Share Your Expertise. Shape the Conversation.
Campus housing professionals are on the front lines of some of higher education’s most complex and fast-moving challenges — from evolving business practices, to workforce pressures and the evolving expectations of today’s students. The Business Operations Conference is where those conversations happen, and we want your voice at the table.
We invite proposals from practitioners at all experience levels — whether you’re presenting for the first time or are a seasoned conference contributor. We’re looking for sessions that reflect real-world expertise, honest lessons learned, and forward-thinking perspectives on the issues that matter most to our field.
The Business Operations, Housing Facilities, and Residence Education conferences will be held concurrently in Minneapolis, MN, October 26-29, 2026. This format creates a rare and valuable opportunity to reach a broader professional audience, collaborate across functional areas, and develop sessions that speak to the full ecosystem of campus housing.
We strongly encourage cross-conference co-presentations and proposals that bridge facilities, operations, and residential education perspectives.
What Makes a Strong Session
The Business Operations Conference Committee reviews all submissions with an eye toward content that is practical, engaging, and broadly applicable. The strongest proposals tend to:
- Deliver clear, measurable learning objectives that attendees can apply immediately.
- Feature two or more presenters who bring diverse perspectives, roles, or institutional backgrounds.
- Engage the audience actively — through discussion, case-based learning, or interactive formats — rather than relying solely on lecture.
- Address broader issues and transferable lessons rather than focusing narrowly on a single campus program or initiative.
- Speak to a range of institution types and sizes, including community colleges, research universities, and international campuses.
- Tackle both emerging challenges and persistent issues in campus housing.
Session Details
Session formats include lecture, panel discussion, roundtable, and interactive workshop. Sessions are typically 60 minutes in length. A/V support is provided for all accepted sessions. Submission fields include a session title, abstract, learning objectives, presenter bios, and preferred format.
Call For Proposals Schedule:
- Open for Submissions: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
- Priority Proposal Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET (US)
- Goal Date for First Round of Proposal Acceptance Notifications: Friday, June 5, 2026
- Early Conference Registration Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2026
Topics of Interest
Identified topical areas of interest to attendees for the Business Operations Conference:
- Marketing
- Conferences
- Assignments and Occupancy
- Front Desk Operations and Customer Service
- Technology
- Fiscal Controls
- Staffing – Hiring, Supervision, and Retention
- Housing Accommodations
- Move-in/out
- Assessment
This list is not exhaustive. Proposals addressing other relevant topics are welcome and encouraged.