Date: 6/23/2024, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Capistrano AB

Over half of all college-going students identify as first-generation, and the higher education community must play an active role in advancing the success of first-generation students. Implementing an asset-based approach to first-gen student success begins with an understanding of the first-gen student definition and intersectional identities. The presenters will offer a review of the literature to ground a foundational understanding, discuss a framework for implementing an asset-based approach, and provide examples of model institutions.

Date: 6/23/2024, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: El Capitan AB

Of the 1.8 million students enrolled in the California Community Colleges (CCC) system, 35% identify as first-generation. The CCC system engaged the Guided Pathways (GP) framework to advance equity, transform institutions, redefine college/career readiness, and redesign student support. Implementing GP aims to clear paths for students and remove systemic obstacles to their success. GP is an opportunity for system-wide transformation to rethink how existing structures, programs, and practices align with student needs.

Date: 6/23/2024, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: San Simeon AB

From Viola Davis's award-winning memoir to Spider-Man: No Way Home, the first-generation college experience (and beyond) is gaining currency in mass media. Attendees are invited to join a lively conversation intended to provide social context for these narratives. Presenters will validate pop culture as a vehicle for understanding the first-gen experience and offer attendees promising practices for incorporating these texts into research and programming initiatives, such as new student orientation, courses, and workshops. Cosplay encouraged!

• General Interest (50 minutes): The most common educational opportunity at the virtual conference, usually consists of the presentation of a program, data, research, or theoretical concept, followed by audience questions and a brief discussion.
• Learning Lab (30 minutes): Designed to give participants actionable ideas and tools to take back to their campus. Presenters will share ideas for 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for questions.
• Scholarly Paper (50 minutes): Provide an opportunity for presenters (usually 1-2 scholarly papers are presented in a panel setting) to briefly share a synopsis and key findings from scholarly papers as part of a 50-minute education session. Scholarly papers often focus on results of quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies or report the findings of studies that use historical and philosophical methods.
• Emerging Research Symposium  (50 minutes): Provide an opportunity for presenters to share and discuss work in progress research in an informal dialogic setting. Presenters can use this space as a way to gain feedback and insight to further expand research or receive feedback on their research, regardless of the stage of the research project. 50 minute sessions will consist of no more than 2 research projects. Each research project will have 15 minutes to discuss their work with 10 minutes for discussion. Presenters are encouraged to provide resources with a brief overview of the research project. Powerpoint presentations are not required.
• Emerging Research Symposium  (75 minutes): Provide an opportunity for presenters to share and discuss work in progress research in an informal dialogic setting. Presenters can use this space as a way to gain feedback and insight to further expand research or receive feedback on their research, regardless of the stage of the research project. 75 minute sessions will consist of no more than 3 research projects. Each research project will have 15 minutes to discuss their work with 10 minutes for discussion. Presenters are encouraged to provide resources with a brief overview of the research project. Powerpoint presentations are not required. 
• Roundtable Discussion (50 minutes): Less formal ways to engage other attendees around a central topic or program area. Roundtable discussion sessions will be held concurrently throughout the event in a specific space. Facilitators usually provide a brief introduction to a topic (5-10 minutes) and then lead a discussion with several prompting questions.
• Extended Learning (75 minutes): Provide additional time for audience engagement or discussion. This format is also appropriate for panel discussions, skill demonstration, and practice, or multi-institutional case study presentations. There are a limited number of extended general interest session opportunities.
• Product Educational Session (50 minutes): Third-party organizations and companies have an opportunity to present relevant educational content to conference attendees. Presentations typically include institutional partners in the sharing of educational practices or technology.
• Pre-conference Workshop (Half-day, 3-hour): Offered before the beginning of the conference, half-day workshops are designed as highly specialized opportunities to discuss and engage in a specific topic or program. Half-day pre-conference workshops will require participants to pre-register for an additional fee.
• Pre-conference Workshop (Full-day, 6-hour): Full-day programs held prior to the conference. These events are usually coordinated directly with the applicable conference committee or a related NASPA constituent group. Full-day pre-conference workshops will require participants to pre-register for an additional fee.
• Meetings and Networking Events Space Request: NASPA Constituent Groups, Knowledge Communities, and/or Divisions are welcome to submit a space request for meetings, networking events, or receptions. Please note that space is limited at the conference venue and not all requests can be guaranteed a meeting space. 

Program proposals will identify one of the conferences that best matches the content submission. Note: Programs may only submit to one conference. The Conference Advisory Committee will recognize and consider programs that are collaborative and appeal to attendees at more than one conference.

• Assessment, Planning, and Data Analytics Conference (APDA)
• First-generation Student Success Conference (FGSS)
• Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Student Success Conference (DSBC)

Program reviewers rely on a well-written description to enhance their understanding of the content and goals of the presentation. The conference planning committees encourage program proposals with proven practices and content that will engage participants in fruitful discussions and provide meaningful content to bring back to their campuses.

Successful proposals should include: 

• Lengthy description about session content that you will present.
• Relationship of the program to the conference themes outlined below in 'Conference Themes & Learning Outcomes'
• Identification of the program format (e.g., lecture, panel, debate) including methods for participant involvement (e.g., discussion, effective practice sharing, case study analysis).
• Discussions of replicability: to what extent can the information presented in this program be replicated at other institutions?
• Evidence of the conceptual foundation for proposal content including ways the program content is grounded in research, relevant experience, a cogent model, or appropriate theory.
  • Program proposals should establish a clear connection to the research, framework, model, or theory included in their discussions.
  • A list of references to relevant research, models, or theory must be listed in the "References" section. 

Follow the Program Submission Guidelines for additional tips.

For questions about proposal submission, contact SSHE – [email protected].