Here are some Frequently Asked Questions to help you out in planning to attend this fantastic event:
[toggle title=”What type of attire should I plan to wear?”] Most sessions at the NAGPS National Conference are business casual. The only semi-formal event is the Saturday night gala, where full suits are expected for males, and similarly appropriate clothing for females. [/toggle] [toggle title=”Who normally attends these events?”] Oftentimes leaders (or future leaders) of graduate and professional student associations. We welcome graduate students as well as guests interested in graduate student issues. [/toggle] [toggle title=”What costs should I plan on for this event?”] Included in your registration fee is access to all conference events as well as all food on Friday and Saturday. You’ll want to plan for food on Thursday and Sunday, as well as while you travel. You should also plan for your other usual travel expenses, including hotel, flight, and other souvenirs. Please see our transportation page to see if you’ll need to pay for any transportation from or to the airport. [/toggle] [toggle title=”What types of sessions are there?”] Our National Conference includes general sessions where participants submit abstracts on various topics relevant to graduate student life. These are sessions where many best practices are shared, and can take the form of a panel-type discussion, or a more traditional presentation.Lastly, we have the general membership meeting sessions. These sessions are where we elect new board members and approve other changes to the NAGPS governing documents. We also set the legislative platform at these meetings. [/toggle] [toggle title=”What are the benefits of attending the conference?”] There are many reasons to attend! First of which is networking. You’ll meet graduate and professional students from across the country and from nearly any discipline you can think of. Secondly, the sharing of best practices leads to great leadership development. You’ll also have the chance to get involved with issues that graduate students face on the national level. [/toggle] [toggle title=”What kinds of opportunities will there be for free time?”] We always try to incorporate free time into the schedule. There are periodic breaks in the schedule which allow for further networking and informal discussions. After the event, you’ll also find the evenings filled with social events. Saturday night the national conference always concludes with a gala event to celebrate another successful event and present awards. Many attendees also travel late on Sunday so they can have downtime to explore on Sunday. [/toggle] [toggle title=”What do I need to do to prepare and run for a position on the Board of Directors?”] You can find details on our elections process and the positions by clicking here. Feel free to contact any board member individually to learn more.
We also encourage you to submit nominations (can be self nominated) ahead of the conference by using this form. Of course, you can wait for nominations at the actual meeting at the event where the election will take place. [/toggle] [toggle title=”How can I organize a session or talk?”] You can consider submitting a traditional session, and submit here.
You can also submit to present an Ignite talk (on your research), please see this page.
We also encourage you to submit a poster on your research, please see this page. [/toggle]