UPCEA members are invited to propose content for 2027 Annual Conference concurrent sessions which reflect the varied areas of practice of the UPCEA community: leaders in professional, continuing, and online education. Especially of interest are presentations that are highly interactive in format, feature multiple presenters and institutions/organizations, and can address the needs of a wide range of institutional types and sizes, as well as diverse populations of credit and noncredit learners.
Proposals are due by August 14.
Annual Conference Tracks
Concurrent sessions will be offered in the following tracks, which correspond to the key areas of practice that define online and professional education:
Due to high demand, members are limited to one session proposal per event.
Essential Elements
Proposals are expected to highlight a deeply relevant topic and to explore trends and developments in our field, share best practices and innovative solutions, and/or examine controversial ideas which evoke debate and discussion.
Proposals will offer learning outcomes/goals, a clear plan to engage the audience, and denote an anticipated presentation “level” (i.e. foundational, applied, or strategic).
Presenters must be current members of UPCEA, either institutional or corporate. Proposals by corporate members must include a current institutional member as co-presenter. Information about UPCEA membership is found here.
Proposals must include complete contact information for all presenters.
Proposals which do not meet the above elements will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
Selection Process
Proposals will be selected to ensure the program offers a comprehensive, noncommercial, objective, and diverse content. Attention will be given to diversity of institutions, presenters and geographic location. Note: due to demand, members are limited to one session proposal per event.
UPCEA reserves the right to revise presentation titles, reassign the proposed track, invite collaboration of similar proposals or ideas, or edit the session description of selected presentations for promotional and program publications.
There will be approximately 70 concurrent sessions, typically 60 minutes in length. Digital copies of presentation materials will be collected from presenters in advance of the conference for dissemination via the event platform and/or mobile app.
Concurrent Session Formats
Panel or Presentation (60 minutes): A 60-minute facilitated conversation featuring two to four speakers or panelists sharing insights, experiences, or approaches around a common theme. Sessions include structured audience engagement and discussion, with preference given to cross-institutional perspectives and ideas that attendees can adapt or scale.
Workshop/Toolbox (75 minutes): An interactive, hands-on session designed for deeper learning and practical application. Presenters spend less than half the time sharing ideas, with the majority devoted to participant engagement and the use of ready-to-adapt tools such as frameworks, templates, policies, or implementation guides.
Roundtable (25–30 minutes): A small-group, table-based discussion focused on a timely topic or challenge. Roundtables are designed for peer exchange, with presenters guiding conversation and encouraging participants to share questions, solutions, and experiences. Attendees may move between tables during the session to engage with multiple topics.
UPCEA Talk (10 minutes): A rapid-fire presentation by a single speaker offering a concise introduction to an idea, innovation, or emerging issue. Talks follow strict timing and slide guidelines and are scheduled in sequence to give attendees quick exposure to a variety of topics.
Timeline
Mid July: Request for Proposals announced
Aug 14: Proposals due
Early Oct: Selected proposals notified
Dec 8: Speaker registration priority deadline
Questions?
Please contact Jacqueline Romero, jromero@upcea.edu