FAQs

Am I eligible to submit a proposal?

This symposium is open to all Middlebury undergraduate students who have done substantive intellectual work in any of the following contexts:

· Independent research with a faculty or staff adviser;

· Class-wide or group research projects;

· Summer or winter internships involving the exploration of a particular question, topic, or social phenomenon;

· Creative work, including studio art and dramatic or musical performance;

· Research conducted while studying abroad.

What are the presentation formats I can chose from, and what do they consist of? What are their time lengths?

There will be oral, poster, visual and performance presentations. Oral presentations will be 10-15 minutes in length, including questions from the audience. Oral presenters will be organized by the symposium planning committee into small panels of 3-5 students from across the disciplines whose research is connected by a common theme. Students presenting their research through posters will be organized in one-hour increments during which they will stand at their posters to answer questions. The presentation formats for visual or performance work will be dependent on the type of medium, but all will have an established time slot for presentation.

What criteria are used to select presentations?

A panel of faculty and student peers will review your abstract. All projects involving substantial intellectual inquiry undertaken with the guidance of a faculty or staff member will be accepted. If you have questions about whether the nature of your work is appropriate for this symposium, please contact Deans Manley or Guttentag.

Can I present work I have done outside of my major?

You do not have to stay within the confines of your major.

What if my research will not be finished by April 2008?

Please submit an application nonetheless; preliminary results from works in progress are appropriate to present.

Can I present work I completed prior to this academic year?

Any work that meets the above criteria and has been undertaken since June 2007 will be considered.

What if my research took place off campus?

Many students conduct independent research through study abroad programs, internships or summer research fellowships. These students may participate in the symposium, but we ask that you identify a Middlebury faculty member who can serve as your faculty sponsor.

Are all internship experiences appropriate to present in the symposium?

While we hope that all students find their summer or winter internship experience valuable, not all internship experiences are appropriate for inclusion in this symposium. Students who in the course of their internships are able to investigate a particular question, issue, or social phenomenon and draw meaningful conclusions are appropriate applicants for this symposium. Those internships that provide useful exposure to a particular professional field but do not involve independent inquiry on the part of the student will not be a good fit for this particular event. Students who wish to present their internship experience in the symposium should contact CSO Assistant Director for Internships Claire Tetrault about staff or faculty sponsorship.

Is there preparation support available to student presenters?

Library and Information Services and the Center for Teaching, Learning and Research will offer a variety of different workshops to support student symposium presenters. These will include sessions on getting the most out of PowerPoint; using Adobe Illustrator; GIS poster preparation; and public speaking. All workshops will be offered in March and early April. We also encourage student presenters to work closely with their faculty or staff sponsors for guidance on how to present your work effectively.

What is the symposium preparation timeline for students?

A written application (including your abstract) is due on Friday February 15, 2008 at noon. All presenters and sponsors will be notified of their acceptance during the week of February 25. There will be a mandatory meeting for all student presenters on Wednesday, March 5 to review participation and final preparation details. Final written abstracts will be due on March 21. During the month of March and early April, all presenters will finalize their materials and presentations. All posters and PowerPoint presentation will be due at the beginning of the week of April 18, and the symposium will take place on Friday, April 18.

What is involved in sponsoring students to participate in the symposium?

Sponsoring students for the symposium is a natural extension of doing research with them. By agreeing to sponsor a student you are stating that their research/creative work is worthy of inclusion in the symposium. You are also agreeing to provide your students with mentorship and advice regarding the best way to organize and present their work, and agreeing to serve as an editor of the students’ final research abstract for inclusion in the symposium program.

Can an entire class submit a presentation proposal?

Class projects are allowed. Please ask one student to serve as the contact person.

What roles can faculty and staff play in this event?

Faculty and staff are warmly invited to attend the Spring Student Symposium. We also ask you to encourage students to participate as presenters, and ask faculty and staff who are familiar with their work to agree to sponsor them. Finally, faculty and staff will be invited to serve as panel moderators/facilitators for presentation sessions that pertain to their area of expertise.

May I co-present with my student(s)?

No. Although the research of many of our student presenters will be closely connected with that of their faculty mentors, this symposium is for the students to present their work. However, when appropriate, students should acknowledge all persons involved with the project and also indicate any grants or sources of funding.