The Southern Summit Task Force is currently accepting proposals for session speakers at the 2021 Southern Summit: Lions Together!

This year’s event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, on the third floor of Billingsly Student Center and online via Microsoft Teams.

Four educational tracks will be offered, each featuring six sessions. All sessions are to tie into Southern Summit’s overarching theme “Lions Together” by highlighting diversity, equity and inclusion within the presentation. Sessions will be limited to 50-minutes, including a five-minute Q&A.

Selected educational tracks include:

  • Leadership: presentations expanding personal and professional development by enhancing leadership skills, sharing strategies to build effective teams or exploring methods to inspire others
    • Examples: Motivational leadership, Teambuilding, Emotional Intelligence Awareness, Identifying Leader Bias, Coaching vs. Mentoring, Understanding Generational Gaps
  • Student Success: presentations focusing on student-minded topics including recruitment and retention, career planning, curriculum development, engaged instructional design, or attaining student success
    • Examples: Recruitment/Retention Strategies, Digital Learning Trends, Engaged Student Learning, Developing Internship Programs, Planning Student Trips, Instructional Best Practices
  • The Digital Native: presentations showcasing campus and classroom technology including how to use campus systems or programs, implement available online resources, or electronically improve MSSU operations
    • Examples: Microsoft How-tos (OneDrive, Outlook, Teams), Creating Digital Security, Efficiency-enhancing Tech Tools, Improving Virtual
      Workflows
  • Something Southern: presentations related to campus initiatives, university personnel or MSSU in general
    • Examples: Employee Benefit Overview, Networking On- and Off-campus, Diverse Recruitment Approaches, Mental Health Strategies, Improving Campus Engagement, We Are One

If you are interested in being part of this in-person and virtual professional development event, complete the Southern Summit Presentation Proposal Form!

Submissions will be accepted until Friday, Aug. 6. Track subcommittees will review and select presenters monthly. Increase your chances of securing a session slot by submitting your proposal early!

Selected speakers will be asked to conduct a run-thru on Oct. 5 to ensure all aspects of their presentation work seamlessly in the dual online/live environment.

If you have any questions or would like more information about how to get involved in Southern Summit, contact HR Training at ext. 4499.