Call for Proposals
Call for Abstracts: Deadline: July 1, 2025
This is an open call, however, if you received funding from the University Teaching Council,
you are obligated to submit an abstract and present your work.
This call for proposals is for the 31st Annual UTC Conference Celebrating College Teaching which will be held on October 24, 2025. Proposals will be considered in the Roundtable and Lightning Talk formats. All proposals must align with the Mission and Vision of the Strategic Roadmap for a Distinctive Kent State. This year's conference them is Teaching and Learning in Community.
Vision: To be an inclusive community whose collective commitment to learning sparks transformative thinking, meaningful voice, and sustainable outcomes to better our world.
Mission: To transform lives by providing access and opportunity, fostering diverse and inclusive communities, and advancing the power of discovery, learning and creative expression.
Submission Divisions:
Refereed Roundtables (Breakout Sessions) – Oct. 24, 2025 | 9:00am – 10:30am
Two 40-minute sessions per Roundtable will be presented between 9:00am and 9:40am and between 9:50am–10:30am.
Speakers will:
Deliver a 10-minute presentation of key concepts (No PowerPoint or formal lecturing).
Stimulate and encourage discussion among participants at the table for the remaining 30 minutes.
Provide handouts or links (where appropriate) for guests in the session.
This format is ideal for presenting your teaching research.
Lightning Talk Sessions – October 24, 2025 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Two 20-minute sessions of Lightning Talks between 2:30pm and 3:10pm, and between 3:10pm and 3:30pm.
Concurrent small panels, grouped at tables according to teaching and learning themes, designed to promote interaction among conference attendees and fellow panelists:
Prepare a 5-minute presentation on the teaching strategy.
Provide a half-sheet summary as a handout for attendees.
This format is ideal for sharing a teaching strategy you learned from participating in a teaching and learning conference.
Submission Requirements for this year’s conference:
Indicate submission format (Roundtable or Lightning Talk).
(If your choice cannot be honored, you will be asked to present in a different format.)
Submit a clearly worded 100- to 150-word abstract describing the nature of the work as it pertains to this proposal. Include its applicability to teaching and how the authors will engage participants.
Include title (no more than 10 words).
List all authors and institutions.
Please submit your proposal for RoundTable or Lightning Talk to: 2025 UTC Conference Proposals
Submission Deadline: July 1, 2025, 11:59PM.
Proposal submissions will be peer-reviewed by a Celebrating College Teaching Conference ad-hoc committee