Call for Proposals
The deadline for presentation proposals has passed. The deadline for poster presentations is May 15, 2023.
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 section for more information about proposal types).
We invite submissions related to topics such as:
- 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
- Managing a Change Project
- Building Partnerships for Change
- Engaging Faculty in the Change Process
- The Role of Accreditation
- General change topics
We are also particularly interested in projects related to the work of our current ASCN working groups:
- Working Group 1 - Guiding Theories of Change
- Working Group 2/4 - Costs and Benefits of Change & Demonstrating the Impact of Change
- Working Group 3 - Change Leaders
- Working Group 5 - Equity and Inclusion
- Working Group 6 - Aligning Faculty Work with Systemic Change
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, 2023, at 11:59 pm EST
- Poster proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2023, at 11:59 pm 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:
Intentions and Processes
The Transforming Institutions Conference will provide a diversity of presentation formats that address important topics in institutional change and transformation. During the conference, we will:
- connect researchers, change agents, administrators, and policymakers to focus on transforming undergraduate education;
- create a space wherein people can see the ways in which their work interacts and overlaps across disciplines;
- identify and discuss key questions regarding change in higher education;
- highlight early and mature projects touching on outcomes, processes, and contexts of change, among other themes;
- encourage team formation and development while considering levels of power and buy-in as needed for change.
Themes
The 2023 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 is May 15, 2023.
Posters provide opportunities for engagement in deep conversations about projects. We encourage posters on any of the topics listed above. Poster projects can be research-driven or focused on a program or activity implemented as part of a change process. Your proposal will include:
- Poster Title
- Poster Authors
- Poster Abstract (300 words)
- How will your poster address the intentions and processes for this conference? (150 words)
- Which of the conference themes will your poster pertain to?
Submit a poster proposal »
15-minute Oral Presentation
The deadline for presentation proposals is March 8, 2023.
These sessions are intended for individuals or teams who wish to present their work in a short presentation. Such proposals might focus on a single change project or initiative, ideas for new projects, theory-driven projects, or assessments of change outcomes, among other topics. You may decide how best to use the 15 minutes allotted; a typical format would be a 10-minute presentation followed by 5 minutes for questions. However, you may choose to structure your time differently. Your proposal will include:
- Presentation Title
- Presentation Authors
- Presentation Abstract (300 words)
- How will your presentation address the intentions and processes for this conference? (150 words)
- Which of the conference themes will your presentation pertain to?
Symposium
The deadline for symposium proposals is March 8, 2023.
These sessions are intended for individuals or teams who wish to organize a set of presentations under a topic. Such proposals might focus on a single change project or initiative, ideas for new projects, theory-driven projects, and assessments of change outcomes, among other topics. Each selected proposal will have 60 minutes for presentation and Q&A and can include up to 4 presenters. The default will be 40 minutes total of presentation and 20 minutes of discussion, questions, and audience engagement. Symposium organizers may decide how best to use the 60 minutes allotted. Audience engagement and sufficient Q & A time are strongly recommended. Your proposal will include:
- Symposium Title
- Symposium organizers and authors
- Symposium Abstract (500 words) including how you intend to use the 60 minutes allotted.
- How will your presentation address the intentions and processes for this conference? (150 words)
- Which of the conference themes will your symposium pertain to?
Workshop
The deadline for workshop proposals is March 8, 2023.
These workshops will allow participants to engage deeply in a given topic, and you may choose between 1.5 or 3 hour sessions for your workshop. Workshops are expected to be highly interactive with attention given to what is known about systemic change. For these submissions, we require detailed information on the structure of the workshop, audience engagement, and learning outcomes. Your proposal will include:
- Workshop Title
- Workshop Leaders
- Workshop Abstract (300 words)
- How will your workshop address the intentions and processes for this conference? (150 words)
- How will your workshop promote audience engagement, reflection, and discussion? (150 words)
- What is the tentative format/program of your workshop? (200 words)
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 Transforming Institutions guidelines. More information coming soon!
Questions?
If you have any questions about the proposal submission process, please contact Casey Wright (casey.e.wright@wmich.edu).
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