skip to main content

Call for Proposals

Social Justice in College Counseling Conference logo

Call for Proposals

CALL FOR PROPOSALS WILL OPEN IN JANUARY

SJCCC 2025 Theme:

University Health Services at Texas A&M University invites all interested potential presentation/workshop facilitators to submit a proposal to present at its annual Social Justice in College Counseling Conference (SJCCC), taking place May 15-16, 2025, virtually through Zoom. 

Over the past several decades, the landscape of college mental health has shifted dramatically. College students present with a wide range of values, identities, and concerns. SJCCC 2025 hopes to provide a conference for counseling center colleagues to explore ethical considerations, new concepts and best practices, and tools and strategies to aid counseling centers in continuing to provide effective treatment through a social justice lends for our diverse student bodies.

Student proposal submissions will be considered for general program sessions to facilitate learning from current students about their research or expertise as it relates to the theme of “Social Justice in College Counseling - Trending Topics”.

Conference registration fees will be waived for all presenters.

Potential Session Topics

SJCCC 2025 will offer a variety of sessions constructed to assist mental health providers in college counseling centers as they support students and university counseling center (UCC) staff. 

Session topics may include:

  • DIscussing the unviersity counseling center's role in serving well-represented/specialty student populations (examples: veterans, first generation, Hispanic Serving Institutions)
  • Exploring concerns unique to this generation of students - could include post-COVID, impact of technology (usage, social media, AI, etc.), increased use of telehealth modalities
  • Addressing how various state and local laws are impacting professional ethics codes and practices
  • Navigating the continual increase of a variety of students seeking services and how that impacts college counseling staff
  • Incorporating topic suggestions from previous conference attendees (substance use, body image/body size, food and/or housing insecurity, identity development, trauma informed care)

All presentations should be based in current research literature and cite references accordingly. Presentations addressing ethical concerns and issues related to the conference theme are also encouraged to enable offering ethics Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits, as in the past. To qualify, ethical considerations should be weaved throughout the session, incorporating specific examples and noting relevance to the various professional ethical codes (APA, ACA, NASW) commonly employed at college counseling centers.

Session Types/Lengths/Formats

Presentation and workshop proposals are encouraged to incorporate various participation opportunities for attendees, such as Q&A portions, breakout groups and case studies. Proposals need not be limited to specific presentation lengths and formats. Creativity is encouraged.  For example, submissions may include but are not limited to the following structures: 

  • 1.5 hour presentations designed to foster knowledge building, didactic information, and/or skill building.
  • 3 hour workshops focused on skill building that may be experiential and/or interactive.
  • Panels in a Q&A and/or symposium style.
  • Roundtable discussions incorporating guided critical conversations or smaller breakout groups.

Formats engaging attendees through skill building, knowledge building, and/or critical conversations are encouraged. Skill building introduces attendees to a skill or set of skills that they can apply immediately to their work. Knowledge building shares information about a meaningful topic, empowering attendees with practical, next-step applications for their own work. Critical conversations spark relevant, inspiring, thought-provoking discussions, skillfully facilitated among attendees. 

Submissions that emphasize practical applications will be prioritized.

Program Submission Form

Required elements include a summary of your program, including a brief abstract; your program topic, length and type/format; learning objectives; and rationale for your program (including 5 references with at least 3 from the past 5-10 years). The SJCCC program committee will review submissions for acceptance. 

For CEU purposes, you will also need to complete and submit the following for each presenter:

All submissions are due by Wednesday, February 19, 2025 (11:59 p.m.). 

SJCCC prioritizes accessibility for all participants and presenters. 

For any general questions or questions related to program submissions, or accessibility or to request an accommodation to participate fully in this event (e.g., communication access, alternate formats), please email sjccc@tamu.edu.