2014 Annual Conference - Call for Proposals

UNIVERSALIZING GLOBAL LEARNING IN THE 21ST-CENTURY ACADEMY

February 16-19, 2014
JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC

THE DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS HAS PASSED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SUBMITTED PROPOSALS.

The Call for Session Proposals contains the following information: 

• Conference theme and subthemes 
• Session format 
• Guidelines for submitting a proposal 
• Required information on the proposal 
• How to submit an electronic proposal 
• Selection criteria 
• Frequently asked questions 
• Contact info 
• Key dates to remember 

Universalizing Global Learning in the 21st-Century Academy
The rapid pace of innovation and the increasingly complex nature of the systems that manage and direct human experience has led to the gradual realization that not bullion or oil, but rather intellectual capital will become the most important commodity of the 21st century. This global recalibration of what is necessary to fuel human progress, push the boundaries of knowledge and even extend profits requires, as a fundamental enabler, international higher education. Nurturing and affording access to this increasingly desirable commodity therefore demands a robust and responsive international higher education sector. The most salient aspect of intellectual capital and the most consequential feature of its value is that it performs within a global context. And yet, notwithstanding this dynamic, there is a frightening disconnect between the demands of the world into which we are evolving and the commitments of colleges and universities to prepare their students, particularly undergraduates, to succeed in this new world. 

There are certainly pockets of awareness here and there. For example, accrediting bodies are increasingly calling for global learning experiences as part of the standards of education required in various disciplines. Despite various initiatives to address global learning at institutions around the world, the majority of institutions still accord global learning a marginal place in the curriculum (a single course or a single co-curricular workshop), if it is there at all. In short, there continues to be a conspicuous absence of a consensus for global learning in the curriculum as part of an intentional effort to align student learning with the demands of a global information age. Let us not forget that education is at the core of international higher education. Moreover, the character of such an education in the context of globalization must be global, where students have multiple, intentional and substantive encounters with global learning experiences throughout their respective programs of study.

There is therefore an urgency to universalize global learning in the 21st century academy, meaning that all colleges and universities come to understand that part of what defines their mission in this historical moment is the need to prepare students for global realities. This commitment must be expressed, not merely in a menu of education abroad opportunities, but more importantly, throughout their specific fields of study, the curriculum in general, and the co-curriculum. In addition to the demands of government and industry, and taking into account what is needed to push the boundaries of knowledge, the fact remains that the greatest challenges facing humankind are global in nature. These challenges can only be resolved by graduates/citizens who are themselves globally competent. The case for global learning in the academy is overwhelming. Action is expected and required of all institutions, regardless of size, mission, history, wealth or location. In the end, each institution must commit to making global learning a central feature of a curriculum that will impart the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary for life in a global information age. 

The following are subthemes that are especially encouraged:

1. The role of the SIO in advocating for global learning in the curriculum. Can SIOs who are primarily administrators, be effective agents in advancing global learning in the curriculum? Would faculty view the advocacy by SIOs for a curriculum more responsive to global realities as inappropriate meddling in curriculum matters? Can SIOs guide the conversation about global learning, even if behind the scenes, to help achieve campus-wide support?

2. Models of global learning in the academy. What kinds of successes have been achieved using the general education curriculum as the principal site for global learning? Are their models to simultaneously target all curricula sites (the disciplines, the general education curriculum and the co-curriculum) to advance global learning? 

3. The role of technology in global learning. How can technology be effectively employed as pedagogical strategies to support global learning? Might the arrival of MOOCs advance or retard global learning?

4. The intersection of student development theory and global learning in the curriculum. Does an intentional approach to global learning, beyond study abroad, contribute to the overall goal of facilitating student development during the college experience? Could student development theory be used as an argument for curriculum transformation in ways that advance global learning? 

5. The role of global learning within comprehensive internationalization. How can SIOs create the space among the myriad administrative responsibilities and tasks associated with comprehensive internationalization, to focus on advancing global learning in the curriculum? 

6. Global learning and accreditation standards. How are accrediting bodies articulating global learning as part of the standards that must be met in various disciplines? To what extent are accredited programs of study responding to these standards and what do their efforts to comply reflect meaningful engagement with global learning? 

7. Supporting institutional change to facilitate global learning. How can institutions advance global learning in a time of declining resources? How institutional strategic planning and change in senior administrative leadership can provide openings for advancing the global learning agenda.

8. Strategies that encourage faculty engagement with global learning. Can traditional tenure and promotion practices be used to reward faculty for their engagement with global learning? Supporting faculty in taking advantage of international teaching and research opportunities as a way to provide them with insights on global issues that can inform their teaching and simultaneously induce a more positive disposition to global learning. What strategies are used to inspire faculty who are reluctant or indifferent to global learning to engage with this project? 

9. Research on global learning. How can existing initiatives for student research be mobilized to encourage student research on global issues? How can faculty research on global issues within their respective disciplines be used to foreground the importance of global learning. Expanding research abroad opportunities that provide both a cross-cultural immersion experience together with learning opportunities focused on research.

10. Assessing global learning efforts in the curriculum and co-curriculum. What are some models that help to capture significant global learning occurring in the curriculum? Can global learning assessment be implemented fairly easily and affordably? What are some of the challenges of utilizing faculty driven assessment as opposed to institution-wide models of assessment?

11. International perspectives on global learning. How do institutions outside of the United States conceptualize global learning? What are some of the unique structural, historical and cultural circumstances that may impact the understanding and practice of global learning? 

12. Global Learning in STEM disciplines. What strategies are used to overcome the inflexibility of STEM curricula to ensure global learning opportunities? What are some models of successful integration of global learning in STEM disciplines?

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

• Indicate the type of session format for which you are submitting a proposal: 
1. a panel discussion or 2. a facilitated roundtable discussion.

