2025 AAHHE Call for Proposals
Deadline: Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 11:59pm ET

Submit Your Proposal Today!

Concurrent Session Types

The 2025 AAHHE National Conference showcases five concurrent session types:

  1. Art as Activism/Artivista Approaches
  2. Educational Sessions (Scholarship- or Practice-Focused)
  3. Interactive Workshops/Symposia
  4. Poster Presentations
  5. Roundtables (Works in Progress)

Across these session types, we welcome inter/transdisciplinary thought and approaches that challenge the “normative” style of conference presentation.

Furthermore, if you submit for an Educational Session, you will have the option to indicate whether or not you would like to be considered for a Roundtable or Poster Presentation if your first choice is not selected. 

Art as Activism/Artivista Approaches are intended to bring artistic forms of knowledge production to the forefront. This includes sessions that engage the conference theme, strand/s, and participants through a performance and/or creative expression space by individual/s in formats including but not limited to spoken word/poetry, art creation, and/or theater and dance workshops. Performance and creative expression sessions provide opportunities for the audience to connect with the land, their bodies, healing practices, ways of knowing, and each other in transformative ways.

This session can also include original works of art/graphic design of art as activism. Activist art is a “term used to describe art that is grounded in the act of ‘doing’ and addresses political or social issues” (Bruguera, n.d., para. 1). As Martha Gonzalez offers, artivista approaches are those who use art “not just for their own sole expression, but they utilize their skill sets to pull other people into an actual process” (Guzman-Lopez, 2022, para. 6). If submitting artwork, it should include language to support the imagery (e.g., QR video explanation or written description). 

If you are submitting in this session type, in 750–1,000 words, the proposal should describe as many of the following as are applicable, preferably in this order:

  • Significance and objectives and their alignment with Reconciling our Past, Challenging the Present, Shaping Equitable Futures: Advancing the Next 20 Years of Latinx/a/o Communities, and/or the conference strands;
  • Connection to relevant literature, storytelling, ancestral knowledge, and/or collective experiences
  • Chosen approach and description of why this approach was chosen; and
  • Articulation of what audience members are intended to take from the work.

Access the Art as Activism/Artivista Approaches Rubric for additional guidance.

Educational Sessions (Scholarship- or Practice-Focused) present findings, conceptual innovations, and/or practice-based advancements that address current issues in the area of Latinx/a/o communities in higher education. Proposals should describe how presenters will facilitate a session that lasts approximately 60 minutes based on scholarship or innovative practices. 

Sessions should aim to increase participants’ understanding of innovative practices for Latinx/a/o communities in higher education. Presenters should be prepared to engage audiences in activities, discussions, and in other interactive ways. Presenters will not be expected to submit or provide a completed conference paper to participants if their work is scholarship-focused, but individuals should plan to present their findings and recommendations in some way (e.g., Handout, PowerPoint presentation, etc.). Presenters may discuss unpublished works or published works as long as they maintain relevance within the context of the theme. 

In 750–1,000 words, Educational Session proposals should describe as many of the following as are applicable, preferably in this order:

  • Significance and objectives and their alignment with Reconciling our Past, Challenging the Present, Shaping Equitable Futures: Advancing the Next 20 Years of Latinx/a/o Communities, and/or the conference strands;
  • Research questions and/or problems of practice addressed;
  • Theoretical, conceptual framework, and/or knowledge-based, as appropriate;
  • Connection to relevant literature, storytelling, ancestral knowledge, and/or collective experiences;
  • Major findings, contributions, and/or recommendations of practice-based initiative; and
  • Outline for educational session (designed to last 60 minutes).

Access the Educational Sessions (Scholarship- or Practice-Focused) rubric for additional guidance. 

Interactive Workshops/Symposia are focused sessions in which multiple authors/presenters share their perspectives about a common theme, the problem of practice, issue, or question, and engage the audience in interactive practices/discussion or that feature the teaching of a skill/developing a personal or professional practice. 

For an interactive symposia, the session format usually consists of an introduction to the topic by the chairperson to provide the audience with background information for the ensuing discussion. Authors/presenters then share their viewpoints, followed by discussion and engagement with the broader audience. The presenters may choose to share their experiences based on their personal insight/experiences or in the form of a paper presentation. Often, the symposia will end with an overview of the session and key takeaways, potentially shared by a chairperson. Proposals in this session type should include a fully realized session (i.e., identifying a chairperson, and presenters), as opposed to expecting the conference to place presenters together. 

An interactive workshop can instead be designed to engage the audience in learning a skill or in developing a personal/professional practice. Workshops can be led by a single person or as part of a group. 

For space considerations, please limit presenters to no more than five people in total. In 750–1,000 words, proposals for interactive workshops/symposia should describe as many of the following as applicable, preferably in this order:

  • Significance and objectives and their alignment with Reconciling our Past, Challenging the Present, Shaping Equitable Futures: Advancing the Next 20 Years of Latinx/a/o Communities, and/or the conference strands;
  • Theoretical or conceptual frameworks, if applicable;
  • Presenter backgrounds and expertise as it relates to the session’s topic and/or abstracts of the presenters’ papers that will be shared in the session;
  • Structure and format of the session (designed for 60 minutes). For instance, this would include the designation of a moderator and/or strategies to facilitate audience discussion and learning. 

