Conference

The GCC Conference Committee plans and executes the GCC Annual Conference, one of the primary ways that GCC members connect with and learn from one another each year. The Conference Committee works with a contract management company to manage logistics for the conference and develops a program that reflects and celebrates the organization‘s membership, innovation, research, and programmatic developments in the field of graduate-level career and professional development.

Conference Committee Chair, Lauren Easterling
Executive Committee Liaison: Rob Pearson
GCC Contact: info@gradcareerconsortium.org

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The Conference committee is comprised of 8 subcommittees:

Sponsorship Subcommittee

The Sponsorship Subcommittee is responsible for securing sponsorship from external vendors and organizations to support the conference. They build on existing partnerships and cultivate new ones, and they determine various sponsorship levels and opportunities.

Size: 4+ members
Time Commitment: Moderate
Peak Time: 3-9 months before the conference

Member-Generated Sessions Subcommittee

The Member-Generated Sessions Subcommittee is responsible for organizing the submission process for GCC members' proposals to deliver platform and/or poster presentations. They are also responsible for setting evaluation criteria, creating a rubric to score member submissions, reviewing member submissions, and discussing reviews with other committee members to recommend speakers for the member-generated sessions and the poster session(s). They communicate directly with GCC members who submitted proposals to notify them of their session/poster acceptance.

Size: 6+ members
Time Commitment: Moderate
Peak Time: two months during the fall before the conference, and two months in the spring before the conference.

Keynote Speaker Subcommittee

The Keynote Speaker Subcommittee is responsible for recruiting the conference keynote speakers, typically two to three professionals (one slot per day) who speak on topics related to the conference theme, and/or to the work we do in graduate and postdoctoral career and professional development. The committee works closely with the Member-Generated Sessions Subcommittee, the Program Planning Subcommittee, and the Conference Committee Chairs to plan when each keynote will be delivered. They also serve as the liaison between the speaker and the GCC - communicating with the speaker(s), working with GCC to arrange travel to/from and accommodations at the conference, serving as their on-site contact at the conference, and introducing them to the audience at the beginning of their keynote.

Size: 3-6 members
Time Commitment: Moderate
Peak Time: 0-3 months prior to the conference

Social Activities Subcommittee

The Social Activities Subcommittee is responsible for organizing the official social activities featured as part of the GCC Conference, typically those held in the evenings after the day's programs end, or Friday afternoon after the conference ends. These activities include, but are not limited to, dine-arounds at local restaurants, receptions, or small-group activities based on interest. As part of the conference program, they also curate a list and map of local attractions and activities for conference attendees to pursue on their own.

Size: 2-4 members
Time Commitment: Moderate
Peak Time: 0-3 months prior to the conference

Communications Subcommittee

The Communications Subcommittee is responsible for creating the conference communication plan, and for writing and sending all conference-related outreach to GCC members, including but not limited to, conference registration and deadlines, member-generated proposal submissions and deadlines, and conference schedules and speaker announcements. With the Whova and Program Subcommittee, they are involved with on-site conference communications sent via the Whova app.

Size: 2-4 members
Time Commitment: Moderate
Peak Time: 0-6 months prior to the conference

Pre-Conference Subcommittee

The Pre-Conference Subcommittee is responsible for all aspects of the planning for and delivering of the day-long Pre-Conference for new and/or mid-stage professionals in the field, held the day before the main conference begins. They coordinate closely with the contracted conference planners, the Whova and Program Subcommittee, and the Communications Committee.

Size: 6+ members
Time Commitment: Heavy
Peak Time: 0-6 months prior to the conference

Whova and Program Subcommittee

The Whova and Program Committee is responsible for creating the conference program schedule, and liaising with the contracted conference planners to create the conference run-of-show. They are also responsible for liaising with Whova to create the app-based conference program and compiling conference materials that support the programs (i.e. abstracts, logos, surveys, etc.).

Size: 2-4 members
Time Commitment: Moderate
Peak Time: 0-3 months prior to the conference

IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Advisory Subcommittee

The IDEA Subcommittee is responsible for ensuring all aspects of the conference are inclusive and accessible to those in attendance of the conference and that all identities and experiences are represented in the content presented. The subcommittee is comprised of members from other conference subcommittees, at least one from each, ensuring that IDEA best practices are incorporated and represented in all conference aspects.

Size: 7+ members (drawn from each of the other subcommittees)
Time Commitment: Light
Peak Time: Variable depending on other subcommittee involvement

Note about Subcommittee Time Commitments:

Heavy: Monthly meetings in the 6-12 months prior to the conference, increasing to bi-weekly meetings in the 3-6 months prior to the conference. Estimated hours, inclusive of meetings: 8 hours monthly for the first 6-10 months, increasing to at least 8 hours weekly in the weeks prior to the conference.

Moderate: Monthly meetings in the 6-9 months prior to the conference, increasing to bi-weekly meetings in the 0-6 months prior, depending on the peak time for subcommittee responsibilities. Estimated hours, inclusive of meetings: 16 hours monthly during peak time.

Light: Monthly meetings 3-9 months prior to the conference, with possibility of more frequent meetings in the three months prior to the conference. Estimated hours, inclusive of meetings: 8-16 or fewer hours monthly, depending on peak time.