We would love to have a variety of presentations from a diverse group of presenters! Please consider submitting a proposal. This year's conference theme is "Healing, Boundaries, and Blooming Without Apology," and we are thrilled to have Dr. Cecilia Suarez as our keynote speaker. The conference will be held on October 5-6, 2025, at the Illini Union in Champaign.

We welcome proposals from our colleagues at all stages of their careers. Training directors, we understand that the timing of our conference doesn't allow for incoming interns to submit a proposal. If you would like your 2024-2025 cohort to have the experience of leading a roundtable discussion, please provide us with some general information now, and then once interns start, we'll reach out for specific details for the program.

Suggested areas for proposals include, but are not limited to:

• Culturally responsive mental health practices and programs in higher education/communities.
• Strategies for rest & resistance among historically marginalized communities.
• Fostering & redefining collective care, belonging, and community healing.
• Navigating mental health within the context of systemic inequities and social justice.
• Innovative approaches to boundary-setting, balance, and mental well-being in academic and professional spaces.
• Moving from research and lived experience to action: case studies and models for institutional change.

When submitting a proposal, please note that we are looking for a brief content overview of the topic you’ll be exploring followed by action-oriented steps to promote change. If your proposal is accepted, the presentation title, presenter information, and abstract you provide will be included in the conference program—please be sure the information you submit is accurate. More than one proposal may be submitted; however, multiple acceptances will be reviewed with consideration for conference schedule limitations. Proposals are due by midnight Central Time on July 11, 2025.

You will receive notification of acceptance by the end of July 2025. To allow as many to participate as possible, we may ask you to consider collaborating with others if similar proposals are submitted.

Proposal Submission Form

Conference Registration Form

Registration fees for the Dennis H. May Diversity Conference on Mental Health and Higher Education are as follows. Registration includes a banquet dinner on Sunday evening, a continental breakfast, and lunch on Monday. 2025 registration fees are listed below. Registration opens June 5 and will close on September 26, 2025.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Up to seven Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be offered at the conference for Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC), and Psychologists. If you are interested in earning CEUs, please designate this when you register.

Lodging

I-Hotel and Conference Center
1900 S. First Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
217-819-5000
(Shuttle service will be provided to and from the conference.)

Townplace Suites by Marriott
603 S. Sixth Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
217-344-1600
(Two blocks from conference venue.)

 

Champaign is located near two major interstates—I-74 and I-57. We are approximately 150 miles south of Chicago, 100 miles west of Indianapolis, and 175 miles northeast of Saint Louis.

If you need to park on campus, the University’s Parking Department offers several options.

Willard Airport (Airport Code: CMI) is approximately 5 miles from campus and is easily accessible by cab and bus. Currently, direct flights into Willard are from Dallas/Fort Worth and O'Hare Airports.

AMTRAK offers service between downtown Chicago and Champaign.

Peoria Charter offers bus transportation from both Chicago airports to campus (the ISR stop is just a block from the campus venue.