[ATTW-L] CFP - Council for Programs in Scientific and Technical Communication Annual Meeting (September 22-23, Charleston, SC)

[Lambert, R.J.]

Dear ATTW Colleagues,

On behalf of the conference planning committee and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), we look forward to welcoming you to Charleston, South Carolina, for the annual meeting of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTSC) on September 22-23, 2023.


* IMPORTANT DATES AND INFO *

- Proposal Deadline: May 12, 2023 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.)

- Proposal Submission Process
All proposals should be submitted via the proposal website:
https://conference.cptsc.org/index.php/submit-your-proposal
Accepted proposals will be included in the published abstracts.
Please use APA 7th edition style for references.

- Virtual Pre-Conference Presentation Possibilities
Persons whose proposal is accepted but who cannot travel to the conference may be offered an opportunity for a virtual pre-conference presentation. Space will be limited. If you are interested, please note this information during the submission process.


* CALL FOR PROPOSALS *

- Asserting Presence, Forging Connections, Building Recognition, and Creating Opportunities -

While already facing financial cuts before Covid-19, many universities continue to experience decreased funding as the pandemic continues evolving. Simultaneously, tuition has increased and may be seen by prospective students as less affordable than other industry-based credentials. As a result, fewer adult students (Schwartz, 2022) and students from underrepresented groups—specifically Black, first-generation, and low-income students (Knox & Weissman, 2022)—are enrolling in higher education.

As representatives of technical, professional, and scientific communication (TPSC) programs, we must negotiate our way through this landscape. To survive and thrive, we will need to build stronger connections with students. Such connections are not only about recruiting, retaining, and graduating students, but also about recognizing, supporting, and nurturing their lived experience in terms of culture, race, gender, and ability. TPSC programs will need to make more prominent our connections with industry and professional practices while also making conspicuous our relationships with communities. We will need to build stronger relationships with administration, increasing the institutional awareness of the value our programs add.

The 2023 CPTSC Conference invites proposals for presentations on how TPSC programs can assert our presence and value, forge sustainable and reciprocal connections, and build recognition for our vital contributions to the ever-changing landscape of higher education, professional practice, and our academic field.

Areas of focus include but are not limited to the following:

(1) Recruitment:
- Working with undergraduate advisors
- Representing TC programs appropriately
- Partnering with first-year experience/honors programs
- Creating pipelines to TC major through local community colleges and high schools
- Selling TPC courses to appeal to all students
- Working with university marketing communications offices
- Creating other strategies for making potential students aware of our programs

(2)Engaging Students:
- Developing experiential learning
- Connecting with communities outside of the university
- Linking credentialing and other industry-based training tools
- Providing alternative-academic pathways to industry

(3) Social Justice:
- Re-envisioning pedagogy and programs to support diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Integrating accessibility into our classrooms and programs
- Highlighting the work of and connection to students and faculty at Minority-Serving Institutions
- Advocating to recruit and retain students and faculty from marginalized communities in our programs

(4) Assessment:
- Using assessment to increase the visibility of our programs
- Building standards of excellence for program review and assessment
- Articulating our value in the context of strategic reallocation

(5) Strengthening Programs:
- Working with advisory boards
- Building alumni connections
- Advocating for one another (especially to support independent program administrators)


* PROPOSAL FORMATS *

Proposals are invited for the following types of presentations at the conference:
- Individual Presentations
- Panel Presentations
- Posters
- Workshops

Individuals may present in only ONE individual panel or poster presentation.
Workshop hosts may present in one additional panel or poster presentation.

- Individual Presentations -
Individual presentations are 5 – 7 minutes and should be designed to promote discussion during the second half of the session. Submit a 500-word proposal (not including citations) of the proposed presentation.

- Panel Presentations -
Panel presentations are 50 minutes and should include contributions from 3 – 5 individuals. Panels should be designed to promote discussion during the second half of the session. Submit a two-part, 500-word proposal (not including citations) to consist of:

(1) A 150 – 200 word overview framing the focus of the panel in the context of the conference theme

(2) A 300 – 350 word summary of the topics each presenter will address within the context of the panel

- Poster Presentations -
Poster presentations will be displayed during a time for open discussion. Submit a 500-word proposal (not including citations) of the proposed poster.

- Workshops -
Workshops are 75 minutes. Workshops should be interactive and focus on a professional development need related to TCP programs and curriculum.
A proposal of no more than 800 words (not including citations) should consist of:

(1) A 200 – 300 word overview framing the focus of the workshop that includes a description of the audience for the workshop (new or potential technical communication program administrators, experienced administrators, early-career and graduate students, mid-career administrators, faculty, etc.)

(2) A 300 – 500 word summary of the topic and activities the workshop will address


* PROPOSAL REVIEW CRITERIA *
- Demonstrates a strong connection between the proposed presentation and the conference theme
- Presents an original or innovative approach, perspective, theory, or idea that would be of interest to CPTSC members
- Raises interesting issues or questions to stimulate discussion or notes what attendees can take away from the presentation to use within the context of their own organizations or programs

* References *

- Schwartz, N. (2022, October 25). 5 enrollment trends to keep an eye on for fall 2022. Higher Ed Dive. https://www.highereddive.com/news/5-enrollment-trends-to-keep-an-eye-on-for-fall-2022/634843/

- Knox, L., & Weissman, S. (2022, October 17). As the pandemic wanes, all eyes are on enrollment. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/10/17/enrollment-trends-new-and-old-emerge-pandemic



* WELCOME TO CHARLESTON! *

Given the CFP, it is fitting to hold the conference here at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where students and faculty are engaged every day in the real-world application of technical, scientific, and professional communication to advance scientific understanding and the healthcare industry. The conference will be held at the MUSC main campus in downtown Charleston (171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425). Our newly renovated Colbert Education Center and Library will serve as the central location for meeting spaces and networking.

Charleston is consistently ranked among the top places in the country to live, retire, and visit. Downtown Charleston is a scenic peninsula surrounded by the Cooper and Ashley Rivers leading to the Charleston Harbor of the Atlantic Ocean near the famous Battery. Charleston is known and appreciated for its fine dining, picturesque architecture, coastal arts scene, beautiful beaches and parks, and its roles in American history and civil rights. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy outside of conference hours. Hotel, travel, and activity recommendations for September are soon to follow on the conference site.


-

R.J. Lambert, Ph.D. (he/him)
Assistant Professor
Center for Academic Excellence & Writing Center
Medical Unversity of South Carolina
Email: lamberro at musc.edu<mailto:lamberro at musc.edu>


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