 EDUCAUSE Connect events are a new concept for 2014, replacing the regional meetings of years past. Each EDUCAUSE Connect is highly interactive and action-driven. You'll focus on workable solutions, network through the proximity of dialogue, and grow your understanding of key higher education IT issues and related problems. For two and a half days, you can become part of a cohort at Connect, examining issues and engaging in career development activities, to intentionally solve, network and grow together. Connect is a brand new model. You won't want to miss it. There are three EDUCAUSE Connect meetings. In Portland in February, Chicago in March, and Baltimore in April. Each has a separate registration, but they all use the same proposal submission form. The EDUCAUSE Connect process is designed for ease and efficiency. You submit a proposal only once, and select the Connect program or programs you're interested in attending. If you submit before August 27th, your options are wide open. You may select any or all three Connect events. There are a few things new to the proposal process this year. You will select one program track. The Connect program will focus on three key IT issues. Online learning, including MOOCs. Enterprise systems, including administrative IT and cloud. Mobile or bring your own everything. And elevating your game, a career development track. Which one fits your proposal best? You will also select one session format, either poster session or facilitated discussion. Poster sessions are 75 minutes long. Facilitated discussions are 45 minutes and may have one, two, or three presentations. If you select facilitated discussion, you're not just giving a talk or running through a slide deck. These sessions must engage the audience in discussion. But don't worry, the speaker concierge has some great resources to help. The Connect CFP requires you to identify your viewpoint as well. Will you discuss this subject from the tactical perspective? Is it about the daily work, the problems, and solutions? Or will you address it from 10,000 feet, a longer, more strategic view? The form also requires you to detail some outcomes for your session. Give it some thought. What will participants gain by attending? It's important to think about engagement strategies too. How is your session structured to encourage participation? That's a quick overview of the Connect CFP. You're only six steps away from submitting. And if you haven't updated your EDUCAUSE profile recently, be sure to do so. The information there is critical to the Proposal Review Committee. And if you don't have an EDUCAUSE profile, now is the time to create one. Take some time to review the four track descriptions. Each is fully detailed on the website. Then craft a proposal that works well with Connect. The proposal form requires you to complete in a single session. Your work is not saved otherwise. So copy it into Word and work at your leisure. This is a handy way to spell check too. Explore Speaker Concierge resources as you work on your proposal. Be creative, think outside the box. And when you're ready, paste your proposal from Word back into the online form to submit. But don't forget to register for Connect as well. We hope to see you in Portland, Chicago or Baltimore next spring. And please be in touch with the Speaker Concierge if we can help.