Call for Proposals

Create or Update Your OCALI Pass

• All proposals must be submitted online through OCALI Pass, a free online user account.

• Proposal submitters will need to either (a) create a new account, or (b) review and verify their information in an existing account.

• Please use a current mailing address and active email address that is frequently checked. Email is OCALI's primary communication tool.

Upload Your Credentials

• All proposal submitters are also required to enter their credentials consisting of a short personal bio, as well as a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) prior to submitting a session proposal.

• Bios are shared with attendees through the OCALICONLINE website. Resumes/CVs are used to apply for continuing education units (CEUs).

• A separate OCALI Pass account, presenter bio, and CV should be created and uploaded for each individual presenter and co-presenter. All co-presenters must be added to a proposal by the submission deadline.

• Don't wait. Enter or update this information as soon as possible, so you can easily submit your proposal on time!

Review the Proposal Requirements

• Review the proposal requirements in advance so that you can create a comprehensive proposal.

• Think creatively about which session type would best allow the audience to experience, understand, and/or engage with your session ideas, principles, or strategies.

• Consider the lessons, take aways, and/or action steps that will allow the audience to replicate or implement session content in their own work.

• Review the topic areas and targeted audiences and carefully select the best matches for your content.

• Pay attention to the number of selected responses allowed per question, each of the requirements, and the question-specific limits (minimums and/or maximums) in the description fields. Many questions specify a character limit, not a word limit, which will also count the spaces in between words.

• Carefully consider how to use the maximum number of allowed characters to fully explain and elaborate on your ideas so proposal reviewers have a clear and robust understanding of your intended session content.

• If guidelines are not followed, the online form will alert you with an error and ask you to revise your answer.

Prepare Your Proposal and Submit

• Start by reviewing the Tips to Make Your Proposal Stand Out.

• We strongly suggest you first compose a proposal in an offline format (such as Microsoft Word) prior to submitting through the online system.

• As you draft your proposal, be sure your title and abstract clearly and accurately describe your session content. OCALICON participants rely on this information to understand and select which sessions to attend.

• Clearly define the learning objectives and goals for the session that indicate or describe the practical knowledge or strategies participants will learn or gain. Consider using this list of action verbs when drafting your objectives.

• Provide an accurate overall session description that highlights innovative ideas or strategies, encourages audience interaction, and is noncommercial in nature. Utilize the maximum allowable character limits to fully explain and elaborate on your ideas so the reviewers have a clear and robust understanding of your intended session content.

• Review your main points and takeaways. Ensure the proposed content can be thoroughly and clearly presented in the allotted session time of 60 minutes.

• Please note that the proposal submission form does not save incomplete proposals. Be prepared to complete and submit all proposal details in their entirety in one sitting. The online submission form does not auto-save.

Allowable Characters

• The online system limits the use of specific characters in some proposal fields. For example, allowable characters in the Title field include: comma, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, colon, and exclamation point. If you try to use a character not in the allowable list, you will receive  an error message with a reminder of allowed characters.

• Sometimes the online system will give you an error if you have copy/pasted your submission. If you continuously get an error even though you have only used the allowable characters, simply delete what you have copy/pasted and retype it into the field. Sometimes in the copy/paste process, invisible characters are included that cause the error message.

Submission Limit

• Carefully consider your topic of interest, your perspective, and your preferred session types as you create proposals and add co-presenters.

• Each person may submit multiple proposals (whether as a primary presenter or co-presenter) but will likely not be selected to present all of them in the final conference program. Please submit your most preferred content.

• Only co-presenters who will be part of the actual presentation at OCALICON should be included on a proposal. There may be several people who have authored or contributed to a project or study, but only those who will actively contribute to the presentation should be listed as co-presenters.