Call for Proposals

2022 SACSCOC Annual Meeting

Georgia on Our Minds

Atlanta, GA | December 3 – 6

Looking at our lives today compared to a few years ago, we can probably all agree that the way we think, the way we feel, the way we interact with one another, and even the way we prioritize what’s important to us are no longer the same. We are each navigating along our own unique journey through the pandemic, acknowledging those things that we wish would return to the way they once were. The pandemic’s impact on how we carry out our work is evident, yet we have not shied away from continuing to educate our students the best way we can. As we look toward tomorrow and continue to manage our efforts to improve student success, there has been no substitute for networking and communicating ideas with those who’ve shared our experiences—our achievements as well as our struggles.

The 2022 SACSCOC Annual Meeting brings with it the opportunity for member institutions to assemble together and focus on those topics that stand prominently in our thoughts. You are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to lead a session to share the lessons your institution has learned or discuss a problem your institution has solved that could serve as a major step forward for another institution. Being able to gather in Georgia, the home of the SACSCOC offices, creates a great setting to highlight what concerns us most while carrying out our missions. The Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee has chosen “Georgia on Our Minds” as this year’s conference theme. The history of the state, along with some of its interesting characteristics, aligns well with the program tracks identified below.

Georgia is home to the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women (Wesleyan College). Georgia is also home to the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc., the world’s largest consortia of African American private institutions of higher education (Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College). In addition, Georgia is considered the birthplace of the civil rights movement. The Peach State is no stranger to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the first program track at the forefront of our MINDS:

Motivating intentional diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within strategic plans, accreditation systems, and institutional practices

How are institutions creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive institutional culture?
How are institutions recruiting a diverse faculty and staff that reflects the larger society?
How are institutions demonstrating a commitment to inclusive institutional environments through strategic planning and evaluation processes?
How are institutions experimenting with or developing academic and student support services that specifically work towards improving representation, diversity and inclusivity of the learning community, and equity of learning outcomes?

The home office of the Southern Association of Colleges Commission on Colleges is located in Georgia. The second program track which is rooted directly in the work of accreditation remains prominent on our MINDS.

Incorporating and documenting the Principles, Substantive Change, and the ongoing work of assessment and strategic planning across our institutions

How are institutions balancing competing priorities amidst ongoing work of accreditation?
How are institutions managing dual enrollment?
How are institutions successfully navigating the Fifth-Year Interim Review?
How do institutions deal with the in-between years of reaffirmation? What about between year 1 and year 5 of the QEP?
What compliance issues are institutions encountering and managing?
How are institutions managing the scope of work associated with substantive change?
How are institutions envisioning decision-making for compliance?

Georgia is home to the higher education institution with the largest contiguous campus out of any other in the entire world (Berry College). Also, Georgia was the first state to charter a state-supported university on January 27, 1785 (University of Georgia). Managing resources is the focus of the third program track that is prominent on our MINDS.

Navigating technology, finances, physical spaces, and other essential institutional resources, including innovative strategies

How is technology being leveraged to improve student learning?
How are institutional stewards helping community members understand the institution’s financial health?
How are institutions maintaining or improving operational efficiency in the event of resource scarcity?
How are institutions navigating the new and growing challenges of remote and online learning among faculty and students?
What innovative processes or practices are institutions implementing that haven’t been seen before?
How can your institution’s innovations be scaled for use by other institutions that vary in size, type, location, mission, and resources?

Georgia is home to recent champions in the sports arena: 2018 Major League Soccer Cup winner, Atlanta United; 2021 Major League Baseball World Series winner, Atlanta Braves; and 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship winner, University of Georgia Bulldogs. When the pinnacle of your hard work and dedication is reached, the utmost feeling of accomplishment reigns. Georgia is a fitting location to focus on finding joy in carrying out our institutional missions, the fourth program track that is prominent on our MINDS.

Discovering and cultivating joy in our individual or collective educational missions

How are institutions helping individuals identify with and live the institutional mission?
How are institutions supporting the mental health of students, faculty, and staff?
How are employees finding joy in their work?
How are institutions responding to human needs, possibly with positive effects on hiring and retention?
How are employees nurturing themselves during stressful times?
How does mindfulness integrate into our daily work?

Georgia’s landscape presents numerous contrasts, with more soil types than any other state as it sweeps from the Appalachian Mountains in the north to the marshes of the Atlantic coast on the southeast and the Okefenokee Swamp on the south. (https://www.britannica.com/place/Georgia-state) The variation in the state’s physical landscape creates a perfect backdrop to the many ways we have all been impacted personally and professionally by the pandemic. A focus on how we continue to move forward is the emphasis for the fifth program track that is prominent on our MINDS.

