Scholarship is integral to the forward movement of student affairs. Scholarship on students, staff, faculty, and the field should not only be the purview of full-time academics and graduate students. Scholarship is both for and can be created by everybody. 

For ACPA 2024, we understand scholarship to include research papers and posters and we also mean it to include: (a) multimodal forms of presentation (e.g., performance, visual, arts-based); (b) methods workshops; and (c) works in various stages of progress. With this in mind, we encourage you to submit to the Scholarship Session portion of Convention and continue reading this Call for Scholarship to learn about the variety of ways we invite you to engage in Chicago, IL, USA.

All members who submit a scholarship program are required to conduct at least three proposal reviews of scholarship sessions. If reviews are not completed by the assigned deadline, or a previously agreed upon date, that member’s scholarship programs will be removed from consideration.

Scholarship Session Submission and Reviews

All scholarship programs should adhere to the ACPA Equity and Inclusion statement, including in the inclusive language utilized and in accessibility to full participation by all members aligning with universal design principles.

If a presenter is using a scholarship program session to conduct a formal study to be published, they must provide IRB and study materials to ACPA in accordance with the ACPA Research Process at least three weeks before the start of the Convention (26 February 2024). If materials are not provided, or the materials are not approved by the International Office, the scholarship program will be removed from the program booklet. We encourage these members to submit their materials as early as possible to ensure time for review (e.g., shortly after acceptance).

Scholarship Session Proposal Timeline

Scholarship program proposals are due on the same date as general program proposals, 8 September 2023.

Reviews will be conducted and completed by early October 2023.

You will receive notification of acceptance, waitlist, or decline by early November 2023.

If your program is accepted, you have the ethical and professional obligation to register for Convention by 15 December 2023 as well as provide required scholarship materials by the deadlines outlined below (if applicable).

ACPA reserves the right to rescind acceptance of any scholarship program proposal if required materials are not submitted by the deadlines outlined below (e.g., IRB materials for research conducted during a program, research papers for review), or registration is not completed by 15 December 2023, unless previous arrangements are made with the Scholarship Session Coordinator.

Scholarship Session Types

There are five types of scholarship sessions at ACPA 2024: (a) Research Sessions (research that is completed), (b) Research-in-Process sessions (research in various stages of progress), (c) Multimodal sessions (e.g., performance, visual, arts-based scholarship), (d) Methods Workshops, and (e) Research and Practice Posters. Below you will find more information about each of these five session types.

Research & Research-in-Process Sessions

Research and Research-in-Process sessions are similar in that they are both formatted as a research paper. The same components are required for the proposal, but these vary in terms of detail based on the stage the research is in. Both Research and Research-in-Process sessions are 20 minutes long and will be paired with one additional presentation. The table below illustrates the required components for these two session types and how they are similar and different.

	Research Sessions	Research-in-Process Sessions
Level of Readiness	Paper needs to be completed and submitted at least four weeks prior to Convention (19 February 2024)	Paper can be at various stages of readiness, but data needs to be collected and analyses started with in progress materials submitted at least four weeks prior to Convention (19 February 2024).
Format of Paper	Paper data-based studies, novel scholarly arguments, and/or elaborate on or provide new theoretical or conceptual frameworks	Paper data-based studies, novel arguments, elaborate on or provide new theoretical or conceptual frameworks, workshopped class papers, and/or comprehensive literature reviews
Goal of Session	The goal of Research sessions is to give direct feedback on the paper in the session, and to create a space where members can learn about the topic and be a meaningful contributor to the knowledge creation process.	Research-in-Process sessions have the same goals as the Research sessions, but also provides authors the chance to grapple with “sticky” sections of their writing process (e.g., authors can share anonymized data to have the audience help make sense of).
Format of Session	Research sessions should be presented in a standard format (e.g., introduction, methods, findings, discussion, implications). Research sessions have a discussant who will review and provide feedback on your paper.	Research-in-Process sessions do not need to be presented in a standard format (e.g., introduction, methods, findings, discussion, implications); however, enough information should be shared with the audience to elicit deep discussion. Research-in-Process sessions will have scholar-mentor, who will provide feedback on your study.
Proposal Sections	1. Objectives of scholarship 2. Frameworks utilized to analyze data (e.g., theoretical, conceptual, or practical) 3. Literature review 4. Positionality (reflection of how the author(s) identities and lived experiences connect to the research) 5. Methodology 6. Developing findings 7. Possible implications 8. Importance of scholarship to the field and to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization	1. Objectives of scholarship 2. Frameworks you plan to utilize to analyze data (e.g., theoretical, conceptual, or practical) 3. Literature review 4. Positionality (reflection of how the author(s) identities and lived experiences connect to the research) 5. Proposed methodology 6. Importance of scholarship to the field and to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization 7. Types of feedback and support desired from scholar-mentor at Convention and stage of readiness you expect to meet by 3 weeks prior to Convention
Proposal Word Limit	No more than 1,500 words	No more than 1,000 words

