NIRSA Annual Conference Prospective Presenter Information

Guide

Table of Contents

Welcome...........................................................................2-3 Event Background Why would you want to be a presenter?

Education Program Formats Offered..............................3-5 Preconference Programs General Interest Sessions Poster Presentations Fitness Forum Classes

Proposal Submission Information.................................6-8 Program Design Program Abstract Writing Learning Objectives

NIRSA Core Competency Areas....................................8-10

2018 Topic Areas..........................................................11-12

Target Audiences Descriptions....................................12-13

Selection Criteria..........................................................13-14

Selection & Notification Process..................................16-18

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Welcome 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.” In Denver, CO—the Mile-High

City—we will literally elevate our paths. We’re looking for program proposals that will

allow 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.

Consider presenting at the 2018 NIRSA Annual Conference. We look forward to

receiving your program proposal!

Appreciatively,

2018 NIRSA Conference Program Committee

Event Background NIRSA 2018 will be NIRSA’s 69th Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo. This is the premier professional development event for leaders in collegiate recreation. This is the conference for those whose career is in any facet of campus recreation. Often referred to as the “NIRSA family reunion,” this is an annual event that brings 3,000 campus rec professionals together for networking, learning, collaborating, and growing.

Each year, NIRSA’s Annual Conference Program Committee works thoughtfully to design a wonderful conference experience for learners in various stages of their careers.

NIRSA’s Annual Conference attracts an average of 300 presentation proposals each year. The Conference Program Committee accepts approximately 30% of the proposals received. As a prospective presenter, you want to make sure your proposal stands out from the crowd!

Member-presented education programs provide peer-to-peer information sharing and ensure a rich diversity of topics and styles while providing an exceptional developmental opportunity for the presenting members.

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This guide will take you through NIRSA’s Annual Conference proposal submission

process and provide some tips for making your proposal the best it can be. We suggest

that prospective presenters read this guide as they prepare their proposal.

Why would you want to be a presenter? ● You’ll have the opportunity to connect and network with recreation professionals;

the NIRSA Annual Conference attracts approximately 3,000 collegiate recreationprofessionals each year

● Your presentation will be featured in event marketing materials● Some presenters may be given the opportunity to write preconference articles or

share short videos to help promote the conference● You can continue to add and build on your resume and portfolio● You’ll have an opportunity to mentor, coach, and give back to the field of

recreation professionals● You get visibility and opportunities to enhance your professional standing● You’ll earn 0.4 NIRSA PICS if you present a program that meets NIRSA CEU

requirements

Education Program Formats Offered The NIRSA Annual Conference offers prospective presenters a variety of formats to

present their information and engage learners.

Preconference Programs Preconference educational programs will take place on Sunday, March 4. They are intended to offer in-depth, skill-building tools that focus on participants’ growth in NIRSA’s Core Competencies, career advancement education, and overall professional development.

Remember that preconference programs require participants to register in advance and pay an additional fee.

Preconference proposals should demonstrate how the program will:

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/recertification opportunities

are especially welcome.

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General Interest Educational Programs

These sessions are the backbone of the Annual Conference. General interest sessions are

scheduled concurrently throughout the conference. For the 2018 event, these sessions

will be scheduled March 5–7. These sessions can be either 60 or 90 minutes long. The

content should be designed to support participant growth in NIRSA’s Core

Competencies.

Traditional sessions—usually include one lead presenter and frequently

include multiple co-presenters.

Panel sessions format—usually includes a moderator + a group of three or four people who present aspects of a topic with each panelist speaking from their experience or interests. If you are submitting a proposal for a panel presentation, the maximum number of panelists is six plus a moderator.

Roundtable Programs

Roundtables are intended to be a moderated opportunity for attendees to discuss specific areas of interest, such as NIRSA’s Community of Practice specialty areas.

Presenters should guide the discussion topics with an end goal of identifying and sharing best practices. Roundtable presentations vary, but typically include 10-20 minutes of presentation followed by discussion and feedback.

Roundtable presenters should bring targeted questions to facilitate learning among those attending. Roundtables are an ideal format for networking and in-depth discussion on a particular topic. Roundtables are eligible for NIRSA CEUs.

Poster Presentation

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!