Access the Interactive Workshops/Symposia Rubric for additional guidance.

Poster Sessions highlight critical questioning, research ideas, innovations, and advances for Latinx/a/o communities. Presenter(s) allow the audience and attendees to engage in extended and meaningful discussion regarding the author’s/authors’ presentation that is in illustrated format on a poster board. Posters should be 3’ x 4’ (36” x 48”) and will be placed on a board in a large hall. Presenter(s) are expected to be at their assigned presentation during the entire duration of the poster session. 

In 750–1,000 words, the poster session proposal should describe as many of the following as applicable, preferably in this order:

  • Significance and objectives and their alignment with Reconciling our Past, Challenging the Present, Shaping Equitable Futures: Advancing the Next 20 Years of Latinx/a/o Communities, and/or the conference strands;
  • Perspectives, knowledge base, and/or theoretical/conceptual frameworks that will guide the discussion.
  • Proposed research plan, study methods, or modes of inquiry; if applicable.
  • Data sources or evidence, if applicable.
  • Analytical/Strategic plan/approach, if applicable.
  • Practice, policy, and/or research implications.

Access the Poster Rubric for additional guidance.

Roundtables (Works in Progress) are discussions that showcase an informal exchange of ideas between participants (up to three presenters) on current practices and/or education research—especially in alignment with the conference theme and issues of social justice. Whereas the Educational Sessions are intended to be finished projects by the time of the conference, these works in progress represent evolving ideas that would benefit from conversations with attendees. Presenters are encouraged to utilize a variety of mediums to present their topic and/or study and open up the floor for conversation. No more than 10 minutes should be allocated for the presentation to leave time for discussion. The roundtable participants may ask questions and discuss relevant issues in more detail than what is typical in other types of sessions. With Roundtables, the conference planners will place roundtable submissions together in a session—as opposed to the Interactive Workshop/Symposium sessions that are self-created by the proposal authors. 

In 750–1000 words, roundtable proposals should describe as many of the following as are applicable, preferably in this order:

  • Significance and objectives and their alignment with Reconciling our Past, Challenging the Present, Shaping Equitable Futures: Advancing the Next 20 Years of Latinx/a/o Communities, and/or the conference strands;
  • Perspectives, knowledge base, and/or theoretical/conceptual frameworks that will guide the discussion.
  • Proposed research plan, study methods, or modes of inquiry; if applicable.
  • Data sources or evidence, if applicable.
  • Analytical/Strategic plan/approach, if applicable.
  • Practice, policy, and/or research implications.

Access the Roundtable (Works in Progress) Rubric for additional guidance.

How to Submit a Conference Proposal

A submission form must be completed via the AAHHE submissions portal no later than October 2nd, 2024, by 11:59 pm EST. If you are an active AAHHE member (in the last 6 months), you will be able to log in and also reset your password if needed. If you are not an active member, you will need an active membership to log in. If you are not a member yet, you can log in by creating a new account.

  • The submission form will prompt for the proposal description to be uploaded as an MS Word (.doc or .docx) or Portable Document File (.pdf). Additional supporting documents such as a list of references and additional attachments to include tables, figures, images, and/or appendices should be included at the end of the proposal description. A reminder that successful proposals are typically those that land within the 750–1,000 word limit. 
  • All presenters' information needs to be accurately submitted for full consideration.
  • Please note that if/when your proposal is accepted, each presenter will be asked to commit to attending the conference and presenting in person. 

The conference proposal shall consist of:

  1. Selection of a conference strand
  2. Selection of a submission type
  3. The following information is to be submitted directly via the online submission form:
    1. Presentation Title (15-word maximum)
    2. Abstract (75-word maximum)
  4. A proposal description (750 words-1,000 words) to be uploaded, as an MS Word (.doc or .docx) or Portable Document File (.pdf), and to include the following information in conjunction with the provided session type rubric aligned to your submission type:
    1. Purpose of presentation. Be sure to draw connections to the conference theme and/or strand.
    2. Philosophical, theoretical, conceptual, or practical arguments related to the stated purpose of presentation.
    3. Review of literature relevant to the topic, issue, or problem within the field of education. References should be listed separately.
    4. If appropriate, methodological underpinnings and findings (i.e., preliminary, partial, or full). Note: Tables, figures, images, and/or appendices can be included as a separate attachment.
    5. Method(s) for engaging attendees (e.g., polling small-group discussion, case study analysis, written reflection, etc.).
    6. Outline of how time will be allocated to various activities (e.g., Introduction = 5 min.; Literature Review = 10 min.; Findings = 20 min.; Discussion = 20 min.; Closing = 5 min.). Each session lasts  60 min. 
    7. At the end of the document, include a list of references cited in the proposal description relevant to the topic, issue, or problem within the field of higher education. The references should follow the APA formatting style. 
    8. After the references are listed, you can add additional information to include tables, figures, images, and/or appendices.

