What's Your 2020 New Year's Resolution? 

1. Grow Professionally? Then plan on attending the ACSN2020 Conference 
2. Challenge Myself - Step Outside My Comfort Zone and Share My Knowledge? Apply for our Call for Expertise!
3. Reflect, Renew, Rejuvenate? Make plans to do so @ the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa

Let's help YOU achieve those resolutions in 2020!

What Expertise Do You Want To Share? Submit your Ideas by January 13! We promise the form is short and sweet!

ACSN2020 | Reflect. Renew. Rejuvenate.

Do you have specific expertise or consider yourself a thought leader within education? Are you interested in leading a discussion to share industry insights with colleagues from across the nation? If so, we’re looking for you to join us at the 15^th Annual Alumni Career Services Network (ACSN) Conference. Review guidelines and submit a proposal to share your experience at #ACSN2020 on Coronado Island – San Diego!

Benefits of Facilitating at ACSN2020
Conference presenters will have an opportunity to:

• Facilitate a workshop or lab where you will provide practical, actionable takeaways that both you and program participants may incorporate at your respective institutions
• Contribute to ACSN’s culture of community and networking
• Refresh and increase your knowledge as you prepare takeaways for your presentation
• Enhance your stature among industry professionals
• Introduce your school, alumni, and best practices to new audiences

Conference Audience
ACSN2020 welcomes the largest group of alumni career services professionals for a three-day conference event. Attendees will reflect on current industry trends and share best practices for implementation in alumni career services offices. Attendees include alumni specialists, career advisors, and program and development specialists as well as managers, directors, and senior leaders across institutions. 

Conference Theme – ACSN2020 | Reflect. Renew. Rejuvenate.
ACSN2020 offers an intentional disrupter to the ACSN conference schedule norm by challenging the traditional layout. Based on feedback received from previous conferences, ACSN2020 aims to focus on actionable, workshop-style sessions that think outside of the box. The intent offers attendees opportunities to reflect on present practices, renew their careers and approaches, and rejuvenate with self-reflection as a community.

The host city of San Diego encourages purposeful pause for recreational time with colleagues and enjoyment of quintessential landmarks in the Golden State. The conference program will feature thought-provoking panelists and leading industry partners. It promises to couple sunshine and world-class eats amongst design thinking and concrete action items to stimulate attendees.

Conference Proposals
ACSN encourages submissions from professionals and thought leaders in higher education, independent schools, and beyond. Nominations and suggestions for featured topics should highlight current initiatives in your schools, organizations, and programs, be relevant to the education industry, offer a well-defined focus, and contribute to the knowledge of the alumni career services community.

Examples of discussion topics to submit may include but are not limited to the following:

• Planning virtual events
• Serving grad school alumni
• Tools that can be shared and replicated across multiple universities
• Metric strategies for assessing your programs
• Industry trends and best practices
• Creative marketing for services and programs
• Negotiation for women/advocating for yourself/your work
• Developing a strategic plan for alumni career services

The conference committee encourages dialogue on technology trends, program justifications, effective services, collaborative partnerships, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and more.

Session Formats
In line with the conference theme, the conference committee encourages a renewed approach to sessions. The host site offers a variety of event space, to include both indoor and outdoor locations. Are you interested in hosting a creative discussion poolside or on the property lawn? Share your ideas for an innovative, outside-of-the-box session fitting one of the below formats.

• Workshop/Lab | Share your expertise in a think-tank session that emphasizes brainstorming and collaborative thinking. Workshops should include tangible takeaways that participants may opt to implement at their own schools according to respective needs. The conference committee encourages workshops and labs to take place outside (e.g., hotel lawn, poolside, beach fireside chat, etc.).
• Presentation | Highlight your expertise in a session built in the traditional format. Content should highlight an innovative program, study, or process implemented in your institution. The session should be hosted by one to two presenters.
• Panel | Join your colleagues to share knowledge about a specific issue, topic, technology, or method. Panel sessions should provide an opportunity to gain insight and advice from participants and share best practices. Panels may be comprised of three to four presenters and one moderator.
• Un-Panel/Reverse Panel | Identify a relevant, new or trending topic you wish to discuss further alongside colleagues in a non-scripted format. To facilitate the reverse panel, leaders should prepare a brief overview of current practices and practitioners along with five key questions for audience engagement.

Individuals and teams are encouraged to submit ideas for consideration. Should similar topics surface, the conference committee may elect to pair experts and suggest that together they collaborate to host a shared workshop, presentation, panel, or un-panel. 

Please note: Regardless of the format, all sessions should leverage the anticipated time of 90 minutes as an opportunity for deep participant engagement with the topic presented.

Participants also should leave with immediate takeaways that can be applied in their own institutions.  

The deadline for idea submission is Monday, January 13, 2020. 

Submit Today! >>

Please contact the ACSN Conference Committee with questions (FYI - first-time visitors to the site will need to register). Happy New Year!

Your ACSN2020 Conference Committee

 P.S. Start making your plans and reservations to join us at #ACSN2020 - July 27-29, 2020. **PLEASE note: formal, dynamic - don't want to miss - programming will extend through late Wednesday 7.29.20. We recommend departing on Thursday, 7.30.20.

Join us on the bay at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa. The ACSN special rate is $269.00 per night ++. Take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to conference on the bay. Reserve your room today! >>