It’s that time of year again, NIRSA family! Get your travel calendars out and let’s start booking trips to learn, grow, and thrive this year at our 2018-2019 NIRSA regional conferences. There are exceptional professional development opportunities available to you, as well as regional scholarship support that you may be eligible for! So please, join us in a journey of learning with NIRSA’s core competencies guiding educational content and NIRSA leaders at the helm to ensure every attendee enjoys their professional development experience.

Region I

The Region I Conference will be held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by the University of New Hampshire from October 29-31. Don’t miss out on the Student Lead On, Monday, October 29 from 11:30am – 4:00pm. Other preconference activities include a UNH Campus Recreation facility tour and construction process discussion, small program workshop, island bike tour, and beach clean-up community service trip!

Region II

Come “Discover the Magic” in Birmingham, Alabama this year at the Region II Conference from November 5-7. Preconference offerings include facility tours in both the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa areas, a community service project with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, an outdoor adventure trip to Chandler Mountain and more! This year the Mark Fletcher Walk will be taking place along the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail. Don’t miss out on the Student Lead On which will be Monday, November 5 from 8:30am – 3:00pm.

Region III

This year, the Region III Student Lead On invites you to “Be the Spark. Ignite Your Future.” This student-led, student-run conference will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh January 31 – February 2. In the fall of 2018, Region III will be hosting the following state workshops: The Wisconsin State Workshop will be held October 3-5 in River Falls, Wisconsin by the University of Wisconsin River Falls. The University of Michigan will be hosting the Michigan State Workshop October 24-26 in Ann Arbor. The Illinois State Workshop will be October 24-26 and is set to be hosted by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. South Bend will be home of the Indiana State Workshop November 1-2, which will be hosted by the University of Notre Dame. Finally, the Ohio State Workshop will be held in Akron, October 31 – November 2, hosted by the University of Akron.

Region IV

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to “Cultivate Your Potential” at this year’s Region IV Conference in College Station, Texas from October 21-24. The Region IV Conference will feature preconference offerings including a ropes course experience, StrengthsQuest session, or a guided facilities tour of Texas A&M RecSports. This year the Region IV Student Lead On will run concurrently with the Region IV Conference so that there are student-focused educational sessions that students or professionals may attend throughout the conference.

Region V

Region V will not be coordinating a regional conference this year, but we would love to see you at one of our state workshops in October! North Dakota State University will be hosting the North Dakota/Minnesota State Workshop, October 4-5. The planning committee is excited to begin “Sharing Solutions” with the NIRSA community. The Colorado/Wyoming State Workshop will be hosted by the University of Wyoming from October 10-12 in Laramie, Wyoming. Creighton University will be hosting the Nebraska State Workshop on October 15.

Region VI

Region VI invites you to begin “Expanding Horizons” in Bellingham, Washington from October 8-10 for the Region VI Conference. The conference will be hosted by Western Washington University and the University of Washington. Mountain biking, facility tours, a community service project, and a hiking up to Oyster Dome are a few of the many exciting preconference activities offered this year. The Student Lead On will be Monday, October 8, from 8:30am-4:00pm and will feature student-led, student-run opportunities for networking, engagement, and development.

Canadian Region

The University of Regina will be hosting the 2018 Canadian Region – West Conference from November 1-3 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Presentation proposals for the event will continue to be accepted through September 28; session presenters are encouraged to focus on “Embracing Challenges.”

The Canadian Student Lead On will be held in Toronto, October 11-12 and will be hosted by Centennial College. Conference proposals will continue to be accepted until September 30. The theme of the Conference is “Inspiring Your Campus, Involving Your Community.” The event committee aims to inspire leaders who will ignite change and implement integrated recreational, wellbeing, and fitness programs to build a strong and healthy community.

Featured Regional Presentations at the NIRSA 2019 Annual Conference

Make sure to put your best foot forward at your regional conference, because you may find yourself representing your region at the Annual Conference in Boston!

Again this year, a unique opportunity is being offered to the NIRSA regional conference presenters and NIRSA 2019 Annual Conference attendees. The Annual Conference Program Committee has set aside seven educational session slots during the conference to be held for the best presentation from each region. To be eligible for selection, an educational session must be personally presented at a regional conference or state workshop between September 1 and November 30.

Presentations that are innovative, creative, highly-rated, well-attended, and well-received will be considered when the NIRSA 2019 Program Committee is selecting the featured regional presentation. Additionally, the availability of presenters to attend the Annual Conference will also be taken into consideration.

  • For more information about local or regional professional development opportunities in your area, contact your regional representative on the NIRSA Member Network.

Caroline Ciell is currently Graduate Assistant – Facility Operations at the University of Mississippi and the NIRSA Student Leader. Corrine Pruett is currently a Graduate Assistant in Facilities at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the NIRSA Region II Student Leader.