2025 WACADA Spring Professional Development Event
Theme: Advising Reimagined: Empower, Engage, Evolve
Format: Virtual via Zoom

The Call for Proposals is now OPEN for our virtual Spring Professional Development event! WACADA thrives on the expertise, creativity, and shared experiences of our members. This is your opportunity to contribute to an engaging and meaningful event by presenting your ideas, best practices, or innovative approaches. Whether you’re an experienced presenter or exploring this for the first time, we encourage you to submit a proposal and help make this event a success!

Key Details

Theme: Advising Reimagined: Empower, Engage, Evolve

Key Objectives:

  • Empower advisors with new tools and strategies
  • Engage advisors with meaningful and practical insights.
  • Evolve advising practices to align with technological advancements and modern student needs

Proposal Submission: Use the Conference Proposal Form (this is a clickable link).

  • Deadline: Proposals are due by Friday, February 7, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST
  • Eligibility: Presenters must be current/active WACADA members
  • Notifications: Proposal selections will be finalized by February 17, 2025, with email confirmations sent to selected presenters

Registration: Event registration will open no later than January 23, 2025

Presentation Topics

We’re looking for diverse topics from advising professionals across the region. While we’re especially interested in presentations on Self-Care for AdvisorsEffective AI Usage, and Student Challenges, we welcome all proposals addressing current trends, innovations, or changes in academic advising that promote student success.

For inspiration, check out ideas suggested by WACADA members!

Presentation Format Options

  • Topical Presentation
    A formal presentation of insights on a current advising topic, ideally with interactive elements. Topics may include literature research, best practices, or personal research (experimental or theoretical). Presentations should be 30-35 minutes with 10-15 minutes for questions.
  • Panel Discussion
    A facilitated discussion among a group of specialists or experts in a specific area of advising, offering a dynamic exchange of ideas.
  • “Roundtable” Discussion
    An informal, peer-to-peer discussion focused on hot topics or areas of interest, allowing for active participant interaction.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should include:

  1. Presenter Information (Lead and Co-Presenters)
  2. Title
  3. Presentation Overview (maximum 500 words): Include a detailed topic description, learning outcomes, intended audience (if applicable), and applicable research.
  4. Presentation Abstract (maximum 130 words): A concise summary for the event program.
  5. Target Audience
  6. Tech and Accessibility Needs (if applicable for virtual format).

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

  • Relevance to current topics in academic advising.
  • Creativity of approach.
  • Membership interest (based on past evaluations).
  • Adaptability to other institutions.
  • Grounding in research, where applicable.

For questions, please contact Elyse Sewell, VP of Programs at sewelle@gtc.edu.