Faculty Sponsor, Student Presenter and Moderator Responsibilities

Faculty Sponsor

Purpose:

A Faculty Sponsor should verify that the proposed project:

• qualifies as scholarship or creative work as defined by the Faculty Sponsor's discipline.
• could be ready for presentation at the Colloquium.
• has followed the appropriate ethical guidelines.

A Faculty Sponsor should provide guidance to their sponsored student(s) about presenting a project. This would include feedback and recommendations about:

• the written abstract.
• the type of presentation.
• the accepted format (or layout) for a performance, paper, panel, or poster presentation.

Responsibilities:

A Faculty Sponsor will need to:

• certify that the sponsored project meets the guidelines of the Colloquium.
• approve the written abstract--prior to submission--that will appear in the Colloquium Proceedings.
• serve as a resource person for questions their sponsored student(s) may have about presenting projects.

Student Presenter

For the purposes of the Research Colloquium, a student is someone who was an undergraduate or graduate student when the proposed project was first started.

Purpose:

Student presenters are to:

• demonstrate their knowledge in any academic topic.
• illustrate their ability to integrate information about that topic.
• receive public recognition for advanced scholarship.
• acquire experience presenting a project to a general audience.

Responsibilities:

Student presenters are responsible for:

• identifying a faculty member who agrees to be the their Faculty Sponsor.
• conducting a project as defined by their Faculty Sponsor.
• submitting the Intent to Present and Abstract online by the deadlines.
• meeting with the Faculty Sponsor about questions regarding the Research Colloquium.

Moderator Responsibilities

Moderators of Paper/Panel/Performance sessions contribute to the success of the day by honoring session presenters and welcoming attendees.  Good judgment is primarily what is needed for the day.

Here are some pointers to help Moderators keep the session running smoothly:

1. Prepare ahead of time. Access the Proceedings on the Colloquium website. Find the session you will be moderating. Read the Abstracts of the presenters in your session. You can print out the Abstracts. Also, hard copies of the Proceedings will be available for you at the Information/Registration desk the day of the Colloquium.
2. Arrive early. Get your nametag. Greet/welcome attendees as they arrive. Try to determine whether all the presenters have arrived. If presenters have technical difficulties, alert a technician, who should be nearby to help.
3. Introduce the session and quickly offer general "housekeeping" information and conference "etiquette." For example, note the Session #, the topic, and the number of presenters (paper, panel or performance). Explain that in respect for presenters, conference attendees usually expect to remain in the room for the entire session. Explain that each paper presentation is allotted 20 minutes, which should include time for brief questions and answers afterward. Panel presentations are generally allotted the entire session, and panelists usually have a leader who directs the parts of the presentation. Q/A time is usually reserved at the end of the panel. Performance or creative work persentations are allotted 40 minutes which includes time for questions (unless otherwise arranged).
4. Introduce in turn the individual speakers/titles, Faculty Sponsors.
5. Note time limits and keep time. Signal presenters when they have 5 minutes remaining, and when "time's up." Move gracefully from one presentation to another.
6. As appropriate, "moderate" the session . If appropriate/desired, comment on/summarize/provide transitions between speakers. Moderate the Q/A session. (Don't use too much of anyone's time!)
7. Conclude the session. If possible, offer concluding remarks relating to the topic(s) and/or the value of sharing the scholarship or creative work. Thank the presenters.
8. Count the number in attendance. Then turn in the attendance report paper with session name and number of attendees to the registration table.
9. Provide feedback. After the session, access and fill out the "Moderator Feedback Questionnaire." Moderators are the best source of information about the quality of the presentations and the session overall, the nature of the attendance, difficulties and suggestions for improvement.