Off Book Request for Proposals

WHAT: A one-day conference by and for Tisch faculty to share research methodologies, pedagogical innovations, and creative practices
WHEN: Thursday, August 27th 2026
WHO IS ELIGIBLE: All Full-Time Tisch faculty
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 3, 2026 11:59 PM ET

Overview

OFF BOOK | Tisch Faculty Exchange is a one-day conference organized and produced by Tisch Creative Research that creates a dedicated space for knowledge exchange among Tisch faculty. We seek proposals for 45-minute sessions where you will share your research, teaching methods, creative practice, or other topics of interest to colleagues from across Tisch departments. Attendees will be able to choose which sessions they want to attend, with plenty of time between sessions for discussion and socializing. The day will conclude with reception open to all attendees.

Session Formats

As part of your submission, please choose the format that best describes what you want to do:

PRESENTATION: Share information about your own work, a topic from a class you teach, or anything else you think others would find interesting. This does not have to be a traditional format lecture! In your proposal, give a sense of what you want to talk about and why you think others at Tisch might find it meaningful.

WORKSHOP: A hands-on experience where participants are actively doing something - learning through movement, structured writing, or whatever else you are guiding them to do. A workshop could be taken from an exercise you use to teach, or perhaps a process from your creative practice. In your proposal, be specific about what participants will actually do in the workshop.

ROUNDTABLE: A discussion you moderate - about a topic in your field, something important to Tisch or NYU, or a subject from the larger culture. You might give a brief introduction, but the bulk of the session should be a discussion among the attendees. In your proposal, explain how you want to structure and guide the conversation.

LIGHTNING PRESENTATION: A 10-minute session where you can give a short presentation, discuss an important question, or interact with the audience however you like. We’re adding this new quick session format based on suggestions from attendees last year.

OTHER: If you want to combine some of the categories above or have other ideas that don't fit into these options, feel free to select this category. Be sure to explain what you want to do and why.

Practical Details

Time: Presentation and Workshop sessions are 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for audience Q&A. Roundtables are a full hour of discussion. Lightning Sessions are 10 minutes.

Resources: We will have a variety of room types available and will work with you on space and tech needs for your particular session.

Compensation: Faculty who present a Presentation, Workshop, or Roundtable session at OFF BOOK will receive a $150 honorarium.

Session Guidelines

When developing your proposal, please keep these guidelines in mind:

Make it accessible: Remember that your main audience are people outside of your area of expertise. Keep in mind that people attending won't know the ideas and references in your field as well as you do.

Challenge your audience: But that doesn't mean you should keep it basic! Your audience will be smart Tisch folks who like deep dives into ideas and cultural experiences. Don't be afraid of presenting complex and detailed topics.

Involve each other: Rather than a traditional one-way lecture, think of ways you can get the audience interacting - through discussion, creative activities, or any other means.

Submission Requirements

Applications will require:

• Session title
• Session format
• Session description (up to 500 words)
• Intended takeaways for attendees (up to 200 words)
• Any special space or resource needs for your proposed session