Educational Session Proposal Examples

The 2012 Conference Program Team offers the following two sessions program proposals as examples of some which were highly rated during the selection process. These are meant to assist potential presenters put together strong proposals.

Session proposals are due June 12, 2012. Click here to submit yours!

Example One:

Session Title:
Today’s Moving Target: College Bookstores

Learning Objectives (2000 character limit): To learn of the history, current challenges and potential future of college bookstores
To understand the evolving textbook market
To recognize the challenges of on-line and bricks & mortar services
To be posed with questions that College Union Auxiliary Operators should consider for the future

Tell Us More (2000 character limit): Over the years there have been notable retail services in college unions that have failed to survive due to a change in the particular industry, and in some cases an inability to adapt to services moved to an on-line format. Music and video stores, travel agencies, and copy/printing services are clear examples. Bookstores frankly are now on the ropes, and their future is unsure. If Amazon.com wasn’t already challenging the bottom line, a number of new factors have recently emerged to challenge conventional college bookstores, how they will look in the future, and whether they are bound for extinction. For example, while textbook rentals have existed for decades on relatively few campuses, this next academic year many college bookstores will transform to add rentals as an option on their campus. This is due in part to a new on-line operator, Chegg.com, that has threatened traditional industry operators. It is also due to a change in how operators are able to acquire textbook rentals from wholesalers. While textbook rentals have started to cut into the new and used market, digital resources (e-books) are poised to a greater degree to significantly change the textbook arena and traditional brick & mortar bookstores. While some bookstore operators have begun to develop their own e-book readers (e.g. Barnes & Noble Nook), the greater question is whether Apple can again (think music industry) revolutionize an industry and how students read and utilize textbooks with the iPad. This session will consider the impact of these upcoming changes in the bookstore industry on college union auxiliary service operations. I certainly don’t hold the answers to where the industry is going, but to be successful as an auxiliary operator, we should be thinking about how we are going to navigate along the way.

15 minutes: Introduction

Overview of Session/Learning Outcomes
History & Overview of College Bookstores

15 minutes: An evolving textbook market

Legislative Action

New

Used

Rental

Digital

10 minutes: Challenges of on-line and bricks & mortar services

10 minutes: Considerations for College Union Auxiliary Operators

10 minutes: Wrap-up & Questions

Session Abstract (350 character limit): Factors have emerged to challenge conventional college bookstores, and whether they are bound for extinction. While textbook rentals have cut into new and used markets, digital resources are poised to significantly change the textbook arena and traditional brick & mortar bookstores. This session considers the impact on auxiliary service operators.

Example Two:

Session Title: A Core Component: Organizational Culture

Learning Objectives (2000 character limit):  

• To become familiar with the concepts associated with Organizational Culture
• To gain insight into a decentralized multiple building union operation creating one identity, and in the process enhancing a single organization mindset
• To learn how staff can be engaged through committees to positively enhance organizational culture
• To learn assessment results of a summer flexible scheduling program, including staff perceptions of the organization
• To hear misses, new attempts and success stories associated with enhancing full time and student employee morale

Tell Us More (2000 character limit): Leading an organization can be a challenge. There is always more going on within the organization than is apparent to the casual observer. There could be an underlying feeling from employees that the organization’s leaders don’t care about them, when nothing could be further from the truth. Long term employees may be resistant to change, testing the will of leaders wanting to move a stagnant organization forward. The informal grapevine of false rumors may be the primary communication tool, with the effect of creating a negative vibe for the larger organization.

At the University of Michigan there are three college unions, with approximately 150 full-time employees and 400-500 student employees. The size and complexity of the organization creates both challenges and opportunities in regard to organizational culture. Over the past five years we have made intentional efforts to improve the morale and culture of the organization. We have overcome challenges associated with operating multiple unions with their own history and identity, while creating affiliation and loyalty to a larger University Unions organization. We continue to push the organization to be innovative and nimble, sometimes at odds with long standing employees who prefer maintaining the status quo. We strive to be like “Google” as a top employer where people want to work.

Some days we feel like we take two steps forward and one step back, but looking over the course of the past five years we believe we have made good progress in enhancing the overall organizational culture of University Unions at Michigan. We have learned a lot, and we believe we have good information to share with colleagues in the field.

Session Abstract (350 character limit): At the core of any organization is its culture – the shared experiences, values and norms, the attitudes people have about the organization and how they interact. This session will share intentional efforts to examine organizational culture and create changes to enhance employee morale, engage staff, and create a single organizational identity.