Call for Proposals

The vibrant backdrop of Las Vegas will be the setting for the 2008 Nevada State Drive-In Conference. A Commitment to Collaboration: Joining Hands to Better Serve our Students, the 2008 theme, is a reflection of the push to hold a state-wide conference on academic advising. In a higher education system that is both geographically large, yet small in number, the role of collaboration in the Nevada is critical to ensure student success. State-wide programs have helped to foster collaboration between institutions and have provided guidance for academic advisors across the State. However, the strength of these programs is grounded in the relationships built between advisors and the service that is provided to our students.

The 2008 Conference Committee encourages NACADA members and colleagues to submit proposals for the general interest sessions. Submissions on the following themes are particularly encouraged:

• Expectations of academic advisors
• Transfer student transition
• Campus collaboration and awareness of academic advising
• Advising styles to best address our student populations

Join our colleagues in Las Vegas in June 2008 for the Nevada State Drive-In Conference!

On behalf of the Conference Committee, I encourage you to submit a proposal that will inspire conference attendees to improve their commitment to collaboration! We look forward to your submissions and seeing you in Las Vegas on June 20, 2008.

Derek Furukawa

Program Sessions Chair

Program Submission Guidelines

All proposals must be submitted via e-mail to Derek Furukawa at derek.furukawa@unlv.edu. Proposals will be evaluated by the Program Sessions Committee consisting of several academic advising professionals from various institutions in the State of Nevada. Submissions are due via e-mail by Friday, April 11, 2008 ( no later than 5:00 pm PDT).

The following information must be included for full consideration:

• Program Title:  This is how it will appear in the conference program. No longer than 12 words
• Presenter(s):  Must include name, title, office, e-mail, and phone number of all presenters. Primary contact person must be identified
• Program Abstract:  This will be printed in the Conference Program should your proposal be accepted. The abstract should be no more than 125 words.
• Program Description:  Please describe the program according to the criteria noted below. The description should be no more than 2 pages (single spaced).
  • Relevance to the conference theme
  • Significance of the content
  • Objectives and/or purposes of the session
  • Format of the session (e.g. individual presentation, group discussion, panel, etc.)
  • Expected outcomes of the session

See more information on writing an effective proposal HERE.

Review Process

• All proposals will be reviewed by the Program Sessions Committee
• Incomplete proposals and proposals not meeting the submission guidelines will not be considered
• All presenter information will be removed from the proposals before being forwarded to the Program Sessions Committee for review
• Notification for acceptance of program sessions will be by Friday, April 25.

Additional Information

• All presenters and co-presenters must be registered for the conference
• LCD projectors will be provided, but presenters must bring their own laptop (Mac users should also provide the appropriate VGA adapter). Additional audio-visual needs must be requested at least 4 weeks in advance of the conference (note: all accommodations may not be available)
• Internet access...

Writing an Effective Proposal

Characteristics of Effective Proposals

Writing a proposal is easy. Writing an effective proposal takes both time and work to produce a good piece. The following are characteristics of effective proposals:

• Relevance to the conference theme
  • Beyond just relating the proposal to the conference theme, many guidelines will ask you to specifically talk about the relevance of your proposal to the conference theme.
  • Your proposal should have relevance to the themes specifically detailed in the call for proposals
  • Prior to writing your proposal, you should evaluate how your program relates to the conference themes and decide what angle your proposal must take to be most relevant to the theme
  • Please do not feel obligated to include the conference theme in your title. We should be able to see the concept of your proposal in the title.
• Solid foundation for the proposal content
  • The proposal content should not be so specific to your school and/or department that other attendees would not be able to relate.
  • We want to see proposals that look at current or persistent issues and present new and innovative solutions that can help your colleagues think in new ways. In other words, we don't want a session that will just recap what the current state is without suggesting a solution or a way to think about a solution.
  • If there is a theoretical base behind the proposal, make sure you make it clear to the program reviewers. Not every colleague has read the same research and theory as you.
  • If you're highlighting an established program, we want to have a proposal that talks about the program or its conception, not about what the program is going to be once it's created.
• Adherence to proposal submission guidelines
  • If it says to do something in the submission guidelines, do it! It is important to include all the information requested in the submission guidelines.
  • Proposals that do not meet submission guidelines are often rejected despite their content.
• Good writing practices
  • Well-written proposals are key to program selection. Poorly written proposals are also quickly rejected. Remember, your readers are also in academia, so they expect no less than what they would ask from their students.
  • Make sure your proposal is clearly written, provides enough specific information, and remains concise.
  • Your proposal should be logically organized and flow from section to section.
  • Proofread your proposal before submitting it. If possible, have someone else proofread the proposal to catch any minor mistakes in the writing.

Evaluation Criteria Used by Program Reviewers

Your proposal will be evaluated by several individuals, but will be reviewed based on the following five standards:

• Relevance to the conference theme
  • How well does your proposal match the conference theme?
  • If it does not seem like your proposal matches, is it even an appropriate conference to submit to?
  • It may help to see how your proposal would enhance the theme of the conference and highlight that connection in the proposal
• Significance of the content
  • Why is this presentation significant?
• Objectives and/or purposes of the session
  • What are you trying to accomplish by presenting this topic?
  • What populations do you wish to target with this session?
• Format of the session (e.g. individual presentation, group discussion, panel, etc.)
  • Why are you presenting the information in this format?
  • Do you feel it is the most effective way of presenting the information?
• Expected outcomes of the session
  • What outcomes do you have for the attendees?
  • Why will this be significant to the attendees?