Submission Deadline: Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Call for Proposals

Proposals are now being accepted for the 40th Annual Rocky Mountain Association for Institutional Research (RMAIR) Conference to be held at the Curtis Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The conference theme is "40 Years of Moving Higher Education Forward." This theme allows a variety of topics related to institutional research, institutional effectiveness, accountability, and student success.

A variety of presentation formats include Contributed Papers, Posters, Table Topics, Workshare, and Techshare. Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings can also be accommodated.

Pre-Conference Workshop proposals are being accepted, for either half- or full-day sessions. These workshops are intended to be hands-on learning experiences.

The deadline for proposals is June 30, 2010. Descriptions of presentation formats, proposal guidelines and the proposal submission requirements are attached. Please consider submitting a proposal to help make this conference a success. Proposal submissions should be sent to either Greg Appling or Mary Sherman (see email addresses below).

Greg Appling 2010 RMAIR Conference Program Chair Greg.ApplingAims.edu

Mary Sherman 2010 RMAIR Conference Associate Program Chair Mary.ShermanArapahoe.edu

Proposal Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines when preparing your on-line proposal submission.

General Information - All Presentation Format Types

• Submit proposals according to the format that best fits your presentation. Descriptions of the proposal formats are available below.
• All proposals must postmarked by 11:59 pm MST, Wednesday, June 30, 2010.
• Be sure to indicate your equipment and software needs for workshops and presentations. Note: RMAIR can provide auxiliary equipment such as LCD projectors, but not computers.
• All presenters must register for the conference.
• Proposals will be evaluated by a committee of peers.
• Please adhere to the following guidelines specific to your presentation format/type when preparing your proposal.

Presentation Format Descriptions

Pre-Conference Workshop (Half- or Full-day)
Prior to the annual meeting, RMAIR offers several pre-conference workshops. These are presenter-guided practical learning sessions that enhance the skills of practitioners. Workshops may be half-day (3 hours) or full-day (6 hours) in length. Pre-Conference Workshops will be offered on Wednesday, October 20th.

Workshop proposals must include the title, topic, and specific objectives; the intended audience and prerequisite knowledge/skills; the approaches to be used; an outline of the workshop content; description of handouts; minimum and maximum number of participants; and specific equipment needs. Also include the qualifications of the instructor(s) and preferred presentation length.

Contributed Paper (50 minutes)
This is a presentation in which an author(s) shares research results, conceptual analysis, or comprehensive case studies. The proposal should include the title, short description of the presentation, full content description describing content and activities involved in the presentation, presenter(s) bios, and equipment needs. Paper sessions typically are 50 minutes in length with prepared comments lasting about 40 minutes, leaving 10 minutes for discussion and questions.

Poster (display and 50 minutes)
Presenters may participate in a poster session where ideas can be shared informally through a display. Posters will be on display for informal viewing Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday, culminating with a 50 minute session where the presenter is available during a more formal viewing. Posters may show a work in progress, describe a research technique, or share a new idea with colleagues in a relaxed, one-on-one setting.

Workshare or Techshare (50 minutes)
Both of these are less formal formats for the presentation of works in progress, demonstrations of software, topical case studies, and working papers of ongoing research. Techshares provide an opportunity for the presenter to demonstrate the application of a hardware and/or software product within the IR office. Proposals for either session type should include the title, short description of the presentation, full content description describing content and activities involved in the presentation, intended audience, presenter(s) bios, and equipment needs. Workshare and Techshare sessions are presented at the same time as contributed papers; presenters should allow time for discussion.

Table Topic (50 minutes)
This presentation type includes a brief presentation by the facilitator followed by a group discussion of a research study, issue, or method related to practical applications in institutional research. The proposal should include the title, topic, a brief outline of the items to be discussed, the intended audience, a brief description of the facilitator's experience in the area, and the anticipated number of attendees. Sessions are 50 minutes in length including the facilitator's prepared comments of 10 minutes. Typically all Table Topic sessions occur during a dedicated meeting time.

Special Interest Group (SIG)
Leaders may request dedicated session times for various groups to have brief meetings or dialogs. Proposals should include the SIG name, moderator's affiliation/interest with the topic/group, anticipated number of attendees, and summary of SIG purpose. SIGs do not need to be formally organized or affiliated with AIR.

Proposal Submission Outline

Please use the following outline as a format for your proposal:

1. Title of Presentation: Please provide a title (10 words maximum) that accurately conveys the content of the session.
2. Description of Presentation: Provide a brief, 50-word description that can be included in the conference program.
3. Content of Presentation: Provide a 200-word description of the content and the activities involved in your presentation.
4. Description of Presenter(s): Provide a brief summary of the background and current position of all presenters. Please include name, title, affiliation, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address.
5. Equipment: All presenters must bring their own laptops. Please indicate any additional equipment you'll need, such as:
   • LCD Projector
   • Internet Access
   • Flip Chart
   • Overhead Projector
   • VCR
   • Wireless LAN

Applicants will be notified as to the status of their proposals by August 2, 2010.
Please submit proposals to one of the following:

Greg Appling 2010 RMAIR Conference Program Chair Greg.ApplingAims.edu

Mary Sherman 2010 RMAIR Conference Associate Program Chair Mary.ShermanArapahoe.edu