Undergraduate Conference
About the Conference
Each year undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds from
across the Massachusetts Public System of Higher Education gather to present
the results of their original work in oral and poster presentations before their
peers, faculty and the public.
Students present work related to:
- Thesis
research
- Creative
work in the visual and performing arts
- Independent
study
- Community
service
- Study
abroad
First held in 1995 for the four undergraduate campuses of
the UMass system, the conference has grown to involve over 400 students from
all 28 public institutions of higher education in
Massachusetts.
Why Should I Participate?
This is an opportunity for you to
- Learn
to present academic work and experiences in a formal setting
- Receive
feedback from faculty and scholars in your field
- Exchange
ideas with other undergraduate scholars
- Enhance
your resume
Effective
presentation skills are valuable for all future careers. The conference
provides an excellent public forum to practice your skills, to explore your
strengths and identify areas for improvement. It is an opportunity for
you to share your work, to see the work of others in your field and other areas
of study, and to give and receive valuable feedback.
Am I eligible?
You are eligible to apply for a presentation slot if you are
an undergraduate student from any of the universities, colleges, and community
colleges in the Massachusetts Public System of Higher Education.
Conference Details
- Presentations
can be done individually or in small groups.
- Work
in progress may be presented so that feedback may guide or improve a
project.
- Each
presenter or group of presenters must be sponsored by a faculty member
willing to assist the students with writing their abstracts and preparing
their presentations.
- Oral
sessions are conducted in panel and discussion format.
Grouped by discipline/topic, each of the
four presenters in a panel gives a ten-minute presentation. A
fifteen-minute discussion for the entire panel follows.
- Poster
sessions are arranged by discipline/topic. Each poster presenter has
one-and-a-half hours to present.
I am interested! What’s my next step?
- Check
out the conference website: http://www.comcol.umass.edu/conference
- Contact
your school’s Campus Contact.
- You can submit your application online.
You can start your application in January and finish it by the deadline.
-
Contact your Campus Contact for any
questions about the online application.
-
The deadline for applications is
Monday, March 3, 2008.
Acceptance decisions will be determined by faculty reviewers,
and students will be notified of decisions by early-April.
Need some help with abstract writing?
Information on how to write abstracts and well-written
examples are available at the Abstract Guidelines page
of this site.
Reflections from Past Participants
“The conference was
very helpful for working on my thesis – it gave me a chance to discuss my ideas
out of the classroom setting.”
“The conference was great.
There were really interesting topics that make you reflect upon different
things.”
“It was a wonderful
opportunity to meet people and learn new things.”
Mr. Daniel Fidalgo Tome,
Conference Coordinator
Commonwealth College, 408 Goodell Bldg
University of Massachusetts, 140 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9272
Tel. (413) 577-3912
Fax (413) 577-4469
Email: umcur@comcol.umass.edu
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