Example of a Program Proposal

Below you will find multiple excellent proposals submitted for SEAHO 2024 in a variety of content areas. There is no one perfect way to approach your program proposal as each presenter has their own style of sharing what they hope to present. One consistency you will see throughout each of these proposals is clear outcomes and the details they share about their presentation. We hope that you will take the time to review each proposal to see how each of our proposal submitters approached giving a clear understanding of what to expect from their session.

Program Proposal 1:

Paper Title: The Accessible Advantage: How Inclusive Recruitment Boosts Hiring Success

Authors/Institutions: Harvey, Kayla

Title: Assistant Director of Staff Selection, Recruitment and Leadership

Experience Level: Mid Level Professional (4-7 years)

State: North Carolina

SEAHO Value: Inclusive

Topic Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Session Type: Program Interest Session

Primary Target Audience: Mid Level Professionals

Secondary Target Audience: Advancing New Professionals

Audience Rationale: Mid Level and advancing New Professionals are frequently involved in recruitment and search processes, both for professional staff and student employees (search committees, RA recruitment, etc). They are typically involved in making decisions for how interviews will go, organizing the on-campus schedule, etc. These are opportunities for increased accessibility to make the recruitment and search process more successful for them and the candidate.

Program Description: In the ever-evolving landscape of staff hiring, the recruitment process plays a pivotal role in identifying the right talent to drive organiza􀆟onal success. However, traditional recruitment and interview methods may inadvertently exclude candidates with disabilities, preventing them from showcasing their true poten􀆟al. This presentation session is a deep dive into improving accessibility in your search process from beginning to end. Participants will leave with an increased understanding of identifying biases and barriers, tools to improve accessibility during the recruitment and interview process, and how to adapt those strategies to their institution, population, and HR requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the Importance of Accessibility: Recognize the strategic value of integrating accessibility into staff recruitment and search processes and be able to list at least two ways it can increase diversity, innovation, and organizational success.

2. Identify Barriers to Accessibility: Identify at least three common barriers that candidates with disabilities might face during recruitment and search processes, demonstrating an awareness   of potential challenges and biases.

3. Design Inclusive Interviews: Describe at least three interview strategies that accommodate  disabilities, including structuring interviews, framing questions, and providing necessary accommodations to enable candidates to demonstrate their potential.

Program Outline:

Introduction (10 minutes)

-Who I am and why am I qualified to talk about this topic

-What will be covered in this presentation

-Why improving accessibility matters

Understanding Accessibility Challenges (15)

-Identifying common barriers

-Recognizing unconscious bias related to disability and its impact

Creating Inclusive Practices (15)

-Removing barriers in the application process

-Accessible and inclusive communication

-Designing accessible interviews and utilizing best practices

-Creating an accessible "on-campus" interview experience

Application (5)

-Feedback provided from Wake Forest's candidates

-How to adapt the lessons learned to meet the needs of your specific institution, population (i.e. professional staff, resident assistant, etc.), and human resource requirements

Wrap Up & Questions (5)

Best of SEAHO: Yes (must be original content)

Additional Needs: Please have a microphone (both for the presenter and for participants who ask questions). It would also be very helpful for me to have a podium with a stool to sit at,

as I am disabled and unable to stand for the duration of the presentation.

SEAHO-U: Yes, I would like to present during SEAHO-U

Proposal Feedback: Yes

Future Opportunities: No, I do not wish to be considered.

Program Proposal 2:

Paper Title: Elevating Your Facilitation Superpowers: Lecture, Teaching, and Facilitation Techniques

Authors/Institutions: Lewis, Katie M and McKire, Therésa

Submission Files: (1) Elevating Your Facilitation Superpowers_Lecture, Teaching, and

Facilitation Techniques.pdf (129,565 bytes)

Primary Presenter: Katie Lewis

Title: Assistant Director of Residence Life

Experience Level: Upper Mid Level Professional (7+ years)

State: Florida

Additional Presenter 1:Therésa McKire

Title: Assistant Director for Student Leadership, Recruitment, and Development

Experience Level: Upper Mid Level Professional (7+ years)

