This year’s conference theme, Breaking Ground in Learning Centers, will encourage dialogue about how we, as learning center professionals, can innovate within and beyond our centers to build academic and career paths for our students and up-and-coming learning center professionals.

 

 

To this end, there are five proposal tracks:

 

Building Writing Skills in the Learning Centers

This track welcomes proposals focused on initiatives and programming that aim to build writing skills for students and for professionals. Sessions may demonstrate methods and approaches to working on writing skills for student or professional audiences, at all levels. This may include programming or innovations designed for staff or faculty as well. Sessions may also address how writing is used in a learning center or academic support context.

 

Cultivating the Whole Student

This track welcomes proposals focused on initiatives and programming that aim to empower students through formal or informal mentoring or coaching. Sessions may address the ways in which learning center professionals unofficially coach or mentor students or address how some learning centers incorporate less traditional roles such as preparing students for placement exams, participating in academic interventions, or engaging in other types of student support. Sessions may also demonstrate methods or theory from formal coaching or mentoring programs.

 

Expanding Spaces

This track welcomes proposals focused on the innovative use of physical or online spaces to engage with students and collaborate with colleagues on campus. Sessions may discuss new or refreshed physical spaces in learning centers; the use of online spaces in learning centers; or shared physical or online spaces or programs between learning centers and other entities on campus.

 

Constructing Partnerships

This track welcomes proposals focused on partnerships between learning centers and other disciplines, departments, groups, or stakeholders on campus, other institutions, or organizations within the community. Sessions may discuss collaborations related to learning center activities including discipline-specific tutoring, professional or student training, workshops or exam reviews, or other joint initiatives.

 

Branching Out to a Career in Learning Centers

This track welcomes proposals focused on how to build a career as a learning center professional at any level. Sessions may discuss individual careers in learning centers, tips for building a learning center-focused resume, best practices in hiring and evaluating tutors, and other best practices for learning center professionals and administrators.

 

Spring Conference Proposal Submission

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Please select the track most closely aligned to your presentation topic. Presenters can choose from below, or indicate if they are open to multiple options:

• A thirty (30) minute presentation

• A sixty (60) minute presentation

• A poster to be presented during the poster session

 

Everyone involved with learning center work is welcome to submit, including peer tutors and student workers. There is an alternative process for vendors interested in being sponsors; interested vendors should contact info@mdclca.org.

 

Although MDCLCA is a Maryland-based affiliate, we do invite conference submissions and participation from learning center staff outside of Maryland, especially those in the Capital Region, including Washington, DC and Virginia. All proposals will be blind reviewed.

 

To Submit

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The submission form is available here on the MDCLCA website. Click on the “Annual Conference” tab, and then select “Submit a Proposal” from the drop-down menu.  After successfully submitting a proposal, you will receive an email confirmation.

• Proposals must be submitted no later than Friday, December 14th   

• Presenters will be notified via email by Friday, January 11th

• Please contact info@mdclca.org for questions or more information.

 

Important reminders

• Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed. Fill out all required fields on the form.

• Presenters are required to register for the conference. The registration fee is waived for student presenters (maximum of two per institution).