On Nov. 25, one group of selected freshmen from each of the 34 UNIV classes will be presenting their posters at a symposium in the Memorial Student Union Building. The event is from 4 to 6 p.m. with the winners announced at 5:30 p.m.
These groups, which were selected as the strongest poster from each class, have been working on this project since September.
This event showcases the work of the university’s newest students. Each poster is a reflection on how the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has taught students about being a college student.
The objective of the poster project and the symposium was to give students an inside look of the mind of a college student and undergraduate research.
“Through the poster project, students learned practical skills like time management and note-taking, but they also enhanced their critical thinking skills and tackled issues pertaining to neuro-diversity,” said Dr. Shannon Baker, assistant dean of the College of Art and Sciences as well as interim AVP for the Center for Student Success. “I had previously organized a poster symposium for freshmen in the College of Arts and Sciences, and I wanted to bring that model to the university level. I worked with a great team of staff members to organize this event. Ms. Nicole Morris, the coordinator for the first-year experience, was the main point person in the planning.”
Besides Dr. Baker and the freshmen students, 12 faculty members volunteering as judges along with peer mentors and UNIV instructors are also involved in the preparation of the upcoming symposium.
“The symposium gives freshmen students the opportunity to compete for scholarships, the practice of presenting in such a setting and the ability to showcase their work,” Morris said.
The 12 judges will be divided into small groups, each assigned a certain number of posters to assess. The judges will be utilizing a rubric to select the winners.
The top three posters will receive mini-scholarships with varying amounts. The top prize-winning group will receive $100 each. An audience winner will be chosen and given a door prize as well.
The freshmen students involved in this poster project have had their own journeys of creating their longtime project while balancing out the kinks of being a new college student.
“My journey personally was panicky, but nothing I couldn’t handle. It taught me that even though I’m in a rush, I still have to work within a group in order to get the project done,” said Trenton Payne, communications major and one of the possible students advancing to the symposium.