Accessibility, Financial Assistance, and Inclusion

Several financial assistance programs are available for this year’s conference. All include one-year membership to the POD Network and the conference fee at the early-bird rate (for either on-ground in Chicago or virtual programming). Some provide funding for travel (not to exceed $1,800 per person). Details and application links are provided below.

• Adjunct/Part-time Faculty SIG
• DEI Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowship
• Graduate Student, Professional Student, & Postdoctoral Scholar Development (GPPD) SIG
• POD Network Needs-Based Financial Assistance

The POD Network leadership also encourages donations to help support conference attendance, membership, and other programs we offer (e.g., research grants)—or for use anywhere it’s needed.

Adjunct Faculty SIG Travel Grant

The 2024 Adjunct/Part-time Faculty Special Interest Group (SIG) POD Conference Scholarship seeks to increase participation in the Professional and Organizational Development in Higher Education (POD) Network from those who are currently either:

• Adjunct/part-time faculty who want to become educational developers
• Adjunct/part-time faculty who are currently educational developers
• Educational developers who want to provide support for adjunct/part-time faculty
• Educational developers who currently provide support for adjunct/part-time faculty

More information and the application process can be found here.

Applications are due August 30, 2024.

DEI Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowship

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee enthusiastically invites applications for the 2024 Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowships. These fellowships provide financial and mentoring support designed to increase and support sustained participation of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the field of educational development.

Details about the Wulff Fellows financial support, mentoring, criteria, timeline resources and application process can be found on the Wulff Fellowship webpage.

Applications due August 9, 2024.

Graduate Student, Professional Student, and Postdoctoral Scholar Development (GPPD) Career Development Grant

The GPPD SIG will award up to 30 grants to graduate students, professional students, and postdocs to support their attendance at the annual POD conference. The grant covers  conference registration fees (early-bird rate) and one year of POD membership dues. Awardees are invited to attend all GPPD hosted or related events or sessions at the conference.

This year, the SIG will also award up to five travel grants of up to $1,800 based on need; a separate application is not required for consideration.

Those from institutions not historically represented at POD (e.g., HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, HSIs, MSIs) and/or from underrepresented identities are highly encouraged to apply!

Application & instructions available here.

Applications are due Friday, September 6, at 11:59 pm PDT.

Needs-based Financial Assistance

As part of POD Network’s efforts to lower barriers to participation in the POD Network Annual Conference, we have established a needs-based financial assistance program to support attendance to the Conference. POD Network’s Core Committee has approved $40,000 to fund conference registration and membership fees, as well as estimated travel and lodging costs not to exceed $1,800 per person.

Applications will be accepted September 1 – September 25, 2024.

The POD Network is committed to creating inclusive and accessible events. To this end, the Core Committee (Board of Directors) has approved a healthcare precautions policy that strives to keep attendees healthy and safe, including our most vulnerable colleagues. It also provides a procedure to follow if an attendee tests positive before or during the conference. Please share any concerns, suggestions, or comments with [email protected].

Live captioning will be provided for the Presidential Address, Keynote Session, Awards, and Anchor Session. If you need an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter during these sessions, please include a request in the “Accessibility and Accommodations” section of the conference registration form. Microphones will be available in each room and should be used by presenters and participants.

A Lactation Room will be available throughout the conference with access to refrigeration.

Childcare will be available, free of charge, throughout the conference from 9 am–5 pm Sunday through Wednesday and 9 am–12 pm on Thursday. Childcare will be available for evening events on Monday and Tuesday. Request childcare when you register for the conference.

Gender neutral restrooms will be available near our meeting rooms.

The POD Network remains committed to providing accessible learning experiences. The Conference Committee has developed opportunities for virtual participation that are integrated with the conference experience on the ground in Chicago. Over thirty (30) sessions will be presented in a hybrid format. In addition to hybrid sessions, the Presidential Address, Keynote Session, on-the-ground PODTalks, Awards presentations, and Anchor Session will be live-streamed.