In the wake of what some pundits have dubbed Super-Confusing Tuesday, college students plan to gather at Allegheny College this week consider changes to the presidential-nominating system.

Wednesday’s daylong conference, which is being held in conjunction with The New York Times Knowledge Network, kicks off a two-year effort that will explore the future of presidential nominations and attempt to find innovative nomination-reform approaches that will better engage young voters. Teams from colleges in the key swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, plus a group from St. Anselm College, in the early-nominating state of New Hampshire, will pitch their ideas for shaking up the presidential-selection process.

With jockeying for prime position in the primary calendar leading to last week’s super-sized election and the disenfranchisement of some voters in Florida and Michigan, Daniel M. Shea, director of the college’s Center for Political Participation, said there is increasing interest in rethinking the process for picking the president. At the same time, students’ enthusiasm and political participation this election year is high.

“Most folks are talking about reforming the process, so we figure why not start that conversation at a college campus,” Mr. Shea said. “Why not draw college students into the process rather than leave them on the sidelines?”

This isn’t the first time Allegheny has dipped its toe into presidential politics — last fall, the institution announced an effort to encourage colleges to develop policies governing campus visits by political candidates.