Multimodal

Scholarship presentations in this area include performance, visual, digital, and other arts-based forms of knowledge creation and distribution. Multimodal presentations can include forms such as Zines, storytelling, poetry, documentary, photo-voice project, artifact presentation, or the presentation of research findings in another creative format.

Multimodal sessions exist in two formats: (a) 20-minute long presentation in which two multimodal presentations are assigned to one session block, with time for audience feedback (60 minute session in total) and (b) 40 minute-long presentation in which one multimodal presentation is assigned to a session block, with time for audience feedback. Both formats are best suited for those requiring digital media, audio/visual, speakers, microphones, and performance. Additionally, both formats will include a chair to help organize the session. The chair will not provide feedback on the scholarship as in the Research and Research-in-Process sessions but will help engage the audience with the scholarship presented.

In no more than 1,000 words, Multimodal Session proposals should describe:

1. Objective of scholarship

2. Literature used in scholarship

3. Positionality (reflection of how the author(s) identities and lived experiences connect to the research)

4. Full description of presentation form

5. Full list of technology required, if applicable

6. Significance of scholarship to the field and to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization

Methods Workshops

Methods Workshops are 60 minutes long. These sessions allow members to present a project that uses compelling research methods and teaches others how to apply this method to their own work. Presentations in this format should consider continuing professional development, allowing members to build self-efficacy and capacity around creating scholarship and assessment tools to bring back to their campuses.

Presenters will facilitate the workshop for the entire session block (60 minutes). In no more than 1,500 words, proposal should include the following components:

1. Symposium objective and purpose

2. Background of the presenters including the perspective they bring to the session topic

3. Frameworks, literature, sources of data

4. Relevance of symposium to expected audience (e.g., graduate students, full-time professionals)

5. Outline of the structure and strategies for interaction

6. Significance of the topic to the field and to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization

Posters

Posters provide an opportunity for continued synchronous/asynchronous engagement with scholarship throughout the course of Convention. Posters are placed in the ACPA Marketplace. Posters are not assigned a discussant or a chair. Posters should provide opportunities for members to engage with the work at times when the presenter is not present for interaction (e.g., QR codes, Instagram hashtags). 

Poster presenters are required to follow Universal Design Principles and submit their posters to ensure that they meet acceptable Universal Design principles as listed below. Members will submit their posters at least four (4)  weeks before the start of the Convention (19 February 2024) to ensure ample time for the Scholarship Sessions Coordinator to complete a Universal Design check. Presenters will also be required to submit a screen-reader format of their poster via PowerPoint file.

In no more than 1,000 words, poster proposals should describe:

1. Objectives of scholarship

2. Frameworks used in data analysis

3. Literature review

4. Positionality (reflection of how the author(s) identities and lived experiences connect to the research)

5. Methodology

6. Developing findings

7. Importance of scholarship to the field and to ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization

Scholarship Sessions Coordinator

Cindy Ann Kilgo (they/them), Associate Professor, Higher Education and Student Affairs; Project Director, Thriving in College: A National Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Students, Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University, [email protected]