The Call for Proposals has now closed. Notifications about proposal status were sent in mid-January 2026.

The theme for the 2026 conference is Embracing the Messy Work of Equity & Change Together.

With this in mind, we invite you to submit a proposal that explores how IRPE professionals and offices are embracing the messy, iterative, and collective work of equity and systemic change. We encourage sessions that candidly share lessons learned through experimentation, reflection, and collaboration—spotlighting the tools, practices, partnerships, and communities of practice that make progress possible. Proposals may focus on student-centered approaches to research, planning, and effectiveness that illuminate both the challenges and breakthroughs inherent in advancing equity. Together, these contributions will help us create a conference space that values vulnerability, learning, and shared action in pursuit of more just outcomes across the California Community Colleges system.

If you would like to plan your proposal using a PDF version of the form as a reference, you can download a copy.

• You may submit multiple proposals. Please complete one form for each proposal you would like to submit for review.

• If you wish to save and come back to your proposal later, click "Save and Continue Later." On the next screen, click "Skip Signing In." Enter your email address, and you will receive an email with a link to access your saved proposal. You MUST use this link in order to return to your partially completed form.

• If you intend to complete a question later, but it requires an answer to allow you to proceed, please write "draft" in the answer field in the interim.

• If you would like to start a new proposal, you can do so at any time using the original link:
  https://form.jotform.com/therpgroup/rp-conference-2026-proposal

• The proposal form includes fields for the primary presenter. To add additional presenters, select "Yes" under the "Add an additional presenter?" button at the bottom of the "Presenter Contact Information" section.

• Once you submit your proposal, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your proposal.

• If you have any questions about the proposal form or submission process, contact Lila Tavelli at professionaldevelopment@rpgroup.org. 

• If you have any questions about how to structure your proposal and best respond to the prompts included in the proposal form, contact Brad Trimble at professionaldevelopment@rpgroup.org.

• A note about student co-presenters: We value student participation and welcome student co-presenters at the RP Conference. Up to two student presenters per session will receive complimentary registration and are eligible to receive a scholarship for travel and hotel costs. The call for scholarship applications will open after proposal notifications are sent out.

• A note for vendors: Only proposals that include college co-presenters and show how a college is using your product to advance student equity and success will be considered. This is not an opportunity for a sales pitch.

Embracing the Messy Work of Equity & Change Together.

RP Conference 2026 calls on institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) professionals to step boldly into the complexities of equity and systemic change. Transformation in our colleges is not linear—it is iterative, imperfect, and at times uncomfortable. Yet, it is in this messy, shared work that we find the greatest opportunities to advance equity, strengthen our profession, and ultimately improve student outcomes across the California Community Colleges system.

This year’s theme, Embracing the Messy Work of Equity & Change Together, invites participants to engage in candid conversations, share lessons learned from trial and error, and highlight the tools, practices, coalitions, and communities of practice that enable meaningful progress. Sessions will emphasize student-centered change while reflecting the diversity of voices, perspectives, and lived experiences that enrich our field. Together, we will create a learning environment that welcomes vulnerability, experimentation, and bold ideas—reminding us that equity-driven change is challenging, ongoing work that requires all of us.

Conference Tracks

This year’s conference sessions are organized within three tracks. Each conference track is described in more detail on the Theme & Tracks page.

• Planning for Change 

• Research in Action

• Real Talk

• Growing Our Profession

When preparing your proposal, please address:

• How your proposal/project connects to the conference theme.

• Focus area(s)/track(s): (1) Planning for Change; (2) Research in Action; (3) Real Talk; and (4) Growing Our Profession.

• All sessions will be 60 minutes long and should include time for attendee engagement, such as discussion, hands-on activities, and/or Q&A that help participants consider ways to apply what they learn to their own colleges and practices.

• Tangible, realistic outcomes for your session.

• How participants will be able to apply what they learn in the session to their colleges/districts and their daily practice.

• How the discussion of this topic or application of this resource/tool will advance the field of research and planning.