Share a promising practice, help members learn the basics of building a successful program, or lead a panel conversation on a hot topic in campus recreation. The NIRSA Conference Program Committee wants campus recreation’s best and brightest presenting at the NIRSA 2020 Annual Conference and Campus Rec & Wellness Expo in Phoenix next April.

Propose an educational session for NIRSA 2020 by July 15

Just a few weeks remain for members to propose preconference workshops, general education sessions, and panel discussions for presentation at the NIRSA. The deadline for educational session proposals is Monday, July 15!

“Our conference attendees are a diverse group with students, new professionals, and seasoned veterans representing many different aspects of recreation,” says David Peters, Associate Director of Campus Recreation at Florida State University and sitting NIRSA Conference Program Committee Chair. “To have sessions that interest this diverse audience, we are seeking not only a broad range of topics but sessions that feature new ideas and initiatives alongside those that help members build solid foundations for their work.”

General education sessions of 60 and 90 minutes in length are the backbone of the educational program with over 100 presented each year at NIRSA’s annual signature professional development event. Proposals highlighting the profession’s latest trends, successful on-campus or community initiatives, and the building blocks of successful programs or services are all welcome.

In addition to 16 general topic areas from aquatics to intramurals to trends in higher education, to leadership and management, the NIRSA 2020 Program Committee is also seeking submissions around four focus areas:

  • Creating successful campus partnerships
  • Supporting underrepresented groups
  • Communicating the impact of campus recreation
  • Infusing health and wellbeing practices into programs and services

Supporting resources are available

Need help with putting together your proposal or entering it into our online system?  The NIRSA Conference Program Committee has developed a number of online resources available for members, including downloadable checklists to help ensure you gather all the required information for your proposal, samples of highly rated sessions from recent conferences, and tips for writing learning outcomes.

To get started, visit our Presenter Information page for complete details about the submission process, terms, and conditions, as well as a quick link to NIRSA’s online proposal system. You can start a submission, save, and return to it later to complete.  But, don’t forget, the deadline for completed submissions is Monday, July 15.

Volunteer to be a 2020 session proposal reviewer

Members interested in helping to score the session proposals for NIRSA can volunteer to be a peer reviewer. Last year, over 120 members assisted with analyzing submissions and providing feedback to the NIRSA Conference Program Committee and to prospective presenters.

Peer reviewers receive approximately 15-20 sessions in their areas of expertise to review and score. To ensure that reviewers have time to complete their work before the fall term ramps up, the proposal review period is set for July 22 through August 5. To volunteer, visit the presenter information page of the NIRSA 2020 website and complete our online form by Wednesday, July 10.

Additional opportunities to present will remain open until fall

Our new Showcase Sessions will offer presenters and attendees a 10-minute express session featuring an innovative idea or program. Proposals for these new sessions and for poster presentations, research sessions, Fitness Forum sessions, and Career Services Center career building sessions are due by September 9.

Additionally, this fall and winter will bring even more ways that members can help shape the program for NIRSA 2020.  The NIRSA Conference Program Committee will be recruiting members later in the year to help facilitate a dozen different roundtable sessions.  And, members will also be invited to suggest topic areas and vote for their preferences as part of our development of new Community Connection discussion sessions. Keep an eye on the NIRSA 2020 news for details.

 

  • For more information about presenting at NIRSA 2020, please contact NIRSA Professional Development Coordinator John Raskauskas.

The NIRSA Conference Program Committee members support the development and execution of the NIRSA Annual Conference’s educational offerings.