Do not include the list of references in the word count of the proposal description.

Please include the last name of the primary contact and abbreviated title in the "file name" (e.g., Duran--QueerLatinxStudents) of the proposal description.

Proposal Review Process

All proposals will be evaluated through a peer-review process led by the AAHHE Conference Planning Committee. Any inquiries or questions related to your proposal should be directed to the 2025 AAHHE Conference Chair Dr. Antonio Duran (Arizona State University) and Co-Chair Dr. Lazaro Camacho Jr. (University of Rhode Island) at [email protected].  

All proposals will be assessed based on the following general guidelines:

  • Ability to align with the conference theme and/or the selected strand.
  • Importance of the study, topic, issue, or problem to the field of education (contributions to expand knowledge, practice, and/or theory).
  • Overall quality of the proposal (e.g., quality of writing, organization of ideas, clarity of assumptions, logic of arguments, etc.).
  • Clarity of focus or findings, whether partially or fully reported.
  • Addresses or shows sensitivity towards issues within the Latinx/a/o community and our intersecting identities.

In addition, the following specific guidelines for each concurrent session type will be evaluated as follows:

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals:

  • Exceeds Expectations = Information is very clear and readily comprehensible to several audiences (e.g., students, faculty, administrators, community members, etc.). Content advances new understandings and/or innovation for Latinx/a/o communities. Attendees will achieve all stated learning outcomes/objectives. The proposal is in direct alignment with the conference theme.

  • Meets Expectations = Information is clear and comprehensible to multiple audiences (e.g., students, faculty, etc.). Content aligns with current understandings and practices for working with Latinx/a/o communities. Attendees will achieve the most stated learning outcomes/objectives based on the information provided. The proposal is aligned with the conference theme.

  • Needs Improvement = Information needs to be clarified and is only understood by 1 audience. Content needs to be explained in greater detail to understand the connection to higher education. It is unclear if/how attendees will achieve the stated learning outcomes/objectives. The proposal is only loosely aligned or is not in alignment with the conference theme. 

  • Does Not Meet Expectations = Information is unclear and incomprehensible. Content does not align with higher education. Attendees will not achieve stated learning outcomes/objectives. The proposal does not align with the conference theme. 

Additional Information

  • Conference participants will be able to register to attend the conference in person.
  • All program presenters will be required to register for the conference and pay the in-person conference registration fee.
  • AAHHE and our host campus will provide a screen and LCD projector.
  • Conference presenters will be required to bring their laptops for their presentations.
  • Neither honoraria nor expenses, including registration fees, will be paid by AAHHE to program presenters.
  • Every effort is made to offer a quality program for conference participants. Once accepted, presenters will be asked to sign, and honor, a commitment to present.
  • AAHHE reserves the right to recommend changes in a proposal, and to encourage joint presentations if multiple proposals are submitted on similar topics.
  • Information printed in the conference program is based on the proposal application information provided. Please ensure the information submitted is accurate since that is how it will appear in the program.

Best Scholarly Paper Award

The AAHHE “Best Scholarly Paper” Award is open only to accepted research/scholarly papers that are presented at the AAHHE annual conference. For full consideration for the 2025 AAHHE “Best Scholarly Paper” Award, author(s):

  1. Must submit a proposal for the 2025 AAHHE Conference via the following submission portal by October 2, 2024. The proposal must be accepted for presentation at the conference in order to be eligible for the 2025 AAHHE “Best Scholarly Paper” Award. 

  2. Must present their paper in-person at the 2025 AAHHE National Conference. The conference will take place at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSUD), Denver, CO on March 7 – 9, 2025. For more information on the conference, click here.

  3. At the time of the conference proposal submission, interested authors must opt in to confirm their interest in their proposal being considered for the “Best Scholarly Award”. 

  4. Once the paper has been accepted for presentation at the conference, authors must upload their final and complete manuscript to the AAHHE Submissions Portal by January 15th, 2025, for review by the AAHHE Publications Committee. The final paper should reflect adherence to the JHHE publication guidelines. 

For more information on the Best Scholarly Paper Award, please visit here.

Conference (attendance/presenter) Funding Suggestions

AAHHE does not guarantee funding to attend this conference if selected to present; however, some educational institutions may provide funding to attend events that align with their organization’s mission. For instance, if your campus is a Hispanic Serving Institution, there may be funding available to attend this conference if your organization allocates money for professional development through Title V grant funding. In some cases, one of the grant components is to provide additional professional development for faculty in the area of equity and culturally responsive teaching and learning. 

Similarly, you are encouraged to consult with your organization's diversity, equity, and/or inclusion office, if available, to see if there is funding for staff or administrative professional development. Alternatively, if you are a graduate/undergraduate student, you may want to check with your campus’ student government or graduate program to check if there is funding available for conference travel and registration fees.

If you are interested in reviewing an example request for professional development funding from a college and some example language for the written response section of the application. Please see this Example Professional Development Application.