September 25, 2009
at Northern Illinois University
DeKalb Campus
For more information:
815-753-1535
fyconference@niu.edu
Program Proposals
Who Should Submit a Proposal?
The Conference Planning Committee encourages faculty and professional staff from all disciplines and departments within the academic community to submit proposals on any of the following topics:
Collaborative FYE partnerships for first-year students between Academic and Student Affairs
Transitions between educational levels (i.e., secondary school to first year of college; first year-to-second year of college; two-year college to four-year college)
First-year courses/seminars
Learning communities and first-year/focused interest groups
Service learning within the first year
Innovative approaching to teaching and/or advising first-year students
Common experiences in the first year (i.e., common readings or film; camps for entering students, intensive orientation programs, Welcome Week programs)
Structures for supporting a comprehensive first-year experience
Co-curricular programs and activities
Innovative uses of technology in FYE programs
First-year residential programs
Encouraging involvement
Peer Leaders/Mentors
Assessment of first-year programs
Special/specific populations
Retention
Proposals should be reflective of effective instructional strategies and practices related to educating first-year students. Our goal is to enhance the educational experience of first-year students by fostering engaging dialogue and scholarly inquiry in the areas of practical approaches to classroom instruction, successful programs, first-year learning strategies, comprehensive FYE models, and assessment of first-year initiatives.
Deadline for program proposal submissions is July 31, 2009.
Presentation Sessions
Presentations will last 50 minutes and must adhere to one of the following session models:
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent sessions will allow for 50 minutes of formal presentation and discussion. These sessions are appropriate for presentations addressing emerging trends, concepts that are integral to undergraduate learning and success, institutional initiatives, or research and assessment findings that promise to inform the work of a broad range of scholars and practitioners.
Roundtable Discussion
Roundtable discussions (50 minutes in length) are designed to promote open discussion around a specific topic or theme. Rather than making a formal presentation, session facilitators will encourage and maintain substantive discussion. Roundtable discussions should not emphasize any one program or institutional initiative, but rather give all attendees an opportunity to share ideas and learn from each others' experiences. This session type is best for those presenters wanting to share ideas and gain information from other conference participants in an open forum of discussion. No audio-visual equipment will be provided for roundtables.
Institutional Initiative
Institutional Initiative sessions are appropriate for presentations addressing and highlighting specific program in place on a particular campus. The session allows for 50 minutes of formal presentation and questions/discussion. These sessions are best for those wishing to showcase what they are doing on the campus with regard to student success.
Evaluation Criteria
The content in the session should be easily derived from the presentation title. Titles do not need to reflect the title of the conference. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Relevance to the conference theme
Evidence of a solid foundation for proposal content
Reflective of good writing practices
Engaging program format
Please Remember
Due to budgetary considerations, we cannot offer an honorarium nor waive registration fees to presenters.
All presenters and co-presenters must register for the conference and pay the appropriate fee.
All submitters will be notified about the status of their proposals no later than August 14, 2009.
For more information on proposal submission, contact:
Scott Peska
Office of Support & Advocacy
815-753-0944 speska@niu.edu