Any Slate User who will be attending or who intends to attend Summit. In addition you must meet the following criteria:

• Employed at a current institution that uses Slate

• Employed at one of our Preferred Partners as a full-time employee

Yes! You can submit a proposal with up to two co-presenters. In addition, presenters do not have to work at the same institution

If a co-presenter does not work at a Slate institution/organization or represent an organization that is a recognized partner with Technolutions, we will not review that proposal.

No – there’s no limit! You’re welcome to submit as many proposals as you’d like on topics you’re interested in presenting. Just keep in mind that submitting multiple proposals does not guarantee selection for presentation at Summit.

Not at all. While we collect information about past Summit attendance and presentation history, this data is not considered during the review process. Your chances of presenting this year are not affected by whether you’ve presented before.

Yes, however, sessions must be educational in nature rather than product demonstrations or sales pitches. In addition, Preferred Partners must submit a proposal with co-presenters from a Slate institution.

We recommend that proposals use Configurable Joins where available. Proposals may include some Custom SQL especially in areas where there is no parity yet in Configurable Joins. Sessions that heavily rely on Custom SQL will not get approved

No, while you can certainly let us know if you are leaving early or arriving late to Summit; we aren’t able to accommodate specific time or room requests beyond that.

The application includes options for both: one section to submit a proposal for our in-person Slate Summit in Nashville, and another to submit a proposal for our virtual Slate Presents series.

Please note: all in-person proposals are also considered for Slate Presents.

If multiple proposals cover similar topics or themes, we may combine them into a single session for Summit.

No. If one of your presenters is unable to attend Slate Summit, we encourage you to submit your proposal instead for our virtual Slate Presents series.

If you have a concept in mind, we encourage you to submit a proposal. The review process is designed to highlight a range of voices and perspectives, and your insights could be incredibly valuable to the community. Proposals do not need to be perfect – what matters most is the relevance of your idea and the potential impact on attendees.

In addition to full sessions, we also offer a shorter format called Show & Tells. These are short 5-10 minute  presentations that are perfect for sharing smaller ideas or projects that don’t require a full session.

We encourage you to submit your idea and let the process guide you. Your experiences and perspectives are more than enough, and your session could be exactly what others are hoping to learn!

No, incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.

We’re looking for sessions that are practical, engaging, and directly or broadly useful to the wider Slate community, balancing technical depth with broader accessibility. Examples include:

• Real-world Slate solutions: how your institution or organization solved an issue, streamlined a process, or improved outcomes with Slate

• Creative configurations, unexpected use-cases, or “We didn’t know Slate could do this” moments

• Broad relevance across lifecycles - topics that span Admission, Student Success and Advancement

• Topics that broach strategic or visionary topics

• and more!

If you have an idea, we want to see it!

Just one proposal needs to be submitted per group. The person who submits the proposal will be considered the main contact for the overall proposal and will receive most of communications from the Summit Content & Affinity Committee.

You must be registered to attend Summit if you are selected to present at Summit.

Traditionally, sessions take the form of presentations or panel discussions. We also offer Show & Tells – short, rapid-fire presentations that provide a space for a variety of topics and ideas.

No, we do not expect you to have your slides ready when you submit your proposal. The deadline for Summit Presentation slides is typically is in late May/early June.

All proposals are reviewed by the Summit Content & Affinity Committee. Each complete submission typically receives 5–14 individual or committee reviews to ensure a thorough evaluation.

There are many factors that go into evaluating a proposal. A few criteria we consider are:

• Relevance to the wider Slate community

• Practicality

• Usage of current Slate functionality

• Adherence to best practices

Notifications are typically sent in mid-Spring. The Summit Content & Affinity Committee may reach out earlier if they have additional questions regarding your proposal.

For approved proposals, all listed presenters will receive a decision notification. For proposals that are denied or waitlisted, only the proposal submitter will be notified.

Being waitlisted means your session has strong merit, and we would love to include it at Slate Summit if space allows. Due to capacity and scheduling constraints, we can’t guarantee a spot at this time.

What happens next?

• To confirm your continued interest, you will need to complete the Slate Summit Backup Reply Form, available as a Checklist Item on your Summit Application Status Portal. Completing this form keeps your session in consideration for Slate Summit.

  • If you’d prefer, you can also indicate that you’d like your session to be considered for Slate Presents through the same form.

If you do experience any of the following career changes:

• You no longer work in Slate;

• You are no longer employed at the institution that the proposal pertains to;

We encourage you to let us know as soon as possible. If you are changing institutions and are moving to another institution that uses Slate and still want to present, we require the following additional details:

• An email to Cody Gray and Christopher Kwan - [email protected] and [email protected] informing them of your career change.

• An email from your former supervisor granting you permission to present on that particular topic as an employee of your new institution.

In addition, if selected to present at Summit, your slides must include a notice that you have been granted permission to present on this topic by your former institution.

Your session should highlight the following:

• Why the build was necessary

• How it was built

• How it has improved processes or enhanced your team’s workflow

We encourage you to focus more on how the build was accomplished, so the Slate Community can gain practical insights and apply these lessons themselves.

Show & Tells are short, focused presentations, typically 5–10 minutes, designed for ideas or projects that don’t require a full session. Think of them as a quick spotlight – a way to share a specific example, workflow, or best practice in a concise and engaging format. They’re perfect for topics that are practical, focused, and best delivered in a short burst of insight.

This format was inspired by the Slate Community itself! Megan Story, a community member, first suggested Show & Tells as a way to showcase creative ideas and solutions.