ACUHO-I members who step forward to share their knowledge and expertise are what make the ACUHO-I Business Operations Conference a valuable experience.
The session agenda each year is crafted by the Business Operations Conference Committee to address the most vital topics and audiences. As they consider submissions, they understand that the best sessions:
- Deliver clear learning objectives.
- Often, have teams of two or more presenters to better share a range of perspectives and experiences.
- Engage the audience rather than just speaking to them.
- Focus on an issue more than a specific campus program.
- Connect content to various campus types and sizes, including international campuses.
- Explore emerging and persistent issues in campus housing.
Potential presenters are asked to provide the following information about their session during the call for programs process. This information helps create a balanced schedule that speaks to the needs of all conference attendees. The priority deadline for the content conference calls for proposals is May 31.
- Audience Experience Level
- Senior Leadership
- Mid-level Seasoned Leaders
- Mid-level Emerging Leaders
- Advancing Professionals (3-7 years experience)
- New Professionals (0-3 years experience)
- Students
- Preferred Session Type
- Interest Session (Focused presentation on a single topic. Length: 50 minutes.)
- Panel Session (Presentation offering input from several speakers representing a range of experiences. Length: 50 minutes.)
- Roundtable (Open conversation among the audience guided by a moderator. Length: 50 minutes.)
- Pre-Conference Session (In-depth look at a topic, often including participation exercises. Length: 180 minutes.)
- Topic Area
These areas were identified as areas of focus by the Future of the Profession Initiative.- Learning as an Organization
- Enabling Workforce Sustainability
- Creating Inclusive Communities
- Strengthening Mental Health
- Fostering Strategic Collaborations
- Shifting the Higher Education Business Model
- Championing Facility Design & Maintenance
- Communicating Campus Housing’s Value
- Core Competency
- Choose a primary ACUHO-I Core Competency <link>.
- Secondary and tertiary choices are possible if applicable.
- Student Affairs Education Certification Domains
Some conference sessions will be eligible for continuing education credits for those pursuing certification.- Foundations of the Profession
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Crisis and Risk Management
- Financial and Facility Management
- Leadership
- Social Justice and Inclusion
- Talent Management
- Student Learning, Development, and Success
Evaluation and Selection Process
Programs are evaluated on the following criteria, using a Likert scale of 1-4.
- The proposal is of high quality, including depth, clarity, and conciseness
- The proposal fits the knowledge domain, and the description fits the rest of the proposal
- The proposal has clear and achievable learning outcomes
- The proposal is well-developed and will allow learners to achieve learning outcomes
- The proposal has an engaging format appropriate given the proposed learning outcomes
- The proposal content is appropriate for the designated target audience
- The proposal is focused on the issue, not just single campus program
- The proposal has potential application by residence life and housing practitioners
Additional Information
- Presenters are required to register for the conference.
- More information regarding audio-visual needs will be available closer to the event.
- Proposals that include a thorough outline and three learning objectives have a significantly better chance of acceptance.
- Sessions with two or three presenters can share a broader range of perspectives and experiences and are valued over single-presenter proposals.
- Presenters should consider the session’s intended audience when crafting the organization, content, and examples.
- Presenters should connect the content of the presentation to a variety of campus types (including countries of origin) and situations. Use unique experiences to help each participant generalize to other types of institutions.
- Proposals and conference presentations should focus on the emerging and persistent issues in housing and residence life. Specific examples should illustrate the concepts of the issues and strategies used to address them. Proposals that focus on the setting and not the issue are unlikely to be accepted.
- ACUHO-I profiles should be up-to-date to ensure communications regarding acceptance are delivered correctly.
- Allow five minutes for moderator duties and announcements at the beginning of a session.