State: North Carolina

SEAHO Value: Intentional

Topic Area: Practitioner Development

Session Type: Program Interest Session

Primary Target Audience: Graduate Students

Secondary Target Audience: New Professionals

Audience Rationale:Targeting graduate student professionals and entry-level professionals is crucial for several reasons: Foundational Skill Development: Graduate student professionals and entry-level professionals are at the beginning of their careers within higher education. Equipping them with effective presentation and facilitation skills early in their journey ensures they build a strong foundation for success. Long-Term Impact: By reaching professionals at this stage, you're not only helping them in their immediate roles but also contributing to their long-term growth and impact in the field. These skills will benefit them throughout their careers as they take on increasingly complex roles and responsibilities. Addressing Knowledge Gaps: Many graduate students and entry-level professionals may not have had extensive training in presentation and facilitation techniques. Tailoring this session to them fills a critical

knowledge gap, enabling them to excel in their current positions and contribute effectively to student development. Enhancing Student Experiences: These professionals are often directly involved with college students and student leaders. By improving their presentation and facilitation skills, you empower them to create more engaging and meaningful learning experiences for the students they work with, ultimately enriching campus life and fostering student growth. Career Advancement: Effective presentation and facilita􀆟on skills are transferable skills that can benefit professionals in various roles within higher educa􀆟on and beyond. Graduates and entry-level professionals who excel in these areas increase their chances of career advancement and leadership opportunities. Tailoring this session to graduate student professionals and entry-level professionals is vital because it not only meets their immediate needs but also ensures a positive, lasting impact on their careers and

their campus communities. By investing in their development early on, we can contribute to the growth and excellence of our field.

Program Description:

Join us for a highly interactive session designed to help you learn valuable techniques, share

insights, and collaborate with peers to level up your presentation and facilitation skills. As an educator, it’s not about what was said, it’s about how things were taught and the way they

made others think. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, this

session will provide you with practical tools and strategies to expand your robust facilitator

superpowers.

Program Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this roundtable session, participants will be able to:

-Acquire at least three new effective facilitation techniques.

-Relate their improved facilitation and presentation skills directly to their roles as housing and

residence life professionals.

-Demonstrate the application of newly acquired skills by participating in group activities.

Program Outline:

(see attached document for PDF version of program outline)

Introductions & Superpowers (5 min)

-Katie and her journey with facilitation/presenting

-TK and her journey with facilitation/presenting

-Session Overview, Learning Objectives, Land & Labor Acknowledgement

-The Why Behind this Session

-Potential intro activity/poll

-Handout/Resources

--Tips for effective facilitation

--Sample activities

--References and resources for further reading, development, etc.

--Space for note-taking

-Expectations & Empowerment for the Roundtable Session

Determining your presentation/facilitation style (10 min)

-Facilitation Style Inventory Test - htps://www.leadershipiq.com/blogs/leadershipiq/84914881-quizwhats-

Your-presentation-style

-Style Breakdown - htps://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2016/01/26/which-of-these-4-

presentation-styles-do-you-have/?sh=28b8820855a4

--The Data Scientist (Katie relates to this one)

--The Storyteller (will get perspective from another professional on this one)

--The Closer (will get perspective from another professional on this one)

--The Director (TK relates to this one)

-Micro-Learning Soundbytes: Key Talking Points & Take-Aways (10 min)

-Understanding Your Audience - Incorporating DEI into your style for different Audiences

-Storytelling

-Lecture, Teaching, Facilitation Equation - the difference between the three and when to use them

--How they may complement and conflict with your presentation/facilitation style

-Tips, tricks, and tools to innovative facilitation beyond “think, pair, share”

-Facilitation Triggering Event Cycle & Liberation (TBD based on time)

Roundtables/Interactive Activities (20 min)

-Guided prompts for discussion

-Practice utilizing provided tools and techniques

-Ability to provide positive and constructive feedback for one another

-Analyzing your Kryptonite

-Wrap-Up and Q&A (5 min)

-Summarize key take-aways and insights from discussions

-Open the floor for questions, what-if situations, and ways to utilize items learned for future practice

Best of SEAHO: Yes (must be original content)

Additional Needs: projector, computer hook-up, microphone, option for live closed-caption

if possible, roundtables instead of rows

SEAHO-U: Yes, I would like to present during SEAHO-U

Proposal Feedback: Yes

Future Opportunities: Yes, please consider my submission.

Program Proposal 3:

Paper Title: Using Critical Thinking to Chart Your Course

Authors/Institutions: Cherry, Michael

Title: Associate Director of Residence Life

Experience Level: Upper Mid Level Professional (7+ years)

State: Virginia

SEAHO Value: Intentional

Topic Area: Practitioner Development

Session Type: Program Interest Session

Primary Target Audience: New Professionals

Secondary Target Audience: Advancing New Professionals

Audience Rationale: This session is intended for younger professionals as a challenge to bring their experiences and ideas into their work and not settle for just meeting the minimum. This session will provide younger professionals the opportunity to build skills to think about work in different ways and fight burnout by stretching their reflective muscles. These strategies could appeal to any level of staff, but are intended to be used as by

younger professionals to build skills to help them in their career.