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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 (this will be a 1 hour

commitment-date and time: tbd) to answer questions during the conference.

Fitness Forum Programs

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.

Other Formats

Additional presentation formats may announced later in the spring/summer. Keep an eye on the NIRSA 2018 website for more presentation opportunities.

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Proposal Submission Information NIRSA continually strives to make the submission process as simple and user-friendly as possible. It is an enormous undertaking to coordinate a conference of this size and developing a diverse and relevant program requires multiple steps and involves multiple deadlines.

Our goal is to offer members a quality educational program in partnership with our various presenters. Many more proposals are received than can be selected. It is recommended that you complete the submission information carefully and completely to ensure your submission is the best it can be. Below are some tips on how to successfully complete the submission sections:

Presentation Title Prospective presenters should make the presentation’s title short, specific, and clear. Good titles communicate the broad topic of your presentation and your unique take on it.

Make sure it isn’t overly general; presentation titles should be descriptive enough for reviewers and eventual attendees to know what you’ll be discussing. Focus on including the most important keywords.

INSUFFICIENT: Students Get Lonely [too general]

INSUFFICIENT: Lost in Campus Rec [witty, but it’s unclear what the topic is]

SUFFICIENT: Campus Recreation’s Role in Preventing Dissociation among Commuter Students in Metropolitan Settings

It is best to finalize the title after you have written the description and program design sections so it accurately reflects the content of your presentation.

NIRSA’s presentation proposal software limits titles to [number] characters. As a matter of style, NIRSA uses title casing (meaning we capitalize all words except for articles, prepositions, and conjunctions).

Learning Objectives Prospective presenters of preconference and general interest sessions will be asked to provide learning objectives. Learning objectives should show how the attendee will be able to use your content back at their workplace.

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Samples:

Identify safety and stewardship standards for campus recreation.

Articulate the principles of leadership, organization, and sportsmanship.

Learn how to apply knowledge of theories relevant to student employment.

Construct a rubric for use in employee performance management.

Learning objectives should begin with a verb. A tool like Bloom’s Taxonomy Verb Wheel can be helpful as you write your learning outcomes.

Program Design Prospective presenters will be asked to provide a program design outline.

In this section, you will want to share the overall focus and goal of the session,including key points and supporting topics. The information in this sectionshould demonstrate how the subject matter is directly related to the learningobjectives outlined as well as to NIRSA’s Core Competencies. It should describehow you plan to incorporate adult learning strategies to deliver content in anengaging way.

Your design description should build on your title and should attempt topersuade the reviewer of the value of participating in this session.

Program Abstract Prospective presenters will be asked to provide a program abstract (350-character limit).

The abstract is a concise summary of your entire presentation. This summary willbe used in conference marketing materials. Don't get it confused with thelearning outcomes or the "program design" section.

Imagine the abstract was the only part of the presentation anyone could access.Would it entice them to attend? Will it convince the Program Committee to selectyour proposal?

Try to avoid the use of jargon and acronyms, or be sure to define terminology thatmight be unfamiliar to parts of your audience—remember, NIRSA attendeesrepresent the broad spectrum of campus recreation students and professionals.Attendees range from undergraduate students new to the field of collegiaterecreation to longtime departmental directors and even university vice-presidents. Is it clear to the reader of your abstract who your ideal attendee wouldbe?

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Program Category Prospective presenters will be asked to select a category that best describes their program proposal.

1. Grounded primarily in theoryWill your session be an interactive conversation around a particular topic?

Examples:

FLSA changes and the effects on higher education

Models for teaching cultural competence in a recreation setting

2. Grounded primarily in researchWill your session be like a symposium paper, focused on sharing research done on a subject?

Examples:

The effects of the use of digital devices on member socialization in sport clubs

Ten years of student employment learning outcomes assessment

3. Grounded primarily in practiceWill your session be a show and tell of something you’ve done on your campus that might be of interest to others?

Examples:

Six rules of great intramural programming

What I learned when I built our new $200 million recreation center

Core Competency Areas Content at NIRSA education events is intentionally designed to provide participants with the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and experiences that support their growth in NIRSA’s Core Competency domains.

