Collaborative Learning Forum
A highly interactive session where presenters and participants work together to explore ideas, share experiences, and co-create solutions. Expect dynamic discussions and opportunities to learn from the collective expertise in the room.
Presenter Tip: Plan at least 50% of the session for group discussion, activities, or problem-solving.
Idea to Action Workshop
Designed to move beyond theory, these sessions guide participants through practical strategies and real-world applications. Presenters facilitate activities and conversations that help attendees turn great ideas into actionable next steps.
Presenter Tip: Include a clear, step-by-step activity that participants can replicate or adapt in their own setting.
Learn–Discuss–Do Workshop
These sessions follow a three-part format: learn key concepts, discuss their implications, and work together to apply them.
Presenter Tip: Allocate roughly one-third of your time to each phase—learning, discussion, and application.
Track One: Teaching that Engages, Inspires, and Connects
To spotlight high-impact teaching practices that promote meaningful learning, student motivation, engagement, and a sense of connection across diverse learning environments. This track aligns with the following Guided Pathways practice areas: Keep students on path and Ensuring that students are learning across their programs by showcasing effective teaching strategies that foster student connection, motivation, and success in varied educational settings.
Proposals might include:
Track Two: Holistic Student Supports in Action
To explore integrated strategies that honor students’ academic, social, emotional, and financial realities—ensuring students not only get in but thrive and complete with purpose. This track aligns with the following Guided Pathways practice areas: Clarifying paths to student end goals, Helping students get on a path, and Keeping students on path by emphasizing holistic supports that address students’ academic, social, emotional, and financial needs.
Proposals might include:
Track Three: Strategic Partnerships that Guide Student Transitions
To highlight innovative and effective partnerships that support students as they transition from college to meaningful next steps—whether entering the workforce, transferring to a four-year institution, or pursuing additional credentials. Sessions in this track will showcase collaborative efforts between community and technical colleges and external partners such as employers and universities. This track aligns with the following Guided Pathways practice areas: Clarifying paths to student end goals, Keeping students on path, and Ensuring that students are learning across their programs by showcasing strategic partnerships that create clear transfer and career pathways, connect students to support and guidance throughout their journey, and ensure students acquire the skills needed for successful transitions to employment or further education.
Proposals might include:
Track Four: Bringing Dual Enrollment into Focus
To share practical approaches that support effective dual enrollment partnerships, instruction, and student success. This track aligns with the following Guided Pathways practice areas: Clarifying paths to student end goals, Helping students get on a path, Keeping students on path, and Ensuring that students are learning across their programs by sharing collaborative models and practices that guide dual enrollment students to explore options, enter well-aligned pathways, stay engaged, and achieve meaningful learning outcomes that count toward college and career goals.
Proposals might include:
Track Five: Future-Focused Practices and Policies Around AI
To explore emerging technologies and forward-looking strategies that are reshaping the landscape of community college education. This track aligns with the following Guided Pathways practice areas: Keeping students on path and Ensuring that students are learning across their programs by exploring how emerging technologies and innovative strategies create clear academic and career pathways, support students as they enroll and persist, and ensure that learning outcomes remain relevant in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.
Proposals might include:
Track Six: Transformative Leadership for Student-Centered Change
To equip department chairs, deans, senior leaders, and aspiring college leaders with tools to champion and sustain student-centered transformation across their institutions. This track aligns with the following Guided Pathways practice areas: Clarifying paths to student end goals, Helping students get on a path, Keeping students on path, and Ensuring that students are learning across their programs by equipping leaders at all levels to champion and sustain comprehensive, student-centered transformation that drives large-scale institutional change, fosters broad engagement, and advances equity and continuous improvement across their colleges.
Proposals might include:
Deadline to Submit: February 6, 2026
NISOD is currently accepting proposals to present at the Annual Conference, to be held May 23-26, 2026. Join your colleagues from across the globe to learn and share best and promising practices that increase student success at community and technical colleges.
This year’s conference sessions will have an emphasis on demonstrating active and engaged learning. The conference session types described below are specifically designed to increase participant engagement, application, and implementation of presentation information. Short presentation times are intended to help presenters identify the most important parts of the content that attendees need to know to get started with the application process. The remaining session time should be dedicated to peer-to-peer interactions and application and implementation activities.
Questions? Email Kris Tolman at Kris@nisod.org.