Program Description:

Have you ever been asked to chart a new course or direction? To think outside the box and

asked yourself how to do that? Perhaps you’re wondering how to set yourself apart from all the

other professionals in similar roles. Or maybe you’re trying to create change in or make meaning of the work you do. If any of these apply to you, come challenge yourself to reflect on how you can think critically and differently about the work you do. Being able to think deeply or in new ways about your work is an important skill that can help you advance and make meaning of the work you do. This session will help provide strategies to challenge your thinking, capitalize on your ideas that are new to your work environment, and hopefully feel more empowered in your role. Whether the course you're trying to navigate is your work or career this session can help.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Audience will be able to recognize critical thinking strategies

Audience will be able to articulate what going above and beyond means

Audience will be able to reflect on where they can think critically about their work

Program Outline:

I. Introduction (3 min)

a. Outcomes & presenter background

b. Call to action

i. Come to this session with an open mind

ii. If you find yourself saying “but” during the session pause and reflect on why

iii. Be willing to think about your own approach to and actions taken in your job

c. Disclaimer

i. This session focuses on individual sphere of control, but is not meant to let organiza􀆟ons and

leadership off the hook

ii. This focuses on higher level of needs, but is not meant to ignore basic needs/concerns

II. What does critical thinking mean? (12 min)

a. Definition

i. Hard to define and people differ on what it means (Liu, Frankel, Crots Roohr, 2014)

ii. “disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence”

(Dictionary.com, 2022)

b. Critical Thinking Models

i. 4 phases of critical thinking (Plummer, 2019)

1. Execute – doing what’s asked/following instructions

a. Can you complete all parts of assignment, on time, and at quality standards expected

2. Synthesize – sort through information and determine what’s important

3. Recommend – determining what should be done

a. Well-founded recommendations for action

4. Generate – create something out of nothing

a. Translating a vision into deliverable/action

ii. Operational Definition (Liu, Frankel, Crots Roohr, 2014)

1. Analytical dimensions

a. Evaluate evidence and its use

b. Analyze and evaluate arguments

2. Synthetic dimensions

a. Understand implications and consequences

b. Develop sound and valid arguments

3. Both dimensions

a. Understand causation and explanation

iii. Key take aways

1. Critical thinking is about evaluation of ideas and information

2. Critical thinking is about application of ideas and information in a useful and defendable way for a purpose

III. Why should you adopt a critical thinking philosophy (13 min)

a. Skill building

i. One of the top skills employers look for (Plummer, 2019)

1. Including Higher Education

ii. Helps you stand out from peers

1. 50% of employers rate employees critical thinking as average or worse (Plummer, 2019)(Example of application: Presenter’s use of critical thinking to evaluate job opportunities and prepare for interviews)

iii. Knowledge is a combination of grasping and experience. Re-examining concrete experiences lets learning modify previous sense making in light of new ideas (Kolb & Kolb, 2005)

iv. “Real skill in the world of work, however, is being able to formulate comprehensive definitions of what are often incomplete or ill-defined problems” (Katz, 2004)

b. Organizational change requires commitment and critical thinking helps with creating buy-in(sometimes)

i. Commitment to change process requires “deep desire, and even a responsibility, to change” (Walker & Soule, 2017) (Example of Application: Presenter using critical thinking to evaluate current institution’s residential curriculum and it’s effectiveness.)

c. Advocacy for self and others

i. Confidence in your skills/feeling “seasoned enough” in a position is part of connecting to a job when starting a professional career (Lombardi & Mather, 2016)

ii. Being proactive helps younger professionals settle into new jobs (Renn & Hodges, 2007)

iii. Once settled you feel more capable of creating and influencing change. You become a more successful actor in creating the experience you want

d. Avoiding job dissatisfaction & Burnout

i. Critical thinking can help provide an honest assessment of the work we do, profession we’re part of

1. With honest assessment new professionals can realistically evaluate short- and long-term goals (Marshall et. al., 2016)

ii. Simplifying work and embracing flexibility (McClure,2020) to avoid burnout through critical review of work

iii. Create more motivation because the we are doing is more challenging or exciting to ourselves (Katz, 2004) (Example of application: Presenter’s use of critical thinking in leading teams post COVID while building self-confidence in job performance)

IV. Applying a critical thinking philosophy (12 min)

a. Day to day (or slightly longer time frames)

i. Take and keep notes on processes, experiences that don’t achieve the outcome as desired

ii. Incorporate a practice reflection into committee work to articulate what you learned from a

process or experience using articulated learning (Ash & Clayton, 2004)

1. What did I learn?

2. How did I learn it?

3. Why does it matter/is it significant?

4. How will I use this learning? (Example of application: committee work on training & selection)

b. Strategic Planning

i. Give yourself permission to take time to think

ii. Critically thinking about mission, vision, assessment requirements and aligning to strategic plans (Example of application: budget planning, event/program planning for the semester)

c. Relationship building

i. Group problem solving

ii. Proactive & collaborative partnerships (Example of application: navigating campus/organization politics)

d. Professional Development

i. Conference/institute attendance to build new skills

ii. Career planning

1. New positions

2. Committee involvement (Example of application: Presenter’s own skill building for career advancement)

e. Managing Up

i. Meeting departmental needs

ii. Challenging the status quo (Example of application: working with a supervisor you don’t connect well with)

V. Q&A Discussion of key points (10 min)

Citations can be provided upon request. Unfortunately I couldn't fit into the form.

