Track Descriptions

Each proposal will be evaluated in one of the tracks listed below.

Track 1: Empowering Our Teaching and Learning Communities

Today's digital native students, along with those attending colleges and universities later in life, both anticipate and expect cutting-edge technology during their academic experiences. Innovative faculty and learning technologists welcome this challenge as an opportunity to increase student engagement. At the same time, the emergence of Web 2.0 tools and other technological advances offer an opportunity to create and use resources that can enrich the learning experience. How can we best establish faculty, student, library, and IT communities to support the constantly changing learning landscape? What are the determining factors for success? What best practices are emerging for the coming decade?

We invite presentations on innovative solutions that enhance student engagement and learning within a culture of assessment. We especially encourage interactive and collaborative presentations that demonstrate how our teaching and learning communities are effectively supporting faculty and students.

Key topics include:

• Student Expectations and Services: Net Gen, Returning, Distance, and "Swirling"
• Faculty and Staff Development and Support
• Learning Assessment Best Practices
• Learning Environments: Blended, Distance/Virtual, and Collaborative
• The Library's Changing Role and Library/IT Partnerships
• Infrastructures and Collaborations to Support Teaching and Learning
• Learning Communities and Environments
• Learning Space Design: Virtual, Formal, and Informal
• Learning Through Gaming and Simulation
• Mobile and Wireless Technologies as Learning Technologies
• Social Software and Pedagogy
• E-Portfolios: Assessment, Social Networking, and Lifelong Learning

Track 2: Leading the Charge for Change

Most students in higher education are now digital natives and most faculty, staff, and administrators are digital immigrants who understand the natives to varying degrees. The differences in the perceived needs and thinking styles between these groups must be taken into account as higher education IT moves forward. With shared governance as a central principle in higher education, developing new leadership models that will encourage broadly shared participation in crafting vision, direction, and policies is a critical challenge. Providing a common knowledge environment, using new technological tools for education, and communicating change in ways that account for the significantly different expectations and resulting policy development are further challenges.

We encourage proposals that will offer innovative and pragmatic approaches to providing knowledge and leadership during this rapid and significant change.

Key topics include:

• Strategic Visioning for the 21st Century
• Understanding the Changing Academic Environment and Leadership Roles
• Building Rapport and Understanding Between IT and Other Campus Organizations
• Integrating IT Knowledge into the Overall Academic Process
• Accountability: Assessment and Data-Driven Decision Making
• Collaborations and Partnerships to Leverage Resources and Improve Services
• Mentoring Next-Generation IT Leaders
• Career Development and Planning for Staff
• Balancing Security and Policies with Privacy and Mission
• Governance Models: What Works and Why
• Reorganizing for Shared Leadership
• Leadership in a Distributed Computing Environment

Track 3: Making IT Work: The Confluence of Technology, People, and Expectations

Technology moves at a tremendous pace. IT professionals supporting higher education technology services and systems must be at the forefront of the field, constantly exploring emerging technologies while balancing the benefits of new technologies against shrinking resources, compatibility with existing environments, and increasing security and privacy issues. In addition, the need for exemplary customer service continues is increasingly important in the higher education environment. Innovative solutions are required that provide both short- and long-term stability for users with growing expectations.

This track will focus on best practices and innovative solutions for assessing, implementing, and managing IT environments, including security and appropriate use. Technical proposals are encouraged.

Key topics include:

• ERP and Administrative Systems
• Business Intelligence and Reporting Infrastructures
• Software Inventory and Licensing
• Help Desk and Customer Support
• Self-Service and the Web: Bringing Your Back-End Systems to the Front Counter
• Infrastructure and Support for Social Software and Multimedia
• Campus Wireless Technologies for the Future (Student, Faculty, and Staff Uses)
• Security Issues: Threats and User Awareness Education
• Campus Security: Emergency Response Systems/Video Surveillance
• VoIP and Applications Driving VoIP
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: Best Practices
• Facilities Management and IT: Working Together for Smart Buildings and Classrooms

Corporate and Campus Solutions

Corporate and Campus Solutions track presentations will be accepted via the Corporate Participation page. Please note that these are presentations by a corporation coupled with a client campus on technology challenges and solutions. A fee of $1,475 for members and $1,675 for non-members will be required to present. Sign up via the "Contract to Participate" on the Corporate Participation page.