It is recommended that prospective presenters consult the Core Competency Framework when designing their program to ensure the proposal helps achieve this goal. Prospective presenters will be asked to identify a maximum of three core competencies their presentation will address.

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Competency Domain Description Programming Program delivery to our communities is a

core purpose for collegiate recreation professionals, and often appears in departmental and divisional missions. Although specific programs may vary from one institution to another, professionals need to be able to develop and administer high quality programs and to appropriately apply associated resources.

Philosophy & Theory The Philosophy & Theory competency area involves knowledge and skills that connect the philosophy and theory to professional practice. Informing our practice through the use of existing frameworks and development of new frameworks provides the context for best practices. As we operate in a higher education environment, our work gives us the high-powered opportunity to apply the process of praxis.

Personal & Professional Qualities The Personal & Professional Qualities competency area involves the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to inform individual conduct and apply these tools toward productive work and interaction; awareness of one’s own areas of strengths and areas for development; be committed to lifelong learning; to assimilate integrity and ethics into all aspects of personal and professional self.

Legal Liabilities & Risk Management With the inherent risk involved with collegiate recreation activities and the litigious nature of our society, collegiate recreation professionals must be able to identify and manage risks. With experience, professionals will need to be able to understand liability and manage risk at more sophisticated levels.

Human Resources Management This competency area involves the knowledge, skills and abilities to be an effective supervisor/ manager for human

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resources; to create a productive workplace with efficient policies and procedures and to train and develop staff.

Facility Management, Planning & Design Facility Management in the field of campus recreation covers a broad scope of skill sets needed to successfully operate, maintain and plan new attractive, safe and fully operable built environments. Administration, facility operations, energy/utilities management, building design and construction are essential skills at every level of employment.

Business Management Business Management in the field of campus recreation covers a broad scope of skill sets needed across disciplines within our field. Communicating, planning, marketing, managing resources, strategic relationship building, and utilizing appropriate technology are essential business management skills at every level of employment.

Research & Evaluation Accountability in higher education is achieved through data-informed decisions and objective reporting of program outcomes. As a profession, collegiate recreation must continue generating research that increases knowledge that advances the profession. The general trend of increasing complexity of knowledge and skills in research and evaluation shows a progression from being able to participate, interpret, and apply findings to being able to conceive of and direct research, assessment, and evaluation processes. At the more complex level, one should be able to direct others in conducting research, assessment, and evaluation activities, participate in more sophisticated studies, conduct meta analyses of multiple data sets, and communicate results to garner program support and resources.

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Topic Areas In addition to Core Competency domains, content is expected to address functional and

hot topic areas within the profession. Prospective presenters will be asked to identify

two primary topic areas their presentation will cover from the list below:

Presentation Topic Description

Aquatics Indoor or outdoor water sports, including program, facility, risk management, etc.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Addresses principles of equality and solidarity in valuing human rights and physical abilities within a broad range of dimensions.

Executive Leadership & Strategic Thinking

Resources for senior-level staff responsible for developing strategy and executing vision.

Facility Management, Planning, Design

Content focused on all aspects of facilities in the context of the built community.

Fitness Content on fitness development, programs, equipment, and promotion.

Fiscal Management Fiscal management to optimize budget resources at all levels—from program to department levels; using the strengths of campus recreation to develop new revenue streams.

Health & Wellbeing Promoting techniques and programs that maximize individual potential across the health and wellbeing spectrum.

Intramurals/Officiating/Extramurals Competitive sports programs involving many teams within institutions, at times progressing to competition outside of the institution.

Managing/Leading Professional Staff Guiding and influencing professionals or developing, managing, and/or training professional staff.

Managing/Leading Student Staff Skills and knowledge geared toward personal growth and career advancement.

Marketing/Public Relations Promotion of programs, facilities, and services

Member Services Developing and managing member service areas (i.e. sales and customer service).

Outdoor Programs, activities, equipment, and policies which focus on integration with the natural environment as well as adventure activities (challenge course/climbing walls).

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Personal/Professional Development Skills and knowledge geared toward personal growth and career advancement.

Programming for Underrepresented Populations

Strategies to engage international students, veterans, LGBTQI, and other underrepresented populations.

