call for sessions

Call for Sessions Now Open!

Shared knowledge between members is the hallmark of the Annual Conference and is a foundation of NODA’s mission to provide education, leadership, and professional development in the field of orientation, transition, and retention. Members in our field are showing what it means to rise together through collaborating, cultivating, elevating, and celebrating in all aspects of our work. This is your opportunity to share your expertise with our NODA colleagues!

NODAC Pillars

Our NODAC pillars are guiding the design of the Annual Conference in many ways, including the educational programs offered in Atlanta. Presenters will be asked to reflect on how their proposal speaks to one or more of the pillars, not as a tool for review or selection, but as a means to draw connections across the conference experience. Attendees interested in how educational sessions relate to the various pillars will be able to filter by category in the conference app. Learn more about each of our pillars below:

Collaborate sessions may explore how partnerships, shared knowledge, and cross-campus engagement strengthen our work in Orientation, Transition, and Retention (OTR). Proposals might highlight initiatives with faculty, student leaders, or campus partners; interdepartmental strategies to improve student success; or approaches that build stronger networks across institutions and the Association. We welcome sessions that model dialogue, shared problem-solving, and collective impact.

Cultivate sessions may focus on developing the skills, relationships, and foundations that support effective practice in the field. Topics might include professional development, leadership growth, student staff training, assessment strategies, or curating a sense of belonging and community among students. Proposals that help participants strengthen NODA core competencies and build sustainable practices are especially encouraged.

Elevate sessions may challenge participants to think boldly about the future of OTR and higher education at large. Proposals might explore innovative programs, emerging research, data-informed decision making, or strategies that disrupt outdated and inequitable models. We encourage presenters to share forward-thinking ideas, scalable solutions, and lessons learned from experimentation.

Celebrate sessions may highlight the people, programs, and stories that demonstrate the impact of OTR work. Proposals might showcase successful initiatives, student leadership achievements, institutional milestones, or creative approaches that foster joy and community in and through our work across NODA. These sessions invite reflection on what is working well and how we can learn from and uplift one another’s successes.

The NODAC 2026 Planning Committee is excited to offer a variety of engagement opportunities for this year’s conference:

EDUCATIONAL SESSION
(50 minutes)
Current research, best practices, and/or authentic approaches that advance the field of OTR or our professional careers.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
(50 minutes)
Organized conversations with moderators who provide a contextual overview to the topic and then facilitate dialog between participants.

Resource & Research Fair
(90 minutes)
Exhibit hall style showcase of current research, resources, and tools within OTR and Higher Education overall.

SKILLS BRIEF
(50 minutes)
Goal is to identify and highlight the skills and tools that may be applicable in position both in and outside of OTR.

Call for Peer Reviewers

All NODAC 2026 Session proposals will be reviewed and selected with consideration of learning outcomes, the distribution of NODA Core Competencies, and the intended audience. Sessions will be reviewed by NODA peers through an identity-hidden process.

Peer Reviewers are volunteers who support the Annual Conference Planning Committee by helping review submissions for Awards and Educational Programming. Peer Reviewers bring new, diverse expertise and help to ensure that all submissions receive an equitable review.

Peer Reviewers who volunteer have the opportunity to choose from two (2) roles: Awards and Educational Programming.

Responsibilities of Educational programming Peer Reviewers

Reviewing assigned submission between July 6 and July 23, 2026
Provide detailed feedback for each submission review that will be shared with all educational programming applicants
Required training: Selected Peer Reviewers will meet with the Co-Chairs for Educational Programming to ensure they understand the educational goals for NODAC 2026.
- Training Date: June 26th, time and registration link TBD (will be recorded and shared)

Responsibilities of Annual Award Peer Reviewers

Reviewing 5-10 Award Submissions for various association awards in late September/early October
Provide feedback for each award reviewed to assist staff in award winner selection

Submission Timeline

March 12
Call for Sessions Opens
April-June
Virtual Workshops and Educational Programming Office Hours
June 26
Submission deadline for all educational programming
July 6–23
Submission peer review
July 23-August 7
Session selection
August 7
Notification to presenters
August 21
Presenter deadline to accept the invitation
September 18
Schedule announced
November 10-13
NODAC 2026 in Atlanta!

Virtual/Recorded Workshops

Workshop dates, times, and topics will be announced soon! Registration links will be available, and webinar recordings will be shared for on-demand viewing.

Once dates are announced, click on the workshop title to RSVP and a Zoom link will be emailed to you. If the date for the workshop has already passed, click on the title to view the recording.

Ed Programming Office Hours

Office hour dates and times will be announced soon! No registration is required to drop by during office hours to connect with your Educational Programming Co-Chairs.

Once dates are announced, Drop into Office Hours using the links above, registration is not required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Everyone has something to share that can help improve and inform the OTR community. If you need help brainstorming ideas, reach out to colleagues, connect with a NODA community, or attend one of our workshops!

If you are interested in hosting an education session as a panel, we welcome those submissions within the Call for Sessions. Panels can be submitted via the “educational session” presentation type and should include “Panel” in the session title. From there, continue to complete the call for sessions submission form, using the “Co-Speakers” field to indicate any and all session panelists.

An identity-hidden review is used during the first round of reviews for educational sessions. All educational sessions are reviewed by at least three NODA members. NODA implements an identity-hidden review to help eliminate bias in the selection process; reviewers do not see any presenter or institutional information in the session submission. When drafting your educational session proposal, submitters are asked to ensure that identifying information is omitted.

There are several reasons we require session submissions so early, and we strive to balance conference planning needs with member commitments. Typically, many NODA members’ work ramps up during the summer time, so we want to ensure that the deadline properly accommodates our “busy season” and provides a fair opportunity for orientation-focused professionals. This also allows plenty of time for the sessions to be peer-reviewed during the selection process. We hope the intentionality in this timeline will allow our members time to prepare their sessions and enhance their professional development.

The following speaker fields will be used to populate the conference app: name, title, institution/organization, professional levels, and email address. If a photo is uploaded, the image will also be transferred over to the conference app. Sessionize does require fields titled tagline & biography; neither of those system-required fields is utilized by NODA, and you just enter NA in the submission.

call for sessions