Shaping the post-COVID higher education landscape

How are institutions bringing the digital (hybrid) campus to life?
How are institutions digitally supporting students?
How have institutions adapted organizational models to reflect the new learning environments and expectations?
What issues did the pandemic reveal and how are institutions resolving them?
How are institutions preparing for the future of remote work?
What is the future of real estate on college campuses?
How can outcomes assessment be improved post-pandemic?
What have institutions learned about faculty learning and support needs? What will faculty and staff development look like in a post-COVID world?

Special Topics

A number of current issues in higher education, which are not directly addressed in the program tracks above, dominate the cover stories of journals, periodicals, and websites. While considering the conference theme, proposals in this track should stimulate discussion and encourage participants to share methods to address these current issues facing higher education.

Format of Proposed Session

The 2022 Annual Meeting Program will feature more than 150 different sessions offered by approved proposal submissions, including poster sessions, group discussions, concurrent sessions, and pre-conference workshops. Consider the appropriate format of your session that will best ensure participants are able to achieve the desired learning outcomes. Below is a description of each session format:

Poster sessions feature a visually appealing presentation consisting of results from a research project that includes implications for a wider audience.
Group discussions feature an open discussion between a knowledgeable facilitator and a small group. While the group discussions are 60 minutes, formal presentations will not be considered.
Concurrent sessions offer practical applications (what worked and what did not work). It is imperative that the content extend beyond “this is how we did it” to the discussion being generalizable to other institutions. Concurrent sessions will be 60 minutes and should include at least 5–10 minutes for questions from the audience. Some topics may warrant 90 minutes, provided they are fully justified and include an active learning component.
Pre-Conference Workshops incorporate active learning during sessions led by experienced professionals in full-day (6 hours) and half-day (3 hours) time frames. A schedule of activities to be conducted during the allotted time must be included in the proposal. In addition, the content must include both didactic and applied instruction that is relevant to accreditation and/or the theme. Workshop presenters should be knowledgeable in their fields and capable of presenting the content in creative ways and applying it to real problems in academia.

Target Audience, Content Level, and Institution Level

Each proposal should identify the target audience that will benefit most from participating in the session (QEP Leadership Teams, Accreditation Liaisons, academic administrators, faculty, assessment officers, etc.).

Each proposal should also indicate the anticipated content level of the topic as defined below:

Beginner content covers basic topics in accreditation or higher education. Familiarity with the Principles of Accreditation may be helpful; however, in most cases, prior knowledge is not assumed.
Intermediate content covers theory and practice in topics in accreditation or higher education for participants with some related work experience.
Advanced content covers highly developed or complex topics, knowledge, or skills for participants with several years of related work experience. Usually, advanced sessions provide an opportunity for participants to apply the content to a real problem or to analyze some of the concepts presented.

To identify the target institution level(s) for your session, use the categories below, which reflect the highest degree offered at a member institution:

Level I – Associate degrees
Level II – Baccalaureate degree
Levels III-VI – Master, Educational Specialist, or Doctorate degree

Components of Proposal Evaluation

All proposals should be well developed with thorough responses. Incomplete documentation will not be reviewed. Proposals will be evaluated on how well the questions below are answered.

Proposal title – Does the title clearly describe the session and enhance interest?
Session description – Does the description coherently and concisely describe what will be covered in the session while piquing the interest of an attendee?
Relevance of the topic and its appropriateness to the theme – Does the proposal make a strong compelling argument for its inclusion in the conference program? Does it represent a timely topic that is relevant to the field of higher education? Is the topic appropriate for the conference theme?
Organization of session – Is there a well-structured, descriptive outline (with realistic timeframes) of the session content?
Participant learning outcomes – Are the participant learning outcomes realistic, clearly stated, and reflect what participants will learn, instead of what the presenter will do during the session? Will the participants receive practical, transferable knowledge?
Active learning (Pre-conference workshops and 90-minute concurrent sessions only) – Does the proposal include meaningful activities for participants that appropriately support the participant learning outcomes?
Cohesion of proposal elements – Does the proposal clearly demonstrate coherence among key elements: session title, description, outline, and participant learning outcomes?
Professionalism – Does the proposal reflect the professionalism expected of SACSCOC presenters (well-written and error-free)?
Presenter qualifications – Does the presenter possess the appropriate level of experience/expertise to deliver the proposed session?

Proposal Submission:

Proposals must be submitted by noon (eastern time) on Thursday, May 12, 2022.

To preview the proposal questions before submitting it, click on Proposal Questions.

To submit a proposal, click on Proposal Submission Form.

To submit a second proposal, click on Second Proposal Submission Form.