Campus Compact is now accepting proposals for the Compact24 national conference. We seek proposals that explore our theme: Now is the moment: Higher Education Civic and Community Engagement as the Way Forward. Proposals are due September 8, 2023.
We encourage proposals representing the breadth of our institutional members including public, private, two-year, four-year, minority serving institutions, rural and urban based institutions, faith based institutions, and graduate colleges and universities, along with organizations outside of higher education, including community-based partners. All sessions should balance learning and exchange, contribute to diversity, equity & inclusion, and represent a multiplicity of perspectives. All presentation proposals should fall within Campus Compact’s primary impact areas:
- Civic learning and democratic engagement
- Publicly engaged scholarship, practice, and teaching
- Community-engaged partnerships, institutional action, and anchor initiatives
Session Types
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Roundtable Discussions - Roundtable discussions will be used to facilitate and workshop ideas, gather feedback, and work collaboratively toward solutions. In small groups of 8-10, participants will discuss an initiative, project, or program that is in development. 30 minutes, maximum of two presenters
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Poster Presentations - Poster presentations are intended to promote exchange between presenters and attendees on research and/or community-engaged projects. A physical poster must be provided that highlights the purpose, methodology, participants involved, findings, implications for the field, and outcomes. Poster presentations are displayed throughout the conference and have a dedicated session to promote dialogue and exchange. Poster presentations are an excellent opportunity to include undergraduate and graduate student collaborators. Maximum of three presenters
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Dialogue Sessions - Dialogue sessions provide facilitators with the opportunity to engage participants in a deliberative dialogue experience grounded on a critical issue or question in the field. During the experience, participants both explore the topic area and get hands-on experience utilizing a dialogue practice/approach. Facilitators will propose the ideal number of participants based on their proposed dialogue approach. 45 minutes, maximum of two facilitators
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Author Talks - Author talks provide participants with an opportunity to engage with the author of an impactful publication (or book chapter) in the civic and community engagement field. The session should be a blend of presenting key takeaways from the publication and dialogue with attendees. 45 minutes, maximum of two presenters
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Knowledge-to-Action Workshop - Knowledge-to-Action sessions are focused on sharing specific knowledge, theories, skills, or methods for practical application. These sessions should be interactive, and participants should leave with actionable recommendations for practice. 45 minutes (regular) or 1 hour 45 minutes with a 15-minute break (intensive), maximum of four presenters
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Promising Practice - Promising practice sessions highlight specific civic or community engagement projects, infrastructure, or approaches that are working effectively on their campus with the goal of informing and inspiring participants for potential replication and ideas. 20 minutes (15 minutes presenting & 5 minutes Q&A), maximum of two presenters.
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Community or Network Meeting - Community sessions are held at the beginning and end of conference days. The format is open and can be designed to suit the needs of the facilitator and attendees. These meetings can support geographically focused groups, affinity networks, design teams, in-person meet-ups for communities of practice, and others. 1 hour, maximum of four facilitators (or two organizational leads)
Key topics
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Field evolution - sessions provide space to reflect on where we have been and deliberate where we are going. Sessions may explore language used in our field, transitions from historical approaches to current innovations, links between civic engagement and workforce development, and structures and functional approaches to advancing the work.
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Anti-racist community and civic engagement teaching, research, and service - sessions explore anti-racist civic and community engagement work and may also focus on the integration and operationalizing of diversity, equity, and inclusion in civic/community engagement practices and structures.
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Centering community partner voice in decision-making - sessions explore how campuses and practitioners are centering community voice. Topics may include community advisory board structures and approaches, compensation and recognition policies and practices, and more.
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Next-generation civic and community engagement professionals - sessions focus on supporting early-career faculty and staff and intentionally creating new pathways and on-ramps into the field for historically underrepresented individuals.
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Addressing polarization - Sessions focus on strategies we can use to bring people together across difference through deliberative dialogue and bridge-building activities that intentionally incorporate diverse viewpoints in these divisive times.
