2025 Call for Proposals

You must submit the session proposal, photo, and biographical sketch on or before October 11, 2024 (5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time).

The primary presenter will receive a confirmation acknowledging the proposal submission.

We will notify the primary presenter of the proposal evaluation committee’s decision in late October via email.

The goal of the call for proposals process is to select the concurrent sessions for the summit. In contrast, the summit's keynote speakers will be invited to speak at the summit.

If you do not submit your photo and biographical sketch, your proposal may not be reviewed.

Be sure to provide a response for each item on the proposal submission form. The proposal evaluation committee may not review incomplete proposals.

The proposal evaluation committee will review the last proposal submitted.

Once you are ready to submit the proposal, click the submit button once, then wait to receive the electronic announcement on the screen, which will confirm that the proposal was submitted successfully.

To promote objective submission procedures, we do not accept proposals after the deadline (October 11, 2024, 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time).

Anyone can submit a proposal. To provide an opportunity for new presenters to participate in the summit, we encourage proposals from individuals that have not presented a session at the summit.

All proposals must be submitted using the online proposal submission form.

It is a good idea to retain, print or scan an image or file of the proposal confirmation screen, as well as the date and time of your proposal submission, in case there might be a technical issue involved during the submission process. Additionally, it may be helpful to save and print the Thank You for Submitting a Proposal screen as a PDF file.

The proposal evaluation committee will give preference to those who submit a video; however, the submission of a website link to a video is not required to submit a proposal.

The purpose of this video is to evaluate the speaker's presence. Therefore, we ask that proposals include a website link to a video of the primary presenter speaking about the summit theme or a video of the primary presenter speaking about any topic. The video does not have to be a formal video or a professionally created video. The video should be at least two minutes in length. Preference will be given to those who submit a video, but it is not required.

The best sessions are interactive, focus on relevant issues, and enable the audience to ask questions during the session. If your session focuses on student participants, please remember the more interactive and hands-on the experience is for students, the more they will get out of the session.

Typical session outcomes include inspiring the audience, motivating the audience for action, discussing success strategies, and providing information for the audience.

Session titles should be succinct, descriptive and concise.

While proposal content varies, typical sessions for students will utilize narratives, storytelling, hands-on activities and workshop-style formats to motivate and inspire students. Many sessions will include success strategies for high school and action steps for navigating to future career goals. Sessions that focus on professionals will highlight experiences, research and statistical information followed by recommendations for practice, programs or policies.

Engaging, hands-on, workshop-style sessions for students typically provide information to enhance academic behavioral, social and career outcomes.

Session proposals that focus on professionals should clearly delineate the extent to which the session is designed for business leaders, community leaders, higher education administrators, parents, policymakers, principals, professors, school counselors, student affairs professionals, teachers or other professional groups.

The session title should inform the audience about the purpose and potential impact of the session. While being succinct, the title should excite attendees and grab their attention so that they want to attend your session.

Considering the structure of the summit, it will be best if the session focuses on students or professionals.

Given the space limitations on the proposal submission form, we do not recommend incorporating a reference list in the session proposal. However, any copyrighted material should be indicated using an in-text citation based on the guidelines in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

We encourage proposals that do not include discriminatory or offensive language in the title, abstract or any aspect of the proposal. We also encourage proposals that do not include biased political views.

All sessions must incorporate relatable content to the audience and focus on success stories related to the Summit theme.

The proposal evaluation committee will review session proposals after the call for proposals has ended.

The proposal review criteria include, but are not limited to, the session overview (e.g., Are the session's learning objectives clearly defined, aligned with the session theme, and connected to the summit's theme?); presentation format (e.g., Does the session utilize an effective format?); and audience engagement (e.g., Will the session incorporate impactful audience interaction?).

With regard to the committee's review criteria, which influences the selection decisions, the selected proposals describe the audience for the presentation; specify the focus of the presentation; delineate the connection between the presentation topic and the summit theme; discuss whether the presentation will focus on high school students, college students or professionals; briefly articulate the presenters qualifications; describe how the presentation will be engaging for the intended audience; and incorporate technology, multimedia, handouts, audience interaction, case studies, personal narratives, storytelling and research.

The proposal evaluation committee incorporates a quantitative component (i.e., a rating form) and a qualitative component (i.e., an analysis of the content of the proposal), as well as mixed methods procedures (i.e., a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques).

While evaluating proposals, the committee is advised to consider our interest in diverse, positive and non-political sessions. In addition to these issues, our selection process seeks to ensure that the summit's concurrent sessions discuss solutions to challenges facing men of color. Also, as it relates to evaluating proposals, the committee considers the extent to which session proposals incorporate theoretical, research-based and scholarly perspectives as well as utilize students as co-presenters, focus on college students, focus on high school students, highlight practical implications, integrate research findings, examine college readiness, focus on parents, emphasize mental health topics and focus on contemporary issues.

During the proposal evaluation process, while considering the complex array of attributes about each proposal, the committee also contemplates the potential impact of all of the session proposals recommended for selection. Additionally, the proposal evaluation committee ensures that we have adequate topical representation to address each session theme (i.e., career and professional development, entrepreneurship, masculinity/personal identity, retention rates, graduation and student achievement, and social/community engagement).

The presentation time for each concurrent session is 45 minutes.

Presenters are expected to arrive at the session room approximately 20 minutes before the start of their session.

Most presenters are expected to present their session one time during the summit. Presentations for the high school student audience will be asked to present twice (on the same day).

Presenters are expected to bring their laptop computer if they use PowerPoint or some other presentation software during the session. The session room will contain a podium, microphone, projector, screen, connecting cables and internet access.

Speakers must present the information that was incorporated in their session proposal.

All selected presenters will be asked to complete and submit a letter of commitment in April.

The audience is diverse with respect to race, gender, religious beliefs, economic status and other cultural differences.

In addition to proposals for teachers, parents, school counselors, principals, student affairs professionals, higher education administrators and policymakers, we strongly encourage proposals that are designed to motivate, inspire and educate high school students.

The presenter and one co-presenter will be registered automatically after they accept the offer to present a session at the summit.

No, the primary presenter and the co-presenter(s) will not receive compensation for the session. We will provide admission to the two-day summit, including lunch both days, for the primary presenter.

We welcome all session proposals that connect with the theme of the summit (Building Bridges to Success for African American/Black and Hispanic/Latinx Men of Color and their Allies).

After reading all of the frequently asked questions and answers, if you have additional inquiries, please send questions and comments about the call for proposals, via email, to Sara Hanks (smitch5@clemson.edu), Director of Project Management,Division of Community, Engagement, Belonging and Access.