Call for Proposals

Paper Sessions

Your submission indicates your commitment to preparing a written paper for the Proceedings and making your presentation (Paper Session) during the conference at a time and place assigned by the Conference Committee. Paper Sessions will last 45 minutes each, with at least 15 minutes allowed for interactivity and discussion, but other formats may be utilized. You may submit more than one proposal. Please complete the online form to submit your paper proposal.

FishBowl Dialogue Sessions

Your submission indicates your commitment to developing engaging questions and facilitating a discussion on your chosen topic.Your responsibilities are to:

1. provide a 50 word overview of the topic (which we will post to the conference website).
2. frame the opening of the conversation (this should take you no more than 5 minutes).
3. keep the conversation from getting too far off track (but don’t really moderate).
4. submit a written summary of ideas learned through the conference website (within 1 hour after the end of the session).

The FishBowl works as follows: Your presentation room will be set up with a circle of 8 chairs in the center of the room. There will be two more circles of chairs around this central circle. Only those in the center circle can talk. You can ask for volunteers or select people from your audience. There will always be an empty chair in the circle. When someone from the outer circle wants to join the conversation, they may go and sit in the empty chair. When they sit down, someone else in the inner circle should leave so that there is always an empty chair left. As the facilitator, you may also select people to go and join the conversation. Also, if your FishBowl proposal is selected, you will be provided with further guidelines about preparing for and structuring your session. These sessions last for 45 minutes.

For FishBowl topics, you should focus on critical issues for distance administrators. Think of something that people might feel passionately about. For example, if you chose the topic “Extrinsic Rewards to Promote Faculty Participation in Training,” you might begin by asking whether or not faculty should be paid to attend workshops as they prepare to teach online. The topic you select should also be one of familiarity to you in terms of your research or work experiences. To propose a FishBowl Session, please submit this online form.