Call for Submissions

October 3, 4, & 5

Submission Portal is Now Open!

Download 2024 Call for Proposals HERE

Deadline for Proposals is April 26, 2024

Gen Ed, as most of us refer to our work, is known by many names across colleges and universities. Liberal arts or studies, core courses or curriculum, shared experiences, etc. Gen ed is foundational, ever-changing, amorphous, central, exploratory, complement, and any other number of adjectives. It is a part of every college student’s journey to the world of employment, yet often feels invisible, forgotten, or at best secondary to those of us who work every day to make it the basis for every student’s future life.

Portland, Oregon is the perfect location for us to meet in 2024. The city has numerous monikers that describe its history and many facets. Commonly known as the ‘City of Roses,’ it is also known as Riptown, Stumptown, Biketown, and Bridge City, among others. Portland embraces the uniqueness and sustainability-mindness of its population, entrepreneurship, and nature.

Our work is so important as the bridge we build must not simply teach work – it must teach life. It must be an education that is a beginning by producing graduates that have essential skills for work, citizenship, and social responsibility. It must be an educational desire that is lifelong providing the tools and skills for those as they go through the distinct phases of life can adapt, grow, and move across careers. It must be an education that opens the world to all its possibilities and people, serving as a bridge to deeper understanding of our humanity and of our place in the world. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. Obstacles to bridges.

In 2024, we want to explore how general education is the conduit that links beyond the liberal arts and the sciences. To play off a quote by Erid Kandel: general education bridges the sciences—concerned with nature—with the humanities…connecting them with the meaning of human experience.

How does or can your gen ed program serve as a bridge to the major, professional training, job, career, and life?

Our 2024 tracks

  • General Education Revision and Reform
  • Assessment in General Education
  • Building Bridges from Gen Ed to Career

Session formats for 2024:

  • 60-Minute Single Campus Presentation
  • 60-Minute Interactive Session
  • 60-Minute Discussion Round Table