Concurrent session, roundtable discussion, poster session and exhibior presentation proposals are invited on topics addressing student transitions. Any quality proposal that sufficiently and seriously addresses college student transitions is welcomed for review.

The proposal deadline is July 14, 2008. You are strongly encouraged to submit proposals as soon as possible. Since the conference program must be finalized and presenters notified in time to provide preconference coordination, it may not be possible to accept late proposals.

Program proposals will be reviewed for selection based on appropriateness and consistency with the conference topic, timeliness of session topic, creativity of approach, and demonstration of expertise by presenters. For concurrent and poster sessions, evidence of assessment is necessary for acceptance. An interactive schedule planner which includes all of the accepted sessions will be available on the Center's web site after October 1, 2007.

Due to budgetary considerations, it is not possible to offer an honorarium or to waive registration fees for program presenters. All program chairs and additional presenters will be expected to register and pay appropriate conference registration fees.

The cost of providing LCD projectors for conference sessions continues to reach exorbitant levels; therefore, conference organizers are unable to provide this equipment. As an alternative to PowerPoint presentations, we encourage the use of overhead transparencies of PowerPoint slides. We have found them to be equally effective.

College students of all types are in a constant state of transition. Therefore, proposals are invited
that highlight any student group that might have unique transition experiences. While the conference typically has a wide variety of session topics, many sessions focus on the following four themes:

Sophomore Issues
Is there such a thing as the “sophomore slump?” If so, what can we do to better serve second-year students? How do we become more intentional in our support of this population in order to prevent student departure after the second year?

The Transfer Student Experience
How can institutions help these students feel prepared for the change and also feel connected to their new institution? What special needs do transfer students have? What policies and practices work?

The Senior Year
The national dialogue concerning college seniors continues to engage educators interested in the range of support programs available for this population. What are the needs of these students as they prepare for the “real world,” continuing education, and community and family life?

The First Year
First-year issues remain critical in the work of the National Resource Center including how to engage students in active learning; increase ownership of the first year by a wide variety of campus constituents; and improve student success, satisfaction, retention, and graduation rates.

Poster Sessions
These sessions allow for 90 minutes of informal interaction with a large number of conference participants. Poster sessions are presented in the form of an exhibit and delivered primarily through the use of brief remarks, visual displays, and handout materials. Numerous poster sessions will be scheduled concurrently, and conference participants will be free to move from one poster session to another.

• Research Findings - This type of poster session is appropriate for presenting research results focused on a specific topic or program.
  
  
• Assessed Programmatic Approaches - This type of poster session is appropriate for a presentation on a specific programmatic approach at a single institution.

Concurrent Sessions
These sessions allow for 30-45 minutes of formal presentation and 15-20 minutes of discussion. This session type is best for those wishing to make formal presentations with questions and interaction.

Concurrent session types:

• Research - These sessions are appropriate for presentations on quantitative or qualitative research that has been conducted on issues addressing student transitions.
  
  
• Trends and Issues - These sessions are appropriate for presentations addressing emerging trends, current issues, and broad concepts.
  

Roundtable Discussions
These sessions are designed to promote open discussion around a significant issue or theme. Rather than making a formal presentation, session facilitators will encourage and maintain substantive discussion among session attendees, not emphasizing any one program or institutional initiative. This session type is best for those presenters wanting to share ideas and gain information from other conference participants in an open forum.

Exhibitor Presentations
These sessions provide vendors the opportunity to network with conference participants in a formal
setting providing information on publications, products, or services. Presentations are scheduled in
a 60-minute time slot during the conference.

Exhibitor Presentation Types:

• Commercial (for profit) - These presentations are designed for those companies or organizations that are interested in promoting publications, other products, or services solely on a for-profit basis.


• Commercial (academic) - These presentations are designed for research centers or service organizations who wish to present research findings that result from the use of commercially available assessment or research instruments.
  
  
• Non-profit - These presentations are designed for those companies or organizations that are interested in promoting publications, other products, or services solely on a not-for-profit basis.