Call for Proposals: Deconstructing Theory to Practice: The Ninth Annual Student Affairs Research Symposium

The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Michigan is pleased to announce a call for presentations and roundtables for Deconstructing Theory to Practice: The Ninth Annual Student Affairs Research Symposium on May 16, 2012. The 2012 Student Affairs Research Symposium invites presentations from staff, students, and faculty on topics related to issues of theory to practice in our work with students.

We welcome presentation proposals ranging from traditional conference presentations to panel sessions.

The theme of this Symposium is Getting to Nine: Moving Toward Data-Informed Decisions. As we integrate theory and practice, we examine how to apply research to our day-to-day work with students, and apply what we learn from students to research in progress. Questions we’ll pursue include:

• How do we create an investment in research and assessment that reaps dividends in well-targeted student learning opportunities?
• How can we work smarter through applying theory that we read to work that we do?
• As we finish an assessment or research project, how can we use what we have learned to add value to the student experience?
• What future research questions can we suggest from our work with students today?
• What is on the horizon for research and assessment of college students?

The call for proposals will describe more about how you and/or your colleagues can submit proposals for this event. Get to the call for proposals at:  http://www.umich.edu/~rsa/symposium12call.html

We invite our colleagues at institutions across the nation to share their research and dilemmas, to build a true dialogue around the application of theory to practice and the ways that practice shapes theory. If you have particular colleagues who you would like to see present (or who you would like to join in collaboration), please forward this message.

Proposals are due February 4, 2012, and should be sent to mmatney@umich.edu

If you have questions, please contact Malinda Matney, Senior Research Associate, at mmatney@umich.edu. This promises to be an exciting day of conversations and collaboration with our colleagues, both within the University of Michigan’s Division of Student Affairs and from student affairs areas nationally.