Description: The New England Faculty Development Consortium invites proposals for presentations and workshops for our Fall Conference on November 14, 2008.  Students face a wide array of barriers to college success, ranging from academic preparation to financial pressures. Retention and graduation rates of students vary widely across institutions as we seek ways to ensure that students can overcome the hurdles that can stand in their way. The NEFDC seeks proposals that address innovative approaches in the retention and academic support of students. Proposals can focus on any part of the academic process, from early college programs and developmental coursework, through first-year experiences and up to and including internships and career placement that provide insights on how specific populations can access and achieve their academic goals. The NEFDC is especially interested in how classroom pedagogy and extra-curricular programs can be linked to cross-departmental efforts for student success. The Program Committee seeks proposals that reflect the best in research and practice of college teaching and support of student learning in New England. Conference Format: The conference day will feature a mixture of concurrent workshops, teaching tips, poster sessions, a plenary presentation, and networking opportunities. Call for Proposals: The Program Committee invites proposals that reflect the best in research and practice of college teaching in New England.  Submissions may address all areas of teaching and learning, but we hope to inspire a number of conference theme-related proposals.  Here are a few general suggestions related to the conference theme: Classroom strategies that address different student learning styles Helping students negotiate financial barriers to education Supporting co-curricular learning programs to help retention Creating community out of diversity Engaging students of different backgrounds with peers, staff, and faculty Collaborative strategies for engaging non-traditional students There will be three types of presentations: Concurrent Workshops (60 minutes): interactive; encourage participant involvement through case studies, discussion groups, role-playing, etc. Teaching Tips (25 minutes): shorter topical presentations Posters (ongoing): allow presenters to highlight a particular program or initiative throughout the day. Conference attendees overwhelmingly prefer presentations that give them at least one concrete, practical “take-away” idea to implement at their home campuses. If your presentation concerns a particular program or experience, please articulate how it might be transferable to other contexts and institutional types. Click here to review important submission guidelines and to submit your proposal online. Submission deadline is July 15, 2008; notification of acceptance will be sent out the week of August 1, 2008. Questions? Contact Dr. Elizabeth Coughlan (ecoughlan@salemstate.edu)