• Proposals must demonstrate that at least 30 minutes are incorporated for discussion and interaction. Panels should not be “talking heads” but rather allow sufficient time for adequate discussion and exchange between all in attendance.

• We will give preference to sessions that include multiple institutions and diverse perspectives. Student perspectives are most welcome.

• Regional diversity, including perspectives from institutions and presenters located outside of the United States, will be favored. 

• The purpose of the conference is to help leaders at institutions (and in the world of international education at large) carry out their responsibilities and develop new ideas. Sponsorship opportunities exist for those with services, programs or products available on the market to assist in this effort, but these services and products are not acceptable topics for sessions. We will not accept proposals that promote a product, program, university, or service. Sessions that focus on one institution will not be accepted. 

• Sessions should focus on lessons learned, challenges and issues encountered and how those were addressed. Sessions should not be a “show and tell” of a university or a program. Presenters are requested to keep details of a specific university to a minimum.

REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR THE PROPOSAL

A. Identification and biography
· Session Title, Abstract and Full Description (see note below) ** 
· Name, Contact Details, and Biography of Chairperson 
· Names, Contact Details, and Biographies of all proposed speakers (see note below) **
· Conference subtheme category 
· Audio-visual needs 
· URL where handouts will be posted (all chairs are responsible for posting session handouts to their own website; AIEA will publicize the website URL) 

B. Full Session Description 
(Detailed description of your proposed session – maximum 500 words) 
Include a content outline describing the major theme(s), challenges, lessons learned, successes and failures, application possibilities for other institutions, etc. that will be addressed in this session. In addition, please include the goals of the session and the methodologies to be used. Remember to include a minimum of 30 minutes for discussion in the panel discussion format session. If there is more than one presenter, explain what each presenter will discuss. Please be as complete as possible and remember that the content needs to have wide applicability, comparative perspectives and an analysis of "lessons learned" useful to higher education leaders. Facilitated Roundtable sessions must describe the topic in detail, the questions posed to participants, and desired outcomes. For the Facilitated Roundtable sessions, explain what each presenter will discuss, how the discussion will be moderated, expected outcomes and how outcomes will be collected and distributed.

C. Additional Comments
The session chair will serve as the key contact on the session and is responsible for communicating all session information and details with presenters.

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SESSION PROPOSERS 
• Should the proposal be selected, the abstract and bios submitted will be printed in the conference program exactly as submitted 
• Please pay very careful attention to the exact format, language and word limitation required: no more than 75 words for the abstract and for the bio. 
• Biographies may include presenters’ positions and major work accomplishments relevant to the presenter’s session topic. 
• The biography should be written in the third person, and consist of full sentences. Please observe the sample bio format provided in the online submission form. 
• Bios that do not conform to the sample format will not be included in the conference program 
• Proposals must be complete at time of submission – it is not sufficient to note “information to be added later.” Incomplete proposals will not be considered in the review process. 
• Proposals submitted without an abstract, full description, or complete bio information on all presenters listed will not be considered. 

HOW TO SUBMIT AN ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL
THE DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS HAS PASSED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SUBMITTED PROPOSALS.

Online proposal fields must be complete in order to continue with the proposal submission. If you are unable to continue with the submission, it may be that you did not provide the information required. You will know your submission was successful when you receive an electronic acknowledgement. If this acknowledgement is not received, please submit your proposal again.

If a hard copy of the proposal is absolutely necessary for completion or if technical difficulties are encountered, please email [email protected] for guidance.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Advisory Committee and evaluated with the following criteria foremost: 

• Connection/Applicability to the Conference themes 
• Originality and quality of the proposed session 
• Relevance to both U.S. and international audiences 
• Presence of Multiple Perspectives 
• Diversity of Presenters (i.e., regional, institutional) 
• Realistic allocation of time, including for discussion 
• Substantive issues discussed during the session (note again that sessions should not promote marketed products, programs, universities or services in any way) 

Session proposals should NOT be a “show and tell” but rather a focus on challenges, trends, and lessons learned, with ample time for discussion. 

The Conference Planning Committee will have to choose among many proposals, some of which may be similar, and will seek balance among topics and areas of importance to the membership. Proposals of equal merit cannot in all instances be selected when the result would be an imbalance in the conference’s overall coverage of topics, audiences, and regions.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When will I hear about whether my proposal is accepted or not? 
You will hear by early November, if not sooner, regarding the status of your proposal.

How are the proposals reviewed? 
Members of the conference advisory committee will review proposals. There are at least 3 readers on each proposal.

Can I request a specific date or time for my session?
No, due to the complexities in conference scheduling, AIEA is unfortunately unable to accommodate specific requests for session scheduling. Sessions will be scheduled between noon on Monday, February 17 and 4 pm on Wednesday, February 19. Please make sure you and your presenters are available during this time frame. If selected, session chairs will be notified of the session date and time in December.

Do presenters receive a discount in conference registration fees? 
No, there is no discount in conference registration fees for presenters.

What if one of my presenters is coming only for this session and will not be participating in any other part of the conference? 
It is possible for a presenter to just come to his/her session and then leave. However, there will be no nametag or conference materials provided and the presenter may not participate in any other part of the conference.

If I am using PowerPoint, am I required to bring my own computer? 
Yes, you will need to provide your own laptop. 

If I have handouts, am I required to bring copies to the conference? 
Yes, you should bring at least 50 copies of your handouts to the conference. Handouts are strongly recommended.

QUESTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
AIEA Secretariat: [email protected] 
Telephone: (1) 919-668-1928

KEY DATES
August 15, 2013 – deadline for submitting proposals 
December 16, 2013 – deadline for early conference registration 
January 28, 2014 – deadline for regular conference registration