Get a chance to win a pass for the WorldViews Conference on Media and #highered!

UPDATE: Gene Begin from Babson has won the free pass. Congratulations, Gene!

For the past 10 years the media industry and its coverage of higher education has definitely undergone a deep transformation.

That’s one of the topics the Worldviews Conference on Media and Higher Education will delve into. Other topics include:

• The impact of social media and how it is changing what is covered and how higher education is understood
• Research and science journalism
• The role the media play in influencing public policy debates on higher education
• How higher education engages with the media to inform public opinion
• The different realities of the developing and developed worlds

The Worldviews Conference on Media and Higher Education will take place in Toronto, Canada on June 16, 17 & 18, 2011. It targets “academics, journalists, editors, researchers, university and college media and public relations practitioners from around the world.”

Organized by the University of Toronto, Inside Higher Ed, University World News and the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and its journal, Academic Matters, this conference looks like a fantastic opportunity to meet and network with many journalists and editors from the main higher ed print or electronic publications including Scott Jaschik (IHE), Jeff Salingo (The Chronicle of Higher Education), Daniel Devise (Washington Post – College Inc Blog), Bob Morse (Mr. Rankings at the US News Report), Peggy Berkowitz (University Affairs), and many more invited to speak at the conference.

I’ve been asked to participate in a couple of panels, so I’ll be around too :-)

And, since I always try to use the leverage I have in higher ed to get some cool prizes for you, you might be able to attend for free if you win the pass to be drawn among readers of this blog (hotel and travel expenses will still be on you, but the pass is worth $550) for this 3-day conference in Toronto, Canada (the major airline hub in Canada and a very nice city in June).

So, how can you get a chance to win the free pass?

This is very simple.

• First, you need to work for an institution of higher education (university, college or school)
• Then, just post a comment and tell us in a sentence or two why you’d like to attend.

I’ll draw the winner among the entries next week, Tuesday, May 17 at noon ET. The name will be posted on this blog and I’ll email the winner as well.

Obviously, if you don’t win, you can still register and attend the conference as registrations are still open.