Call for Proposals

NUTN 2009 Planning Committee

Timeline

Selection Begins: October 6, 2008
Selection Closes: November 10, 2008
Acceptance Notification: November 10, 2008
Final Version of Presentations Submitted: May 5, 2009

NUTN invites you to participate in its 27th annual event in Saratoga Springs, NY, June 21-23, 2009. NUTN, the National University Telecommunications Network, is a consortium of over 50 higher education institutions. Members include administrators and managers of blended and distance learning programs, consultants, vendors and higher education policy makers.

NUTN 2009 is the premier opportunity to share ideas with thought leaders in the field. The event is sponsored by NUTN in cooperation with University Continuing Education Association, and hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. NUTN 2009 is limited to 200 participants. It is designed as a highly interactive event bringing together leaders in technology and distance learning. NUTN events are unique in that the planning committee carefully crafts not only the conference theme but the topics to be covered in individual sessions. The planning committee also schedules multiple opportunities for participants to engage in small group networking.

With this call for participation, NUTN seeks ideas, topics, panel discussion proposals, and presentation proposals. Please note that, because NUTN's primary audience is comprised of institutional decision makers, we seek primarily ideas and presentations of consequence to managers and administrators. Academic papers, while welcome, should have a decidedly management practice orientation.

Quality in Motion – Presentation Topics

The theme for NUTN 2009 is Quality In Motion. NUTN 2009 asks: How are higher education organizations ensuring quality in online and distance learning when the concept of quality and the measures of success are constantly in motion?

The systems and frameworks in higher education today are being continually challenged to create and maintain measurable quality of their content and services in an environment of never ending shifts in knowledge, technology and people. The concept of change management no longer revolves around implementing a change through an end point. Today we grapple with curriculum, infrastructure and people that are in a constant state of transformation.

Presentations should provide insights and methodologies for current and future higher education leaders, as well as for managers with responsibilities for e-learning, student support services, information technology services and other aspects of online and distance education.

The planning committee hopes presenters will step away from the podium and create unique, interactive sessions that provide active learning opportunities. The committee invites presentation proposals in the following areas:

Organizational Management:

How is the quality of the learning enterprise being assessed and who is responsible for managing that process?
How do you create policy and accountability when students and faculty move between campus and online environments seamlessly?
What happens as technical services and tools continue to decentralize? No more central LMS; user created content by students and faculty; specialized learning software and tools implemented at the course level.
What is an educational ecosystem and how will the concept impact the way we manage the learning enterprise?
How do we coordinate among various departments (IT, Academic, Student Services) and establish realistic expectations of what can be accomplished and supported from our technology infrastructure to our academic advising?
What are student enrollment trends and how are they impacting planning and infrastructure investment strategies?

Emerging Technologies:
- How do we determine quality as we integrate Second Life, MySpace, wikis, Netvidbes, Twitter and other tools into our courses and learning enterprise?
- What responsibilities do we have and how do we ensure quality for students and faculty who use platforms outside of our IT infrastructure?
- How will the concepts of a digital divide and media literacy be addressed not only with regards to incoming students, but incoming faculty and administrators as well?
- Why is the open courseware movement impacting higher education decision makers today and how will it in the future?
- What technologies and trends are driving the increasing use synchronous learning environments?
- How do the variety of learning environments (synchronous, but virtual; asynchronous; blended; etc) impact quality metrics?
Assessment and Instructional Design:
- Who and how is quality determined when courses and programs use multiple tools and platforms to create and deliver content?
  How do we use new media tools and platforms to create meaningful connections and significance in an educational setting?
- What and how are advancing media platforms (web 2.0; Twitter, computing clouds and tools (simulations, games, advanced cellular technology) impacting content creation and assessment of faculty and student performance?
- How can we systemically identify learning styles and match students with the appropriate resources?
- How should faculty roles change as a result of students' greater access to information and via portable devices and wireless environments?
- What can administrators due to facilitate an environment that encourages innovation in teaching, without sacrificing quality and results?
Leadership Succession Planning:
- How are future leaders identified and successfully mentored within our organizations?
- What will be the role of education leadership when the same tools that are impacting the classroom begin impacting organization management and traditional hierarchical structures?
- What knowledge, skills, and attributes will higher education leaders need to succeed in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment?
- Can we move from employee management to a talent management system that identifies and mentors our organizations' and industries' future leaders?
- How does the increasingly virtual work environment impact the ability to identify and mentor potential organizational leaders?
Organizational and Government Policy:
- Can we develop policies and business practices to facilitate the development and use of Web 2.0, 3.0 and beyond in our organizations and how do we identify the benefits it may or may not bring to our organizations?
- How can benchmarking impact planning and policy at various levels of the institution?
- How is the definition and application of distance learning being changed and what impact is it having on policy?
- How do will federal and state mandates impact technology innovation in education and the accreditation process?
- Can the organization use the tools available (wiki's, second life, etc.) in the process of policy creation?
- How has the concept of globalization impact the quality metrics used by academic departments?

*Please feel free to submit proposals that represent other issues you are facing managing your learning enterprise.

Proposal Format/ Submission Instructions

The total length of a proposal should not exceed the cover sheet plus a one page presentation narrative. The abstract may include URLs to relevant web pages; slide presentations may be attached. Electronic submission of the proposal is required. MS Word or WordPerfect are preferred. Send electronic copies of proposals to nutn@dcccd.edu.

Presentation Formats

The conference invites panel, roundtable, tutorial, workshop, poster session/demonstration, and education-corporate “NUTN Partnership for Quality” presentations.

Presenter Technology Needs

It is anticipated that each presentation room will be equipped with a laptop, projector and screen, and Internet access. Presentation materials will be preloaded on the room's laptop whenever possible to allow for easy transition between presenters. Unique presenter needs beyond the aforementioned equipment should be outlined in the presentation proposal.

Presentation Materials

For selected presentations, all collateral materials including slide presentations, notes, and website links shall be submitted to NUTN prior to the conference. Presentation materials will be included on a pin drive to be provided to participants upon arrival at the event.

Conference Participation

Presenters are expected to register and pay for their attendance at the conference. The NUTN member registration fee for this two-day event is approximately $495 excluding preconference workshops (presenters pay the NUTN member rate). NUTN has negotiated participant room rates at The Saratoga Hilton starting at $170 per night. Albany International Airport is 30 miles from the hotel. There are several transportation options from the Albany International Airport to Saratoga Springs. Taxi service is $50 for one person one way; airport limousine services are available for $75 for up to four people one way. Train and bus service is also available.