Martha McAlister and the PD Funding Committee would like members to beware of SCAM conferences. There has been an increase in fake “Predatory Conferences” Before you seek funding to attend a conference, please ensure it is a reputable organization. It can be very hard to detect and a number of us have been fooled.
Keep an eye out for some of these red flags!
- Unclear Organizers: The conference organizers’ details are ambiguous, and attempts to verify their credentials or trace their professional backgrounds have been unsuccessful.
- Dubious Review Process: The peer review process appears lax, with reports of abstract acceptances without proper scrutiny or constructive feedback.
- Excessive Fees: The registration fees are unreasonably high & unrefundable, especially in comparison to well-established conferences within the same field.
- Vague Conference Scope: The conference’s thematic scope is broad and lacks specificity, making it challenging to discern a clear focus or purpose.
Professional Funding is a shared resource, we all need to work together to ensure everyone can enjoy this bargained right!
Martha McAlister
PD Chair, Camosun College Faculty Association
Martha taught in Health and Human Services for 10 years before becoming an Educational Developer within the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. As the current chair of the PD committee and member of the CCFA executive, she is dedicated to serving our membership by supporting faculty in meeting their educational goals through access to PD funds.
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