3rd European Conference for Student Affairs and Services

The European Union is launching its European Green Deal  to fight climate change and to encourage all citizens to work towards a greener and more sustainable Europe. 

Concretely, the European Union is planning legislation and support to allow countries to align their education and training systems with the changes urgently required for the green transition.

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European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, commented:  “Education has a key role to play for inspiring sustainable behaviour and helping citizens move from awareness to action. Schools, Higher Education institutions, training centers should be empowered to provide quality education for environmental sustainability. The Commission is fully committed to supporting national efforts and to enable more cooperation and exchange on these issues at European level.“

The conference planning committee invites you to submit conference program proposals that will allow attendees to: 

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• Mobilise expertise and resources to change behaviour regarding environmental sustainability.

• Plan programs that equip students with the skills needed to thrive in the green economy of the future.

• Identify resources and practices that allow to integrate sustainability into teaching and learning and across all aspects of their operations.

As we are re-imagining how to respond to all the societal challenges ahead, the future of work, young people’s employability and the knowledge and skills required to navigate the post-covid world are all key for the European Education Area. How can Higher Education institutions and actors help shape the debate on current disruptions, innovate curricula and fulfil their educational missions? How can student affairs professionals sustain students with innovative curricula and services?

The conference planning committee invites you to submit conference program proposals that will allow attendees to: 

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• Learn practices on how institutions adapted curriculum goals, delivery or partnerships to help students build the skills they need in a post-covid-19 world of work, and to empower them to search and start their professions online.

• Learn evidence-based career services and employability practices to assist students, both in person and online, and to help them leverage the knowledge and skills acquired in all their learning experiences to navigate uncertain job markets.

• Understand the various ways institutions document and assess learning, both inside and outside of the classroom, and how technological tools can sustain this work.

• Learn practices on how institutions adjusted their partnerships with national and international companies, employers etc. to ensure online or safe in-person service learning, internships or volunteering opportunities.

In the context of globalization, with institutions and students planning international connections and mobility experiences in new and unique ways, there is a need for rethinking internationalization initiatives and strategies. Actors of the European Higher Education Area are called to innovation, support student development, create quality programs, and ensure fair access and inclusion. How can student affairs professionals ensure all students have an international experience?

The conference planning committee invites you to submit conference program proposals that will allow attendees to: 

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• Reference evidence-based practices regarding “internationalization-at-home” initiatives that prepare all students to live and work across differences and in an interconnected world.

• Identify best practices for supporting international and inbound students to successfully navigate the local community

• Share institutional successes and setbacks for programs that create an international experience for students

• Establish a network of colleagues with whom to create short-term mobility opportunities or exchanges for students

Institutions of Higher Education around the world are experiencing a wave of incoming students who have experienced trauma and loss due to pandemic, economic, societal, and political events. As professionals in Higher Education, how do we equip ourselves to support these students? 

The conference planning committee invites you to submit conference program proposals that will allow attendees to: 

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• Unpack holistic student and staff well-being and its relationship with student success in Higher Education.

• Create opportunities to define current health triggers (pandemic, economic loss) and its impact on the community. 

• Define current mental health conditions (e.g. depression, substance abuse, etc.) which represent challenges to student success and well-being.

• Identify collaborative models between service practitioners (qualified mental health professionals) on campus and outside support.

• Identify successful practices and programs that support work/study-life balance, healthy habits, community engagement.

As Higher Education institutions reinvent themselves for the post covid-19 world, how can student affairs professionals contribute to support forward looking missions? How can we redefine our practices and what tools are useful for a new blended learning experience and ensure thus student success?? What are some promising practices that allow students to integrate in the university campus and engage into meaningful learning that goes beyond attendance?

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The European Higher Education Area will also be affected by EU policy priorities or initiatives like the European Green Deal or the Conference for the Future of Europe. Institutions count on young people’s voice to have a say for their future. How can we empower students to be positive change makers in their communities or globally?

The conference planning committee invites you to submit conference program proposals that will allow attendees to: 

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• Identify initiatives or tools that ensure continued student success and engagement, in online and blended learning environments or residential settings, regardless of students’ location.

• Explore strategies to build intentional, inclusive and supportive learning environments and/or living-learning communities post covid-19.

• Identify initiatives for new curriculum development that support students to act as change agents for a positive change in our world or empower them as active citizens in their communities?

• Explore virtual or hybrid programming ideas, lessons learned or promising practices experimented during the pandemic.

• Identify support initiatives that integrate peer support from tutors, resident assistants or other senior students.