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EMBRACE Symposium Call for Proposals

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The Office of Assessment, Culture, and Education in the Division of Access and Engagement invites participation in the inaugural EMBRACE Symposium, which will take place in the Student Union on November 12, 2025. The acronym “EMBRACE” stands for Enacting Methodologies that Bridge Reflection and Assessment to Center Excellence. This symposium will advance a culture of assessment and accountability on campus by fostering community among professionals engaged in the work of assessment and evaluation. Participants will have the opportunity to develop the reflection and assessment skills needed to promote impartial policies and practices. In addition, the symposium will provide opportunities to celebrate units, departments, and academic areas that have leveraged reflective assessment practices as a tool for positive change either on campus or in the local community.

The main goal of this initiative is to educate the campus community about the value of assessment practices in cultivating working and learning environments where all matter, belong, and thrive. Other objectives for this symposium include:

  • Develop learning communities and opportunities to deepen understanding of effective approaches to assessing culture and climate.
  • Promote positive change through reflection and assessment of current policies, practices, and procedures.
  • Highlight units, departments, and academic areas that have leveraged reflective assessment practices as a tool for positive change either on campus or in the local community.
  • Ascertain strategies for integrating assessment throughout the development and life of programs and initiatives to move away from the perception of assessment as an “add on.”
  • Inform the campus community about resources available to assist with implementing ethical assessment practices.
  • Create opportunities for collaboration among units, departments, and colleges on campus.

If you are interested in sharing your experience and expertise in a poster presentation, workshop, roundtable discussion, or panel discussion, please submit a proposal to the online portal by May 23, 2025. All staff, faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate/professional students are invited to submit proposals for review. For more information on proposal requirements, please review our Call for Proposals. Notification of accepted proposals will be sent by June 6.

If you have questions, please reach out to embrace@utk.edu.