How did attendees rate the 2020 NCAN national conference, "Marching Toward Equity," which took place virtually (Sept. 14-16)?
First, here are some fast facts about who exactly attended the event:
We had a record-breaking 1,298 attendees at this year’s conference!
42% of conference attendees hailed from community-based, direct service provider organizations. The next most common sector was K-12, followed by statewide or regional/local networks, and higher ed institutions.
One-third of attendees were program managers or executives, and one-quarter were advisers working directly with students.
The number of years of experience represented by attendees was just about evenly split among those with 10+, 5-9, and 4 or fewer years in the field.
Now, back to the ratings:
95% of respondents indicated that the NCAN conference met, was above, or far exceeded their expectations. 56% indicated that the conference exceeded or far exceeded their expectations.
97% of program managers and executives indicated that the conference met, was above or far exceeded their expectations; 91% of advisers felt that way.
96% of individuals with 10+ years of experience indicated that the conference met, was above or far exceeded their expectations; 97% of those with 5-9 years of experience and 94% of those with 4 or fewer years of experience felt that way.
91% respondents rated the value of the sessions as educational, very educational, or extremely educational.
93% said they took away one tool or strategy they could implement immediately.
78% rated the quality of networking with colleagues as a 3 or higher on a scale of 1-5. 68% said they would plan to attend the 2021 NCAN conference in person if we are safely able to host a live event. That remains to be seen.
The NCAN staff was thrilled to see these results. We were fairly nervous going into this new venture so quickly – the time between deciding to go virtual and day one of the conference was about three months. But we were determined to meet the needs of
our constituents by offering an online professional development opportunity.
We learned it is possible to have a quality virtual event, even if it is not the preferred vehicle for delivering professional development. We also learned there is room for improvement. Here are some of the suggestions offered by attendees:
Schedule longer breaks between sessions.
Offer more opportunities for small-group engagement.
Continue to focus on advising in a virtual space, equity and anti-racism, FAFSA completion, data access and use, and strategies for self-care.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this virtual conference experiment is that it can work pretty darn well. NCAN is extremely grateful for the patience of our constituents as we pivoted the format of the event, for the engagement of so many members and
partners, and for the suggestions of how to improve, which we take very seriously.
One way or another, we look forward to seeing you at the 2021 conference!
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