Welcome, Presenters!
Thank you for your program proposals!
As of December 21, all presenters have been notified of their accepted/declined status via email. If you did not receive a notification, please check your junk/clutter inbox. If you still cannot locate your notification, please email Education@NIRSA.org to inquire about the status of your session.
The 2018 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo will provide an opportunity for us to gather as a community to learn, celebrate accomplishments, and network.
This year’s conference theme is “Elevate Your Path.” Located in mile high Denver, Colorado, we will be literally elevating our paths. We are looking for program proposals that deliver educational opportunities which will help inspire participants to return to their campuses with new knowledge, skills, and connections to take their collegiate recreation programs, services, and their careers to new heights!
Please join us for this annual event that showcases the best of collegiate recreation. Please take some time to review the information on this web page and in the Prospective Presenter Guide. We look forward to receiving your program proposal!
Proposal period closed: October 18, 2017
Did you miss a deadline?
The Call for Programs for the 2019 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Recreation and Wellness Expo will launch in spring 2018. Check back with us at that time for presenter opportunities!
Research Hour
The Research Hour is an opportunity for NIRSA members to present their research–be it as part of an academic program, a thesis project, or simply a research project the presenter has chosen to pursue. Presentations should be prepared to be 15 minutes in length. Consider presenting your research and sharing with NIRSA in the Research Hour!
Fitness Forum
Fitness Forum classes are a great way to introduce new and upcoming fitness trends to the NIRSA membership. These high-intensity classes provide an opportunity for attendees to get some exercise while observing the instructor for teaching techniques. Fitness Forum classes are generally 40-45 minutes in length and occur in a designated space within the Expo Hall.
Roundtable Sessions
Roundtables are intended to be a structured/moderated opportunity for attendees to discuss specific areas of interest. Presenters should guide the discussion topics with an end goal of identifying and sharing best practices.
Lightning Talk
A Lightning Talk is a form of a conference microsession where presenters share information in a brief time period. The Committee is currently seeking thought-provoking, high – energy topics that challenge attendees to think, learn….and laughing is a good thing too!
Below is some information to help prospective presenters consider and prepare a Lightning Talks proposals:
How long does the presentation have to be?
The maximum presentation length for a presentation is 10 minutes. It’s preferred that presenters aim for approximately 5-6 minute presentation.
Is there a slide count rule?
The maximum amount of slides used for a Lightning Talk presentation is 25. Less than 25 is allowable.
Is there a slide advance rule?
No. Presenters may advance slides as they need to.
Preconference Programs
Preconference education programs will take place on Sunday, March 4. They are intended to offer in-depth, skill-building tools that focus on participant’s growth in NIRSA’s Core Competencies, career advancement education, and overall professional development. Please note that preconference programs require advance sign-up and an additional fee from conference participants. Preconference opportunities should appear appealing and worthwhile.
Preconference programs should provide:
- An enhanced and in-depth exploration as opposed to a general overview
- Offer distinct learning objectives with gained practical knowledge
- Include an interactive or hands-on learning experience
Preconference program proposals that offer certification/re-certification opportunities are also welcomed.
These programs are either:
- Full-day workshops (9:00am–4:00pm)
- Half-day workshops (9:00am–12:00pm or 1:00pm–4:00pm).
*These are approximate times.
Firm times for preconference programs will be established with presenters once programs are accepted.
General Interest Education Sessions
General interest sessions are concurrent sessions that are the backbone of the NIRSA Annual Conference. These sessions are traditional program sessions that last for 60 minutes and are scheduled throughout the conference. Presenters are also offered the option of presenting an extended session (90 minutes). The content should be designed to support participant’s growth in NIRSA’s Core Competencies. General interest education sessions need to meet the qualifications for NIRSA CEUs which include the following parameters:
- The proposal must include a learning experience that is a minimum of 60 minutes in length
- The proposal must articulate at least one learning outcome that describes what participants will be able to demonstrate as a result of attending the session
- The proposal must be designed to support participants’ growth in one or more of the eight NIRSA Core Competencies
- Content described in the proposal is to be delivered by a qualified individual/s based on their education, experience, and expertise as related to the instructional topic.
Poster Presentations
A poster presentation showcases research and/or an institutional program. An effective poster operates on multiple levels; a successful one should serve as a source of information, a conversation starter, an advertisement of the presenter’s work, and as a summary of the presenter’s work. Unlike a typical educational session, a poster presentation allows viewers to study information and discuss it with presenters. It combines text and graphics to make a visually-pleasing presentation that allows viewers a quick and efficient overview of a topic. Poster presentations are a great way to present research efforts—providing new and trending information to NIRSA membership!
Poster Space Requirements:
- The maximum space provided for a poster is 4 x 4.
- Presenters typically create a poster with the following dimensions: 2 x 3 profile or 3 x 2 landscape
Poster Attending Hour:
- All presenters must have a current NIRSA membership when they submit their presentation proposal as well as during the 2018 Annual Conference.
- All confirmed lead presenters and co-presenters must register for NIRSA 2018. Co-authors may be recognized for their contributions to poster presentations, but only registered presenters will be allowed to attend the Annual Conference.
- Non-registered authors and contributors cannot present in any capacity.
- All poster presentations that are accepted into the conference must be attended by at least one presenter during the Poster Attending Hour to answer questions during the conference. This will be a one-hour commitment.
Date and Time: Monday, March 5, 2:30-3:30pm outside Mile High Ballroom
Member of the Registry?
If you are a member of the Professional Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals, your CEU presentation will award you 0.4 Professional Involvement Credits (PICs). This credit can be applied to your registry membership renewal.
If you have any questions about the presentation proposal system or about presenting at the NIRSA 2018 Annual Conference, please contact NIRSA Professional Development Coordinator John Raskauskas.