An annual conference sponsored by:
- The Ohio State University
- The Pennsylvania State University
- University of Wisconsin—Extension
- The University of Georgia
Call for Presentations
Presentation Submission Form (opens in new window)
"Place" informs and shapes how we see the world. For those of us on academic campuses, place is defined by our academic disciplines. For those of us living and working in communities, place may have a much more concrete meaning. It may mean the agency we are a part of, the people we interact with, the environment we work within. And when people from these different places come together to work as partners, we negotiate not only the project that is our immediate focus but also the ways in which we work, the expectations we bring from our own “places.”
On campuses, the disciplinary lens through which outreach and engagement activities are viewed impacts both the creation and dissemination of the knowledge gained through such activities as well as the ways different disciplines design and implement public service, outreach and engagement work. In other kinds of communities, our sense of place can also influence how we set goals, evaluate success, and conduct business.
Join us at the 2006 Outreach Scholarship conference as we explore disciplines' unique and similar approaches to engagement scholarship.
For this year's conference, we invite speakers to propose presentations that illustrate their places’ or disciplines’ unique approaches to engagement scholarship with special attention to similarities and differences with other fields. How do the practices and theories of your discipline (or interdisciplinary collaborations) affect your engagement practice and scholarship? And how do those theoretical backgrounds interact with the environments, purpose, or content of the public service, outreach, and engagement work you do? What kind of discourse goes on in your unit about engagement scholarship? What are the next steps in expanding your scholarship to an even wider audience?
Proposal Content Outline
Your proposals may include one or a combination of research projects, service activities, or case studies on community-academic outreach. Proposals should show how the theory and research on the selected discipline(s) or field(s) inform the public service/community, outreach, and engagement.
Please write a description (400 word max.) of your proposed presentation. Please describe:
- Focus of your presentation
- Relationships between the theories and contexts of your place or discipline and the scholarship of outreach and engagement.
- Community partners’ involvement. What are the relationships between university and community in the project?
- Project or field methodology: design, goals, type of activities, target audience, plans for dissemination, and evaluation methods.
- Possible impact(s) of the project on your selected discipline(s) or field(s).
- Planned sustainability of the project and possible sources of funding.
To help reviewers group projects, please identify the focus of your presentation by the discipline(s) or field(s) that most closely identify your work:
- Arts and Humanities
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM of NSF proposals, would include many elements of Agriculture)
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Care
- Social Sciences (including education)
- Business and Law
- Interdisciplinary
Presentation Options
30 minute concurrent sessions: During these 30 minute sessions, presenters will share information and research. We recommend that participants allot 20 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for discussion and questions.
Poster sessions: Posters will be displayed on either Sunday or Monday. Those displayed on Sunday will focus on university and community relationships. Monday’s posters may address any theme. Please indicate in your proposal which day is most appropriate for the topic of your display. Specific information about formats and displays will be sent to those whose proposals are accepted.
Proposal Selection Criteria
All proposals will be reviewed by three-member teams who will evaluate submissions on the following ten factors (not in any rank order).
- Clarity
- Connection to Discipline or Multi-disciplinary Structures
- Connection with Community
- Dissemination plan
- Theoretical Background
- Unique Nature of the Work
- Scholarly Opportunities Created
- Sustainability
- Level of Interest
Submission Requirements
Proposals must include the following information:
- Title of presentation
- Format: Paper presentation or poster
- Presentation Objective(s)
- Description of the content and format: include how you plan to involve attendees (400 word maximum)
- Abstract for conference program (100 word maximum)
- Media or audiovisual equipment needed for the presentation
- Primary presenter contact and contact information
- Brief biographical sketch of each presenter
Proposals must be submitted online at http://www.uwex.edu/ics/nosc/index.cfm by February 24, 2006. All applicants will be notified of reviewer decisions by April 10, 2006.
A special invitation to community partners…
The Outreach Scholarship Conference believes in mutually beneficial partnerships between University and community members. For OS06, we encourage connections with communities in several ways:
- Concurrent sessions that include the participation of community members organizations and members.
- Plenary sessions that focus directly on university and community relationships. Invited speakers will discuss what makes these kinds of partnerships work. What challenges do they face?
- Visits to the Central Ohio communities in which OS06 takes place. Events will be held at WOSU@COSI (public broadcasting’s digital media center at the Center for Science and Industry) and other sites in Central Ohio. At these sites, partnership members will involve attendees in discussions of how these and similar kinds of partnerships operate.
Special features for community members…
Reduced registration rates for community members who are part of presentation teams. If you are a member of a community organization, check for future information about reduced registration rates.
Community Networking Reception for community members interested in establishing partnerships with higher education institutions in their areas. Community members are invited to attend a poster session reception where they can talk to members of higher education/community partners to see how those partnerships evolved.