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Get Engaged with USETDA

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Happy New Year!

We are sharing some exciting opportunities to build connections with members of the United States Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Association (USETDA) throughout the year. 

Join our Groups

In an effort to continue important conversations and facilitate networking among members outside of the yearly conference, the USETDA has launched two new groups.

The Community Engagement Group focuses on identifying opportunities for members to learn more about important topics in the ever-changing thesis landscape, promoting professional development among members, and creating a space for networking.

The ETD Formatting User’s Group gives a platform and a source of support and advice to reviewers of theses and dissertations, while also considering the future of formatting and format reviews: how is our field changing? How should our field change?

These groups will meet bimonthly throughout the year and will occasionally join to explore related topics in-depth.

If you are interested in participating in one of these groups or receiving communications (including upcoming meeting notices and event invitations), please visit the following links.

To participate in the Community Engagement user group discussions, you should complete this form.

To participate in the ETD Formatting user group discussions, you should complete this form. 

Apply to be a Regional Representative

The USETDA is seeking individuals who are interested in volunteering to be Regional Representatives. This is an opportunity to engage more of our membership and to get them involved in state-wide and/or regional ETD initiatives. You can learn more on our website and you can submit an application or nominate someone through this form.

We value your membership in the USETDA and look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.

ETD Formatting User’s Group Launched

The USETDA recently launched their “ETD Formatting User’s Group” to give a platform and a source of support and advice to reviewers of theses and dissertations. At each yearly conference, the group will meet to discuss the past year’s challenges, issues and successes in the field, and to share knowledge and resources with colleagues. Furthermore, we will consider the future of formatting and format reviews: how is our field changing? How should our field change?

In addition to the yearly gathering, a virtual discussion will be held via Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month at 2:00 p.m. EST, providing reviewers and their peers the opportunity to present issues, share solutions, and learn from one another. For more information and to join the conversation, visit our Webpage.

USETDA 2021 Conference Update – COVID-19 Statement

The USETDA Board and Conference Organizing Committee have been meeting regularly to discuss plans for the annual conference in light of the worsening coronavirus crisis. Any major changes to the event will be complex and potentially costly, thus we need to proceed carefully and thoughtfully as we determine how best to resolve the situation in a way that will be the most beneficial to our membership.

In an effort to provide a safe meeting environment as well as to preserve the work and funding already put into this year’s conference, we sought new opportunities for outreach and engagement. As a result, this year we are pleased to announce:

  • The USETDA 2021 Conference will be held as an online conference, scheduled for Wednesday, September 22-23, 2021.
    • The Call for Proposals will be issued in mid-December 2020.
  • The USETDA conference (face-to-face meeting) has been postponed until September 2022, to be held in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • We have launched the USETDA Forum, a dedicated listserv for the ETD community to facilitate networking and dialogue regarding North American-based ETD program discussion topics.

Details for the USETDA online conference are still being determined. For the virtual program, we plan to include a keynote presentation as well as panel discussions in which participants can join in the live discussion. We will also include concurrent breakout presentations in the virtual program, we encourage the community to submit proposals on traditional ETD topics and best practices, from which, the presentations (slides, papers, posters, videos) will be included in the online meeting proceedings.

We would also like to encourage membership with the USETDA – institutional members qualify for the discounted conference registration rate. Additionally, we are also in the process of adapting our sponsorship options for the virtual venue. All contributions will help sustain the USETDA organization well into the future. Details are available online at www.usetda.org/.

Thank you for your understanding during these challenging times. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the board at info@usetda.org.

Sincerely,
USETDA Board and Conference Organizing Committee