For Presenters: Participant Information and Checklist
Checklist for Participants and Mentors
If you have questions, please contact SURCA staff at ug.research@wsu.edu.
- Start by reviewing the Application Guidelines.
- Decide what work you are going to present. All mentored research, scholarship, or creative activities are welcomed, regardless of whether they were carried out at WSU or anywhere else.
- Write an abstract with the help of your mentor.
- Carefully review all 9 presentation categories with your mentor and select a category.
- Decide with your mentor whether you are going to need a table, electricity, or other special needs so that your work can best be shown at your presentation.
- Submit your application with an abstract by application deadline (which is Feb. 21, 2023) using the online submission process. Each abstract is reviewed, and submitters will be notified by mid-March as to whether they are accepted to present at SURCA.
- Prepare your poster and associated presentation. Look on the calendar for scheduled workshops on creating and making a successful SURCA presentation.
- Review the judging rubric. It details how all presentations will be rated by judges, so it can help you prepare an effective presentation. Please note the project and presenter elements, criteria, and various ratings, plus the overall rating at the bottom.
- Practice delivering your poster presentation with your mentor and other students who are both in your discipline and outside of it. Being able to describe your work and results to those note in your field is an important skill that will be expected or your during the judging process.
- Be ready to attend SURCA 2023 on March 27 at the times indicated in the schedule for presenters.
Additional Notes
A Note to Students Who Do Not Yet Have a Lot of Data
The purpose of SURCA is to give students an opportunity to present their work. Awards are available for students with various experience and education levels. Take advantage of this opportunity. Perhaps the experience you will gain and feedback you will receive at SURCA will eventually lead to you giving a national presentation at a professional conference. Plus, being a presenter adds a noteworthy activity to your resume.
Questions and Answers
SURCA 2022 will be conducted as an in-person event. There will be changes to the event associated with converting what is usually an in-person poster competition to an online format. What you as an undergraduate student presenter can expect about the virtual event format is summarized below in the form of answers to common questions our students may have.
Q: What will my presentation at the virtual SURCA 2021 look like?
A: All presentations will be oral — there will be no posters this year. On the afternoon of Monday, March 29, from 3:00-4:15 p.m., you, and 3 other students, will be assigned to a breakout room in a Zoom meeting. Each presenter will have 15 minutes total: 10 minutes to make an oral presentation using PowerPoint slides, and 5 minutes for questions; there will be 5-minute breaks between presenters. Time limits and scheduled presentations will be adhered to strictly. All presenters must remain in the meeting until its end.
Q: How will I present my work?
A: Students will be able to “share their screens so that they PowerPoint–or any other media they choose to use–can be seen by those in the audience, including judges and guests from the public.
Q: Will there still be workshops offered to help me prepare for my oral presentation?
A: Yes, 2 1-hour workshops have been scheduled on March 1 and 2 where you will learn about effective techniques and content. Check the SURCA calendar for more information, including links to those sessions.
Q: When will my project be judged?
A: At the presentation meeting and at a special session for you and judges only. There will be 3-4 judges evaluating 3-4 student presenters assigned to the 3:00-4:15 p.m. Zoom breakout meeting on March 29. After your formal presentation, you will have about 10 minutes for a quick break, and you must then return to your Zoom breakout room for a 4:30-5:30 p.m. question-and-answer session with judges only (no attendees from the public). Using a common rubric, the judges will score your presentation; top presenters in all 9 categories will be eligible for SURCA 2022 awards, which will be announced March 28 at the awards ceremony that immediately follows SURCA presentations. Please check the SURCA calendar for the latest information.
Q: May I invite people to attend my presentation?
A: Yes, absolutely! Faculty, staff, students, community members, family, and friends will be able to attend any of the Zoom presentations from 3:00-4:15 p.m. on March 29. As each presenter needs 15 minutes total, the 5 minutes in between presentations will allow guests to move from meeting to meeting if they choose.