Call for Proposals

The deadline for proposals has passed.

This conference will bring together researchers, faculty, center directors and staff, change agents, administrators, and policymakers to focus on transforming undergraduate education. We will address critical questions related to institutional change in higher education and foster connections between researchers and change agents across fields. There will be opportunities for cross-disciplinary discussion and collaboration as we work together to bring about institutional change and to define the future of this work.

We invite submissions of both early and mature projects that focus on all aspects of institutional change, including change outcomes, change processes, and contexts of change. We encourage submissions from groups as well as individuals (see session formats for more information about proposal types).

We also encourage presentations from the NSEC community, including STEM Education Centers and Centers for Teaching and Learning with a STEM focus.

Proposal Guidelines:

• Presentation proposals must be submitted by March 8, 2021 at 11:59pm EST
• Poster proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2021 at 11:59pm EST
• Presenting authors must register for and attend the conference
• Additional authors can be listed and are not required to attend the conference
• Abstracts for all session proposals are limited to 300 words (or less)

Session Formats:

For more information about each session format, see below. The review criteria below should also be helpful as you develop your proposal.

The conference intentions, processes, and themes referenced in the proposal questions below can be found here:

Show Conference Intentions and Processes

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Intentions and Processes
The 2021 Transforming Institutions Conference is designed to address important topics in institutional change and transformation by:

• bringing together researchers, change agents, administrators, and policymakers to focus on transforming undergraduate education;
• inviting and incorporating diverse participation, drawing from a wide range of disciplines;
• creating a space where people can see how their work interacts and overlaps across disciplines;
• encouraging discussion in order to identify key questions regarding change in higher education;
• featuring both early and mature projects, which may focus on outcomes as well as processes and contexts of change;
• creating an opportunity for team formation and development, encouraging team builders to consider levels of power and buy-in as needed for change;
• providing space for discussion, engagement, and network development.

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Themes
The 2021 Transforming Institutions Conference themes encompass a wide range of topics. We understand that presentations may discuss many of these themes within a single session, and encourage authors to select all themes that relate to their presentation.

• Change Topics
  • Connecting Change Theory and Practice
  • Evaluating and/or Measuring Change
  • Change Leadership
  • Promoting Access, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Aligning Faculty Incentives with Systemic Change
  • Learning Spaces
• Institution Type
  • Two-Year Colleges
  • Minority-Serving Institutions
  • Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities
  • Comprehensive/Regional Universities
  • Research-Focused Universities
• Level of Change
  • Department-Level Change
  • Institution-Level Change
  • National/Multi-institutional Change
• Stakeholder Considerations
  • Engaging Multiple Stakeholders in the Change Process
  • Partnerships Beyond Academia
  • Role of Centers/Faculty Development in Promoting Institutional Change
  • Scaling and Sustaining Change

Poster Presentation

The deadline for poster proposals has passed.

25-minute Presentation

The deadline for presentation proposals has passed.

Review Criteria:

This information is intended to help you and your team as you craft your proposal. All proposals will be evaluated by a team of reviewers using a Likert scale. They will consider:

• Is the proposed session appropriate for this conference in terms of theme and focus?
• Is the proposed session grounded in and informed by research and theory?
• Does the proposal provide a sufficient overview of the topic or question that will be explored?
• Is the proposal complete, with appropriately detailed responses to all questions?
• To what extent will the proposal provide an opportunity for cross-disciplinary interaction or discussion?
• What is the potential for the proposed session to have a broader impact by advancing our understanding of systemic change in higher education?

Presenter Guidelines:

Accepted presentations and posters are expected to adhere to these guidelines.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the proposal submission process, please contact Rachel Renbarger (Rachel.Renbarger@WMich.edu).