Programming for the Community & Unique Events

Strategies to create and implement programs for unique events and groups such as orientation, family/youth programs, unified sports, etc.

Research/Assessment Investigation and evaluation specific to the field of collegiate recreation.

Risk Management/Legal Issues Identification, prioritization, assessment, and application of resources to minimize or control risk.

Small College/Community College Content directed to small, junior, and community colleges.

Sport Clubs Competitive, instructional, or recreational groups focused on a specific activity for an extended period of time and that generally compete against other institutions.

Student Learning Outcomes Developing and communicating learning outcomes for participants or employees.

Sustainable Communities Creating conditions that will ensure a more economically, socially, and environmentally-sustainable future.

Technology Creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, work place, and the environment.

Target Audiences Prospective presenters will be asked to select their target audience(s) for their presentation. NIRSA has a spectrum of professionals employed in various organizational structures and roles and with various position titles. Position titles across the field don’t always consistently reflect similar job duties. Descriptions are intended to be used by conference participants to select educational sessions that meet their needs. The target audience descriptions below are to be used as general guidelines.

New Professional Generally, 0-5 years of professional experience. Usually supervises student staff, serves

as club advisors. May work in one or two specific functional areas (i.e. club sports,

aquatics, intramurals, etc.).

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Common NIRSA titles that tend to describe professional in this category include

coordinator, program specialist, and assistant director.

Mid-Level Manager Generally, 5+ years of professional experience. More likely to be in a role where they are

supervising student and/or professional staff.

Common NIRSA titles that tend to describe professionals in this category include

coordinator, assistant director, and associate director.

Executive Years of experience may vary, but generally 10+ year of professional experience. Usually

has oversight of a comprehensive recreation department that includes a diverse

portfolio of programs and services.

Common NIRSA titles that tend to describe professionals in this category include

associate director, senior director, and executive director.

Other Tips ● Incomplete proposals—proposals that include “TBD” placeholders for key

information—will not be as strong as complete proposals and are less likely to progress into the later rounds of consideration.

● General interest sessions are scheduled concurrently. Presenters should design their program for 45-50 minutes of presentation time and approximately 10-15 minutes for questions, evaluations, etc. There are a limited number of 90-minute timeslots available–proposals for 90 minute sessions should include significantly more detail in the program design section of proposals than typical 60-minute session proposals.

● All presentations are expected to be innovative, informative, and interactive. We specifically request that presentations include interactive activities or exercises for participants and “takeaways” for audience follow up.

Selection Criteria A committee of volunteers with experience in the field review general interest proposals taking into consideration the following criteria:

1. Content: Is the content of the proposal thorough and clearly articulated; and is

there strong evidence that new information is coming from research or experiential practice?

2. Learner Engagement: Are innovation and creativity fully demonstrated and integrated into the proposal for an engaging presentation? Proposals that provide

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the most engaging plan for delivery---utilizing best practices in adult learning theory in their outline –are preferred.

3. Foundation: Are relevant conceptual and theoretical foundations indicated and fully demonstrated throughout the proposal?

4. Organization: Does the proposal’s design fully demonstrate a well-planned presentation, meeting all proposal submission requirements? Does the proposal articulate clear learning objectives? Other information

Proposals that inspire learners to take action are preferred.

Proposals that are aligned with NIRSA’s Core Competency framework and meet the criteria for NIRSA Continuing Education Units are preferred.

NIRSA strives to include a balance of presenters representing diverse cultures, backgrounds, viewpoints, institutions, and regions.

Presenters who have subject matter knowledge and experience facilitating learning experiences and/or speaking to groups are preferred.

Presenters/content that are both applicable and new to NIRSA is desirable.

Additional Information Audiovisual Information

NIRSA provides the following to accepted program presenters:

Presentation space Projector & screen House sound (microphone, speakers, 3.5mm audio line out) Access to conference wifi* HDMI connector

*Internet is limited to 512Kbps (fast enough for Prezi, but not streaming video).

Presenters must supply their own laptop and presentation clickers (if they choose to use one). Mac users are to supply their own adaptor. Any additional equipment needs—and the associated costs—are the responsibility of the speaker and must be arranged with the hotel directly.

