The annual State of the Art (SOTA) Conference convenes nearly 500 researchers, program staff, parents, self-advocates, and students for an energizing exchange of ideas shaping the future of inclusive higher education. Alongside the Student Leadership Conference and a national Inclusive College Fair, SOTA is a vibrant hub for learning, connection, and innovation.
SOTA 2026 is seeking dynamic, engaging presentation proposals that spark conversation and equip attendees with practical insights, replicable strategies, and actionable ideas they can immediately use to strengthen their work!
The IPSE Association presents:
TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT SOTA PROPOSAL WEBINAR
Click the button below to complete the SLC Proposal Form if you would like to present at the Student Leadership Conference. The proposal deadline for SLC is June 1, 2026.
BEFORE submitting a proposal to present at the 2026 State of the Art Conference, please review the guidance and information on this page and then click the button to complete the proposal submission form.
PROPOSAL DEADLINE: APRIL 10, 2026
Directions and Submission Form Contents
Instructions to submit: Once you have the submission form open, click the “Start proposal” button. This will prompt you to log into your Whova account. If this is your first time logging into Whova, please create an account. Watch the tutorial video for more details on how to use the Submission Portal. Note that, because you will be logged in, you can leave and go back to your proposal until the due date.
If your proposal is accepted, we will make every effort to honor your selected session type. However, to accommodate as many presentations as possible, we may ask you to present in a different format. Please review the session options below and consider reviewing Submitting A Great Proposal Tips before submitting.
FULL PRESENTATION
Time to Present: 60 Minutes
You lead a full session on your topic. You will save the last 15 minutes for Q&A. You (your group) are the only presenter during this session.
SHORT PRESENTATION (COMBINED)
Time to Present: 15 Minutes (+Q&A)
You (your group) lead a short presentation on your topic. Your presentation will be combined with 1-2 other presentations with similar topics. Each group will present for 15 minutes. After all groups have presented, there will be 15 to 20 minutes for audience questions, with assistance from a moderator selected by the Conference Planning Committee.
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Time to Present: 60 Minutes
Instead of giving a traditional presentation, you (your group) will lead a discussion. You will introduce the topic, share ideas from your experiences, and ask questions to get everyone talking. Sometimes we combine groups with similar topics. If that happens, we will help you connect with the other group in advance. Each roundtable will be in a separate location.
POSTER
Time to Present: 2 Minutes (+Q&A)
This year, we will be holding additional poster sessions to allow for a smaller group of presenters in each session. You (your group) will explain your poster for 2 minutes, using the microphone. Other presenters will do the same. After everyone in this session shares, there will be 30 minutes for people to walk around, look at the posters, and ask you questions. Conference staff will help keep things on track by making sure each group sticks to 2 minutes and that the audience stays focused on each presenter. You only need to provide a title, abstract, and select from the tags provided for a poster proposal.
SOTA SHARK TANK
Time to Present: 2 minutes (+3 minutes of Q&A)
Contestants (you or your group) will get 2 minutes to present a fun, creative, and entertaining pitch on a tool, practice, or innovation you designed. A panel of “sharks” will then have 3 minutes to ask you follow-up questions. After all pitches, the audience will vote for the ideas they are most excited to try in their own programs. You only need a title, abstract, and tags for a Shark Tank proposal. You only need a title, abstract, and tags for a Shark Tank proposal.
This video can help you decide whether to submit your proposal to SOTA or SLC!
You will need to selects “Tags” for your proposal during the submission process. View descriptions of all session tags.
All conference presenters should upload bios into the Whova app. Session guidelines will be available here shortly.
If you have questions about session types or technical difficulties with your proposal submission, please contact Katie Ducett, katie.ducett@cortland.edu or the Conference Coordinator inbox, coordinator@sotaconference.com.