Planning is well underway for 2013 CSTA Annual Conference, formerly known as the CS&IT Symposium. This year’s conference will be held in Quincy, MA (just outside of Boston) on July 15-16. You can check out the program at:
http://cstaconference.org
as well as register for the conference and workshop(s). A few interesting tidbits about this year’s conference:
The number and quality of proposals were impressive. We had 98 proposals (61 sessions and 37 workshops) this year, compared to only 55 proposals (38 sessions and 17 workshops) in 2012. The breadth of topics and quality of the proposals made the job of planning extremely difficult for the program committee, but the resulting agenda should provide something for everybody.
As a result of the number of quality workshop proposals, we were able to expand the number of workshops from eight to ten. There will be five workshops running concurrently on Monday morning, and five more in the afternoon session. This will provide more choice for attendees and allow us to cap workshops to optimal sizes. Register early to be sure to get the workshop(s) you want – some may fill up quickly.
There is a slight price increase for the conference and workshops this year, but we are making every effort to keep costs low. Conference registration is $60, which is well below most other conferences (and even includes lunch). Workshops are also $60, but if you sign up for two workshops, the cost is only $100. Quite a bargain!
On Monday evening, after the workshops, Microsoft will be hosting a tour and reception at their New England Research Development (NERD) Center. Transportation will be provided, but the number of seats is limited so you will need to sign up for the tour when you register.
Keynote speakers for Tuesday have yet to be finalized, but will be posted on the Web site when they are. Be sure to check the online agenda periodically to find out who will be informing/entertaining/inspiring you in the morning and afternoon keynotes.
Dave Reed
CSTA Conference Program Chair
College Faculty Rep, CSTA Board of Directors