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Room Set-Up

Rooms for all general interest sessions will include the theater style set-up. Preconference presenters will be asked to provide a desired room set-up.

Options for Preconference programs typically include:

Handouts NIRSA does not print handouts for presenters. Once accepted, presenters will be invited to upload presentation resources to NIRSA’s Annual Conference Connect Community.

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Continuing Education Credits NIRSA provides conference participants with the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) at all educational events. CEUs can be used towards admission into or renewal within the Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP). To qualify to award CEUs, an educational session must adhere to the following requirements:

Session must be a minimum of 60 minutes in length

Presenter is to ensure session has a relationship to Core Competencies—eachlearning event is planned in coordination with one or more of the eight collegiaterecreational sports core competencies

Presenter is to identify learning outcomes for each educational session orpresentation

If your session meets CEU requirements, NIRSA will identify your session asCEU-eligible in marketing materials

Presenters who present CEU-eligible sessions may earn 0.4 CEUS towardsRegistry renewal

More information about NIRSA’s Registry of Collegiate Recreational Sports Professionals (RCRSP) may be found on NIRSA’s website.

The Selection Process You’ve submitted a proposal for a general interest session. Now what?

Preconferences, General Interest Sessions & Roundtables NIRSA’s Annual Conference Program Committee oversees the development of conference educational content. To ensure that program content is timely, relevant, and optimally targeting the conference participants’ needs, the committee will review proposals and make selections from the submissions received during the call-for-proposals period. Once initial selections are made, if any content gaps are identified, the Annual Conference Chair Team and NIRSA HQ staff will address those gaps through additional content development strategies.

NIRSA receives an average of 300 excellent proposal submissions for this conference, so please understand that developing the educational content is a difficult and highly-selective process. NIRSA strives to create an overall program that will result in a diverse array of presenters and perspectives. The review process for general interest sessions is outlined below:

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Step 1: NIRSA Member Peer Review Process At the close of the proposal period, all submitted proposals will be reviewed by NIRSA members who have volunteered to serve as proposal reviewers. With an average of 300 proposals, NIRSA typically needs 60-80 members to serve as peer reviewers in this process. Proposal reviewers will review and score proposals, providing preliminary feedback to members of the Annual Conference Program Committee.

Step 2: Program Committee Review Process Members of the Program Committee conduct a second screening of the proposals taking into consideration the feedback from the peer review process. The committee submits selection recommendations to the Chair Team for final approval.

Step 3: Chair Team Review & Selection The Chair Team will evaluate the recommendations made by the Program Committee and make final selections in collaboration with NIRSA HQ Professional Development Department. During this process, they will identify gaps in the program content that may require further development through alternate strategies. The review and selection process typically takes approximately two months. Presenters are then notified of their accepted/decline status.

Once accepted proposals are slotted (scheduled), a review of the schedule is completed. During this process, the need for additional sessions is determined. If additional space is available for more sessions to be accepted, a “Round Two” selection may take place. Proposals that were identified as “alternates” by the Program Committee in their review process will be selected for inclusion into the conference schedule.

Other Selection Process Information Preconferences are reviewed and recommended by the Annual Conference

Program Preconference subcommittee

Poster presentations are reviewed and recommended by a Poster Presentation

subcommittee

Special Programs such as microsessions (i.e. Pecha Kuchas) are reviewed and

recommended by a subcommittee

Fitness Forum presentations are reviewed and selected by a team comprised of

members of NIRSA’s Fitness Community of Practice and NIRSA HQ staff

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Accept/Decline Notifications Notifications for general interest sessions will be distributed in September-October 2017. Upon acceptance, NIRSA may modify the session title and description to fit our marketing style and format guidelines for the purpose of the printed program, website, and online app. Presenters will have the opportunity to approve/edit if needed a couple of months prior to conference.

Submission Instructions Please visit the “Welcome Presenters” area of the NIRSA 2018 event website to submit proposals.

Information and Questions If you have any questions about the application process or need any form of support, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Program Committee or Education@NIRSA.org We’re happy to help!

Thank you Thank you for your interest in sharing your knowledge and expertise with NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation. Please stay tuned to the NIRSA 2018 website for more presentation opportunities, announcements, and information. We look forward to seeing your proposal!

5/9/2017

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