How long should my presentation be?
Keeping your presentation at or under 15 minutes maximum is imperative. If you don’t need 15 minutes, there’s no need to extend your presentation!
If you need help shortening it, consult with your faculty advisor. Almost all panels are made up of 5 or 6 presentations, so it’s important to be courteous to others as well as allow time for discussion by keeping within the time limit. If you go over time, the panel moderator will have to stop you. Please rehearse your presentation by reading it/performing it with a friend or faculty member; this is the only way to make sure how long it takes.
Where will the sessions be held?
The morning sessions will be held in standard sized classrooms in Fisk Hall, not large auditoriums; the afternoon sessions will be held in the Bessie Schoenberg Studio on Pine Street (directions will be available).
Where do I go? Where can I park?
You can access a campus map here.
The first session will begin promptly at 9am. Please arrive early enough to walk 10 minutes to destination. Parking will be available on the street on Court St., College St., High St., Pine St., as well as in the Vine St. lot, T Lot, & G Lot.
Will talks be recoded?
Talks will not be recorded, but audience members can record a particular speaker with their phone if they wish and can do so discreetly.
Will food be available at no cost to participants and guests?
Yes. Breakfast and lunch will be offered.
Continental breakfast will offer vegetarian options, but we cannot guarantee vegan or gluten free choices.
Boxed sandwich lunches will be available in vegan and gluten free varieties, but the number will be limited. If you have further dietary restrictions, you are encouraged to make other arrangements.
The Usdan Café will be open from 11am-2pm for brunch. They take the Wesleyan meal plan and credit cards for payment.
Who will moderate the panels?
A faculty member from Trinity College or Wesleyan University will moderate each panel, making sure everyone keeps their time limit and recognizing audience members who have questions. The moderator will have seen your abstract.
What fields of study are included in the arts and humanities for this conference?
Languages and literature; music, theater and dance; art and art history; philosophy; history; gender and queer studies; cultural and ethnic studies; religious studies; film and media studies; studies in pedagogy, and partnership with secondary and primary schools, in any of these fields. Interdisciplinary projects are welcome.
Given that the abstract deadline is early in the fall semester, students are encouraged to revise work completed for a course during a prior semester, or to present their work-in-progress for an upcoming capstone project or performance.
Will I be working with a faculty member at my school to prepare a submission?
Yes! You’re required to work with a faculty member before sending in a submission. The goal of this symposium is to showcase student scholarship; at the same time, it provides an equally important opportunity for student scholars to learn the mechanics of preparing and presenting their original work. Your advisor will help you select and articulate a topic suitable to a brief presentation and prepare the abstract (a summary) for submission according to professional standards.
Click here for submission information for students and faculty.
Do I have to be a student at Connecticut College, Trinity College, or Wesleyan University in order to participate?
Not at all! We welcome submissions from students at four-year and two-year colleges and universities in the region, e.g., Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, University of Connecticut, and many others too numerous to list here. Unfortunately, we cannot provide transportation, but your home institution or sponsor may be able to help you find resources as needed.
What are some examples of presentations in previous years?
Presentation topics in previous years show a wide range of topics. These included (but were not limited to) American crime fiction, translating ancient texts, reality TV and cultural change, the art of constructing spaces, investigations of seminal philosophical texts, queer fiction, and histories of colonization.
This year, we hope to broaden participation from students in the visual and performing arts. Due to limitations of space for art exhibitions and dance performance pieces, we encourage presentations of videos and slide shows. All creative contributions must include a brief analytical or explanatory discussion.
What’s the process for submission?
(1) Find a faculty member at your home institution to act as a sponsor and mentor for developing your presentation;
(2) With their guidance, write an abstract of your presentation;
(3) Fill out the Wesleyan Abstract Submission Form, including your faculty mentor signature. (If your mentor is not available to sign the form, they may email Dr. Elizabeth Bobrick (ebobrick@wesleyan.edu) confirmation of their sponsorship.) Make sure that your name and/or that of your institution does not appear in the text of the abstract itself. Please make sure to clarify your AV needs on the Abstract Submission form.
(4) Send it to ebobrick@wesleyan.edu by October 19th. Electronic submissions as Word documents or PDF files ONLY are encouraged. Please do not send Google documents.
Click here for submission information for students and faculty.
While the goal of this symposium is to showcase student scholarship of the highest level, it’s an equally important opportunity for student scholars to learn the mechanics of preparing and presenting their own work. Your faculty sponsor will advise you how to prepare your submission according to professional standards.
How will submissions be selected?
A faculty sub-committee will select the papers that will be presented at the symposium. Students will be notified of the final decision regarding their abstracts within two weeks of the submission date.
When will I find out if my submission has been accepted?
Students will be notified of the final decision regarding their abstracts within two weeks of the submission date.
How will my work be presented?
Selected papers will be grouped into panels of three or four presentations whose subject matter is similar. A faculty member or student will act as moderator. Depending on the total number of presentations, there will be two to three concurrent panels per session. Each single presentation is expected to adhere to a strict 10-15 minute limit, which does not include questions. Keep in mind that presentations of visual and performing arts require a brief analytical or explanatory component.
How long will we be on campus?
We’ll have a morning welcome, with continental breakfast; two or more morning panels, depending on the number of submissions; a break for lunch (provided, with dietary options); a keynote performance and talk by internationally known choreographer and dancer David Dorfman, Professor of Dance at Connecticut College, daviddorfmandance.org; and a wrap-up session. We’ll finish by mid- to late afternoon. We ask students to commit to staying for the entire conference; however, if work or family obligations require you to leave sooner, you are still welcome to submit a presentation and stay for as long as you can.
Does my faculty sponsor have to attend?
No, but they are most welcome.
May I bring a guest?
Yes, friends and family are welcome!
Where can I find campus maps information about accessibility?
All sessions will be held in fully accessible buildings. For more information go to:
https://www.wesleyan.edu/about/directions/accessibility.html