PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: 2020 NACADA Annual Conference Call for Proposals – due February 20th!

Posted on December 14, 2019

2020 NACADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Call for Proposals
October 4 - 7, 2020
San Juan, Puerto Rico

This year’s theme, No Student is an Island: The Rich Port of Advising and Connection, expresses the idea that we are not just one individual faculty member, staff member, or student, but that we are part of a greater whole that brings different contributions to our profession. As such we can help our students to reach their full potential and the students can help us to understand how to aid future generations. It reminds us that we, as a profession, are here to insure our students’ academic success. The rich port is a nod to our beautiful host territory of Puerto Rico and its culture, which celebrates uniqueness and individual expression.

Accepting proposals from December 13th, 2019 through February 20th, 2o20.

Who Should Submit a Proposal Application?

NACADA welcomes proposals from diverse groups of professionals to include advisors, administrators, faculty, counselors, career development specialists, researchers, graduate students, and others connected to the field of advising.  Novice as well as experienced presenters are encouraged to submit a proposal.  If you have advanced techniques or proven practices to share that address higher education’s academic advising needs or that promote the advancement of the advising profession’s role in enhancing student learning and development, please consider submitting a proposal application.

Forward thinkers, we want to hear from you as well!  Proposals are also welcomed if you have done an extensive literature review on advising topics, have an innovative theory to propose, or have research results to share. Remember that professional development is a great investment, and the NACADA Annual Conference is the perfect forum to share and learn!  We hope that you will submit a proposal to present at this year’s conference!

Session Formats
Poster Session
Presented in the form of a bulletin display and delivered primarily through the use of graphics and handout materials. Participants have the opportunity to interact on a one-to-one basis with the presenter. This format is well suited for presentations of specific campus programs or results of a research study. All posters are presented during a one hour highly interactive session.

Concurrent Session
Lecture/Discussion: One hour session that can include lecture, demonstrations, and/or participant discussion about topics relevant to the field of academic advising.

Panel: One hour panel session where speakers address a specific advising topic each from their own perspective. Panel sessions are highly interactive with panelists representing multiple points of view from different institutions. Time is allowed for audience input and questions.

Preconference Workshop
In-depth, interactive, value-added presentations that can vary from two to four hours in length. Participants pay an extra fee for workshops and expect tangible takeaways. These should be highly participatory workshops that cannot be effectively addressed in another format.

Important Dates to Remember

  • Beginning December 13, 2019, proposals may be submitted online
  • February 20, 2020: Proposals received after this date will not be reviewed. Early submissions are appreciated.
  • First week of April 2020: All persons listed as presenters will be notified with the results of the proposal review process.

Evaluation Criteria 
Presentation titles should be descriptive of the content of the session. They need not reflect the title of the conference. Proposals and abstracts will be reviewed by fellow NACADA members with expertise in the track areas you choose and by members of the 2020 conference committee, using these criteria:

  • Clearly stated purpose and objectives
  • Reflective of good writing practices
  • Timeliness of the subject matter
  • Topic’s contribution to the advising field
  • Creativity in an approach to a situation or in ways to manage it
  • Adaptability of ideas to a variety of institutional settings
  • When applicable: Presentation grounded in research
  • When applicable: Presentation includes issues of equity, inclusion, and/or diversity

Note

  • Due to budgetary considerations, it is not possible to offer either an honorarium or a waiver of registration fees to presenters. This includes panels and students.
  • All presenters are expected to submit electronic versions of handouts or other materials used in their sessions to NACADA, prior to the conference. The material is published to a web page and accessible to conference attendees.
  • All presenters and co-presenters must register for the conference and pay the appropriate fee.

Scheduling 400 sessions is a complex process. If accepted, your session may be scheduled in any time slot. Preconference workshops are October 4; all other sessions are October 5-7. Do not make travel plans that limit your availability to present during conference dates until you receive notice (in June) of your presentation date.