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Communicating impact and fundraising - Sessions explore ways to use technology, data, storytelling, and assessment to capture impact and tell the story of civic and community engagement. Discussions could explore how campuses are translating impact both internally and externally to develop new resources and fundraising opportunities. Sessions may also dive into approaches to integrating fundraising into your operations, employee development, and student engagement.
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Building collective strategies & impact - sessions explore how campuses and practitioners are working collectively with K-12, other higher education institutions, hospitals, government, and/or cultural institutions to advance specific priorities in communities. We invite many different approaches: collective impact, community-first, anchor partnerships, sector-wide partnerships, or multi-site networks, for example.
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Curricular innovation and student success strategies - sessions explore new and innovative practices within civic and community-engaged teaching and learning. Discussions may examine implementing innovative curriculum design and delivery and other strategies to foster civic skill development, creating pathways for civic learning and action, supporting the development of student civic identity, and championing minors and majors in civic engagement and leadership. Sessions may also explore how these strategies contribute to improved recruitment, enrollment, and retention.
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Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems - sessions center on how community and civic engagement are pathways for addressing systemic inequities in education, climate justice, violence, economic and wealth disparities, indigenous communities, housing, and more. These sessions should showcase how institutions are creating sustainable change in their communities through engaged teaching, research, and outreach.
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Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being - sessions discuss how to center well-being for our students, professional colleagues, and community partners—and how that relates to our community engagement work. Sessions may highlight programming and strategies that strengthen a sense of belonging for students, foster well-being for all individuals engaged in our work, or address the impact and mental health challenges associated with COVID-19, discrimination, and other societal issues.
Proposal form preview
- Select session type (learn more about Compact24 session formats)
- Identify intended audience (multi-select): Community engagement professionals, community partners, faculty, senior administrators, students
- Identify intended audience experience (multi-select): New to the field, early career, mid-career, late career
- Identify the focus area most closely related to your session:
- Field evolution
- Anti-racist community and civic engagement teaching, research, and service
- Centering community partner voice in decision-making
- Next-generation civic and community engagement professionals
- Addressing polarization
- Communicating impact and fundraising
- Building collective strategies and impact
- Curricular innovation and student success strategies
- Addressing systemic inequities and wicked societal problems
- Centering mental health, belonging, and well-being
- None of the above (please specify)
- Identify up to 2 additional focus areas that relate to your presentation
- Session Title (100 character limit)
- Session abstract (120 word limit)
- Full session description, including your plan to make the session interactive (250 word limit)
- Intended session outcomes or participant learning objectives (50 word limit)
- How does this session contribute to the conference theme?
- Desired session set-up and technology needs (optional)
Presenter Information
- Name
- Job title
- Institution or organization name
- Institution or organization type
- Email address
- Brief Biography (50 word limit)
- Number of co-presenters
- Co-presenters personal information
- Additional community partner or student presenter information
- Optional demographic questions
Proposal review
Proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee and peer reviewers using the following criteria:
- Relevance of Topic: Does the proposal focus on contemporary questions and challenges related to the conference theme and key topics areas? Is the topic forward-looking, emphasizing novel approaches, ideas, and resources to catalyze change?
- Quality of the submission: Is the proposal comprehensive in addressing each of the questions? Are the responses clear and demonstrate a strong understanding of the proposed topic?
- Session Outcomes: Is there alignment between the stated session outcomes and the proposal description? Are the outcomes achievable? Based on the proposed session type, will the proposed session achieve intended audience participation, the transition of knowledge to action, etc?
Additional details:
- Session proposals must be submitted through our online application portal to be considered. For your convenience, you will find a preview of the session application form below.
- Session topics may not be changed after the review and selection process.
- Campus Compact may edit presentation titles or session descriptions for consistency and clarity.
- We will notify applicants about session decisions by email in fall 2023.
- Presenters are required to register for the Compact24 conference. Registration must be completed by February 15, 2024 to guarantee their session.