you to and from the Hadley Farms Meeting House on grading days.
  
   

Travel Expenses and Reimbursement

The CAIA Association will reimburse your travel (all air and ground transportation) and meal expenses after the event. Receipts are required for all expenses.

Please note that the CAIA Association can only reimburse the cost of coach/economy class travel, unless any single flight in your travels is over nine hours, in which case economy plus or business class will be approved. In addition, the CAIA Association can only cover lodging expenses for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights of the Grading Jamboree. If you require lodging for Wednesday night in order to attend the Thursday night orientation, please contact jamboree@caia.org.

 

Business Visitors Visa

International travelers can find information regarding the US Business (B-1) Visitors Visa on this webpage.