Prepare
Background Information
- What is the Undergraduate Symposium?
- The Undergraduate Symposium is an annual forum designed to showcase
undergraduate students’ creativity, achievement, talent, research, and
service-learning. Students participate from many different areas of study
at UW–Madison: the arts and humanities, biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. The Symposium
is a great opportunity to celebrate the work of undergraduates and highlight
their achievements throughout the campus community.
- Who is eligible to present?
- All undergraduates enrolled at UW–Madison during the current academic
year are eligible to participate, including those graduating in December.
Visiting students who are not officially enrolled at UW–Madison, but
are currently participating in an undergraduate team research project
may present their work as long as one member of the project team is enrolled
at UW–Madison and holds undergraduate status.
- Who attends this symposium?
- Students from across the university attend, as do faculty, staff, and
members of the Madison community. You are strongly encouraged to invite
your friends and family!
- How do I apply?
- Proposals should be made through this Web site. Your proposal must
include a clearly written abstract (brief summary) of your project and
the name of, and contact information for, your mentor or sponsor for
this project. You will also select the presentation format (poster, presentation,
performance, etc.) and a presentation time. The
Writing Center offers a variety of workshops and materials to help
you prepare your proposal.
Presentations
- What would I present?
- You present original work you are doing that you think might interest
others. You might base your presentation on a term paper you are writing
(or planning to write) in a class, a research project (as part of an
organized research program on campus), a thesis, or an independent study.
Many students present reports on a service-learning project in which
they are engaged. We also encourage students in the arts to propose displays,
presentations, or performances of their creative work.
- Which presentation type should I select?
- You have several options. To help you decide, here are the definitions
of each. Keep in mind, the choice is yours, but once you have completed
your application you will not be able to change your presentation type.
- Poster: All information will be displayed on a hanging display,
within a 3 ½ by 5 ½ feet area.
- Art/ Research Display: All information will be presented on
a table display area and may include a standing poster display and
other materials not suitable for the hanging poster display.
- Oral Presentations: Presentations may be made individually
or as a group. Presentations should be a maximum of 15 minutes (10
minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for questions and answers).
Each presentation room will be equipped with a PC laptop and a data
projector for PowerPoint presentations. Other materials may be available
by special request; please contact the Symposium Coordinator no
later than February 12 to check on availability. Presenters
who need to use an Apple/Mac laptop must provide their own adapter
cable for the data projector.
- Performance: Work may be presented in a live performance.
Material needs will be accommodated according to needs of the performer,
please be as detailed as possible when describing the performance.
- When do I present?
- You will have a choice of three session times: 10:00–11:30
a.m.; Noon–1:30 p.m.; 2:00–3:30 p.m. Regardless of your
type of presentation, you are expected to be present for your entire
session time. We also encourage you to stay longer if you like.
- I’ve never done these kinds of presentations. How will I know what
to do?
- All participants are required to have a mentor or sponsor; he/she
will be able to give you advice. In addition, The
Writing Center offers a variety of workshops and resources, from
writing your abstract to creating a poster to delivering an oral presentation.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these resources.
- Can I present two projects?
- Yes, although we recommend that you not present two of your individual
projects. In the past, however, students have presented a solo project
and a project as part of a group.
- Can a group present one project?
- Yes, we encourage both individual and collaborative efforts. Please
include the names of all members of your project’s team when you fill
out the online application. Each project only needs one faculty mentor.
- Can I use my Apple laptop for my presentation?
- Yes, but you will
need to provide your own adaptor cable for the data projector.
- Can I present if my research will
not be completed by April?
- Yes. You do not need your final results in order to present. Students can
present research that is still in progress.
Mentors/Sponsors
- What is a mentor? Whom do I choose?
- A mentor or sponsor is a UW–Madison professor or academic staff member
who will advise you on your project, abstract, and poster or presentation.
This will usually be the person who taught the class in which you originally
did this work or who supervises your independent study, thesis, or project.
He or she will help you organize your work into a project format. Your
mentor or sponsor will receive your online application submission via
e-mail and will be asked to review the proposal. A link will be provided
within that e-mail through which mentors or sponsors can confirm whether
the project abstract is final or needs additional work. We strongly advise
students to work closely with their mentors or sponsors on their projects!
- How do I know if my mentor has done what he/she needs to for me to be
accepted to the Symposium?
- Students should maintain an open and consistent line of communication
with their mentors or sponsors. It is the student’s responsibility to
make sure the mentor or sponsor has received and approved all the necessary
materials to participate in the Symposium.
- Can a mentor sponsor more than one student presentation?
- Yes.
Abstracts
- What is an abstract?
- Each participant or team of participants will write a paragraph describing
their project. These abstracts will be compiled into a book that will
be distributed on the day of the symposium. Examples are available in
last year’s abstract book.
- What are the requirements for my abstract?
- Abstracts you submit with your application will
be published in the abstract book and must be well proofed.
We recommend typing your abstract in a word processing program (such
as Word or WordPerfect) and running the spell check. The abstract used
for your posters or presentations may be longer than the 125-word limit
of the proposal abstract.
- Where can I get help preparing my abstract and other written materials?
- We encourage you to visit the Writing Center for classes and online
materials to help you prepare your abstract.
General Questions
- Is there a timeline I should follow?
- The following is a suggested timeline:
September – January: Begin thinking about
the Symposium and what you might want to present. You can present work
done during the summer, fall, or spring, and your research does not need
to be complete before you present. You can present an ongoing project.
January – February: Prepare your abstract
and complete your online application. Don’t wait until the last
minute! Give yourself plenty of time to work with your mentor or sponsor
on your abstract and give your mentor or sponsor enough time to review
your application.
March: Start working on your poster, display,
performance, or oral presentation. Check the Writing Center for class
schedules and online resources to help you prepare.
April: Put the final touches on your poster,
display, performance, or oral presentation. And enjoy the Symposium!
- How will I receive information and updates about the Symposium?
- All communications will be sent via e-mail and posted on the Symposium
Web site. Students should check the Web site often for updates and watch
for e-mails containing important information. Please note that for group
projects, only the Primary Student Contact will receive e-mail updates.
That student will be responsible for sharing the information with the
rest of the group.
- What if I need to change or add materials to my selected list after
I submit?
- Please contact the Project Coordinator as soon as possible
to insure that the materials you need are available that day. Some materials
are only available in limited quantity on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- What if I need to change my scheduled time at the Symposium because
of class conflicts?
- Please note that the Symposium presenters may
be able to be excused from a class with advance notice. Contact your
professor to determine his/her policy. If you are aware of a conflict,
please inform the Coordinator as soon as possible. Once the final schedule
is set (one week prior to the Symposium), it is no longer possible to
reschedule your presentation.
- How late before the Symposium can I e-mail the Coordinator?
- Please
feel free to contact the Coordinator with any questions or concerns.
Try to contact the Coordinator as early as possible to work through any
issues. Symposium organizers are very busy the day before and day
of the Symposium and will not be checking e-mail on a regular basis.
- What if I can’t pick up my poster during the hour after the Symposium
ends?
- We strongly encourage you to pick up your poster or display
immediately after the Symposium ends. You may arrange for a friend to
pick it up for you. We also will have a short pick-up time the following
day. Any posters or displays not picked up after that time will be discarded.
Symposium staff members are not responsible for any damage to your poster
or display.
