Call for Proposals

Proposal Components

• Meeting Track

  • Advancing Public Trust
    This track explores how colleges and universities build trust in higher education by fostering innovation, communicating their public value, defending their educational mission, and nurturing the social contract between campuses and communities.
  • Creating Student Pathways to Purpose and Success
    This track explores how colleges and universities help students connect learning, purpose, wellbeing, and career preparation through meaningful relationships, applied learning, and integrated educational experiences.
  • Educating for Democracy
    This track focuses on institutional and classroom practices that advance democratic learning and learning across difference in a politically polarized environment across campuses and communities for civic participation.
  • Engaging with Evidence
    This track highlights practices and models that use authentic assessment and evaluation to advance student success in today’s climate.
  • Leveraging AI
    This track highlights how institutions are integrating AI into institutional practices and student learning experiences to advance the public purposes of higher education and prepare students for life, work, and citizenship.
  • Rethinking Pedagogy and Practice
    This track focuses on transformational teaching and learning environments that are grounded in humanistic inquiry, pedagogies of kindness, and belonging to ensure full participation for all students.
  • Strengthening Global Engagement
    This track explores innovative practices that prepare students for work, life, and citizenship in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.

• Session Format

  Sessions will be 10*, 30, 60, or 75 minutes long.

  • "HEDs UP" Sessions (10 minutes)
    Multiple 10-minute presentations within a 60 or 75 minute session, modeled on the format of TED Talks. Each presentation should focus on an innovative project or program, on compelling research, or on “lessons learned.” HEDs Up presentations should be provocative, challenging, entertaining, and, above all, engaging.
  • Discussion Sessions (30, 60, or 75 minutes)
    Explore current work, recent findings, or new perspectives, and allow at least 20 minutes for discussion.
  • Panel Presentations (30, 60, or 75 minutes)
    Follow a traditional format that allows for conversation with up to five panelists on a topic relevant to a meeting track; panelists should offer different perspectives on the topic (e.g., institutional, professional role, programmatic, curricular, cocurricular, disciplinary)
  • Research Sessions (30, 60, or 75 minutes)
    Present new findings, works in progress, or new methodologies relevant to the meeting theme or tracks.
  • Roundtable Discussions (75 minutes)
    Facilitate an informal discussion around your effective practices or programs and provide opportunities for attendees to share their successful strategies, questions, and concerns.  For these discussions, during breakfast, attendees are welcome to rotate among several discussion topics or to focus on one only.  AV is not available during the presentation.  However, you will have the ability to share materials on the meeting website and mobile app.
  • Seminar Sessions (60 or 75 minutes)
    Active-learning sessions—limited to 25 attendees each—provide an interactive environment within which to focus on topics currently being discussed and debated within higher education. Seminar leaders pose provocative questions and introduce activities that engage attendees in workshop-style activities.

  *HEDs Up sessions are the only format with 10-minute presentations.

• Proposal Abstract (Max 400 words)

  The abstract should describe the content and significance of the session, the relevance to the selected meeting track, the expectations for attendee engagement during the session, and the incorporation of multiple perspectives (disciplinary, professional role, institutional, etc.).

• Brief Description (Max 150 words)

  Provide a short description of the proposed session for use in the meeting program, mobile app, and promotional materials. Please remember that—should your proposal be accepted—a participant’s decision to attend your session will be based, in large part, on this description. It should be accurate and as compelling as possible.

• Background and Evidence of the Effectiveness of the Work Being Presented (Max 250 words)

  Please elaborate on the background and evidence of the effectiveness of the work being presented. If your proposal pertains to a project, program, course, or other feature for which there is material on the Web, please provide the URL here.

• Plan for Participant Interaction (Max 250 words)

  • For Discussion, Panel, and Roundtable sessions, please provide the guiding questions for the discussion portion of your proposed session or specify how you would facilitate interaction and engagement during the proposed session.
  • For Seminar Sessions, please provide an outline of the session structure.

• Anticipated Learning Outcomes for Participants (Max 200 words)

  List 3-5 learning outcomes which session attendees can expect to gain from your session.

• Session Takeaways (Max 75 words)

  List up to three tangible examples you expect the participants will take away from this session. Descriptions should highlight what is distinctive and transferrable about the work you are presenting.