Best of SEAHO: Yes (must be original content)

Additional Needs:

SEAHO-U: Yes, I would like to present during SEAHO-U

Proposal Feedback: Yes

Future Opportunities: Yes, please consider my submission.

Program Proposal 4:

Paper Title: Taking Housing Renovation to New Heights: The case for high-rise reno vs. demo

Authors/Institutions: Hobgood, Kathy

Title: Associate VP for Auxiliary Enterprises

Experience Level: SHO/Senior Level Professional

State: South Carolina

Additional Presenter 1:

Title: Architect, Community Studio Global Practice Leader

Experience Level: Corporate Partner

State: North Carolina

Additional Presenter 2:

Title: Director of Operations & Planning for Housing & Dining

Experience Level: Upper Mid Level Professional (7+ years)

State: South Carolina

Additional Presenter 3:

Title: Architect, President

Experience Level: Corporate Partner

State: South Carolina

Additional Presenter 4:

Title: Architect

Experience Level: Corporate Partner

State: South Carolina

SEAHO Value: Intentional

Topic Area: Facilities Management

Session Type: Program Interest Session

Primary Target Audience: SHO/Senior Level Professionals

Secondary Target Audience: Upper Mid Level Professionals

Audience Rationale:

This session will walk participants through the complex fiscal and facilities planning related to one institution's decision to mount an 155 million dollar renovation project for 3 iconic high-rise buildings - as opposed to the possibility of demolition and new project construction. These types of decisions and processes generally occur at the SHO and Upper Mid Level of the organization. A new professional would certainly be welcome to attend - but the content will be directed to planners and decision makers.

Program Description:

Renovate or demolish? What do you do with high-rise residence halls that have become a

maintenance challenge? After decades of service, they are o􀅌en physically run down, visually

unappealing, without ample amenities, lacking in community building spaces and needing life

safety improvements. Many campuses depend on these high-density residence halls built in the

1960s & 70s to provide a considerable number of beds. In this case study of multiple high-rise

residence hall renovations at Clemson University, we will review the salient points of the

decision to renovate and modernize, rather than demolish the buildings and the mechanics

related to internal decision making and master planning. Our expert presenters share

considerations for high-rise renovations in reducing cost, shortening schedule, improving

amenities, and increasing sustainability all while supporting a large campus, preserving iconic

buildings, and continuing to provide affordable housing to serve first-year students.

Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Demolish or renovate? Participants will gain expertise to lead institutional decision

making and master planning for aging high-rise residence halls.

2. Participants will be exposed to considerations that they can apply to their own campuses

relative to aging high-rise challenges.

3. Once a decision to renovate is made, participants will gain insight to design strategies

unique to high-rise residence hall renovation.

Program Outline:

1. Introductions of speakers and brief overview of topic (2 minutes / All)

2. Brief overview of Clemson University campus (8 minutes / Kathy / #1)

a. Demolish or renovate? What to do with aging high-rise residence hall (a common challenge for many institutions)

b. Poll the audience – oldest residence hall, most beds, number of floors

3. Analysis & Institutional Decision Making (8 minutes / Kathy & Donnie / #1 & #2)

a. University housing MP analysis and needs/cost – Kathy

b. Renovate or New/Feasibility Study – Kathy and Donnie

c. Select on of Design Team – Kathy & Donnie

d. Brief Q & A

4. Early Design Process (8 minutes / Heather, TCR & Donnie / #1 & #2)

a. Thinking big! Early ideas – Heather

b. Vision Session Process – Heather and TCR

c. Goals/Guiding Principles (social spaces/building community/sustainability) – Heather

d. Codes/life safety/ADA – TCR and Donnie

5. Taking Shape (8 minutes / All / #2 & #3)

a. Reconciling project goals with available funding – TCR & Kathy

b. How to phase and sequence - Donnie

c. Social Spaces and Building a Community – TCR

d. Connecting the larger communities (indoor & outdoor connections)

e. Building effective neighborhoods (typical floor)

6. Construction & Cost Estimating Strategies (4 minutes / TCR & Donnie)

7. Key takeaways / wrap-up (2 minutes / Kathy)

8. Q & A (10 minutes / All)

Best of SEAHO: No

Additional Needs:

SEAHO-U: No

Proposal Feedback: Yes

Future Opportunities: Yes, please consider my submission.