The Planning Committee recently hosted an insightful Call for Proposals office hour for the 2026 UC Tech Annual Conference, where participants could drop in, share concerns about their writing, and get feedback from experienced speakers on how to fine-tune their proposal to stand out to reviewers and attendees.
The office hour was facilitated by two colleagues who have attended and spoken at multiple UC Tech Conferences:
- Rachel Bellofatto: Director of Academic & Campus Technology Support, Planning Committee Lead, UC Merced
- Erik Wieland: Customer Success & Solutions Architect, UC San Francisco
During the session, these colleagues shared their writing tips and experiences as conference speakers, addressing several key topics:
- What to include in your proposal
- What to avoid in your proposal
- Common proposal submission questions
Below are some of those helpful tips, presented in a Q&A format.
How do I avoid choosing a bad idea for my proposal?
Rachel: We’ve never seen a bad proposal because of the idea. Rather, it’s because the reviewers can’t understand what you’re presenting about and how attendees will benefit from it. There is no topic that people don’t want to learn about.
Erik: I like to think, “What topic would make someone want to have a hallway conversation with me afterward?” or “What do I want to see in the session? What can people learn from me, and what have I learned myself?” Your audience is full of people just like you.
Takeaways
- Share your expertise: Submit a proposal regardless of your career stage – your perspective is valuable and appreciated.
- Be human, not perfect: Your growth, learning, and setbacks are welcome, and will resonate with your audience.
- Write for all audiences: Be clear about your topic and ensure that your proposal will be easy for everyone to understand.
- Highlight value: Explain what attendees will learn from your session in the abstract.
How do I make a good title?
Rachel: Your audience will have a wide range of skill, so you should make sure that your session is understandable at a glance from the title.
Takeaways
- Be catchy: Craft a title that grabs attention and makes people want to read more in the abstract.
- Give a teaser: Provide just enough about your topic in the title so that your audience can quickly skim and know what your session will cover.
- Avoid undefined acronyms: Make your title clear to an audience of all skill levels.
If I want to speak about a project, how complete does that project need to be?
Rachel: Sharing where you’re at, as in “here’s where we tried something and it worked or failed,” helps humanize your session and relate to your audience.
Erik: You can share anything. Your thought process, things you wish you had considered, what you wish you had done differently... People like to see the progress.
What if my idea doesn’t fit into any of the program tracks?
Rachel: It’s hard for the Planning Committee to define tracks that fit for all topics, so don’t let that discourage you from submitting a proposal. Find a track that you think fits the best for your idea and don’t worry if it doesn’t fit perfectly. Reviewers will also see if a proposal fits better in another track.
What if my session isn’t technical enough?
Erik: There have been accepted proposals about team dynamics, supporting technologists in their career, and much more. This conference is as much about the people who use technology as the technology itself. Make your proposal about UC and tech.
Should my proposal indicate the target audience for my session?
Rachel: For the submission phase, assume everyone at every level is going to look at your proposal. Use your word count to focus on how and why your session is going to benefit attendees.
Are there any examples that I can look at when writing my proposal?
Rachel: Look at sessions from previous UC Tech Conference programs for examples of great proposals. See the UC Tech 2025 Conference Program and UC Tech 2024 Conference Program.
The Call for Proposals office hour was well-received, with attendees expressing their appreciation for the valuable insights shared by Rachel and Erik. It was a great opportunity to learn from the experiences of these accomplished speakers and gave first-time speakers the confidence to submit a conference proposal.
Thank you to everyone who attended the session. Happy writing!