Call for Proposals – The 19th Annual CUNY IT Conference: The Next or New Normal?

The 19th Annual CUNY IT Conference, “The Next or New Normal?”, will explore CUNY’s response to changes that events of 2020 have both forced and inspired. It will be a chance for stakeholders from across CUNY to discuss the pedagogical, social, and economic effects of the pandemic, including the switch to online education, and how it both presented new opportunities and exacerbated existing inequalities. How does CUNY’s history, present, and anticipated future influence our perspectives on change, and ability to set examples in the realm of equitable higher education? Are we working towards a return to “normal” or moving towards a new horizon? For the first time, the CUNY IT Conference will be held exclusively online.

We invite submissions of proposals for one-hour panels and workshops from the CUNY community. Because of our online format, we will have fewer sessions available than in previous years, and encourage submissions for full sessions rather than from individual presenters.

Each proposal should include a title, an abstract of no more than 200 words, and the name and affiliation of each party to the proposal, including an assigned moderator who will kick off the session and share any virtual platform housekeeping information. Please note that due to this year’s virtual event format, all presenter(s) will need to have an internet connection and computer available for use and the number of presenters (including the moderator) will be capped at 6. Sessions that are accepted for this year’s program will receive additional instructions and logistical information closer to the date of the conference.

The CUNY IT Conference will be held on December 3-4, 2020, exclusively online. It will offer overviews of the University’s key IT initiatives; discussions of how technology can support teaching, scholarship, and administration; and a chance to hear from vendors.

In considering the theme of “The Next or New Normal?” proposals should address such questions as:

1. How did existing systems and technologies and systems at CUNY help or hinder our transition to distance learning in Spring 2020, and how did they help or challenge us to prepare for Fall 2020?

2. How can CUNY prepare for and become more resilient to unforeseen changes in higher education over the coming years?

3. How can CUNY use moments of upheaval to imagine a more just and equitable university, rather than just a “return to normal” when the crisis passes?

Proposals must be submitted by September 15, 2020. The conference committee will inform applicants of decisions by mid-October.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Lisa Brundage, Director of Teaching, Learning & Technology at Macaulay Honors College, lisa.brundage@mhc.cuny.edu