Creating Equitable and Engaging Student Research Conferences for New Scholar Development

Group Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Description of Session

Creating equitable and engaging student research conferences are an asset for every institution. These conferences provide meaningful opportunities for students who are unable or not ready to present at a national conference. They tend to have more engagement from diverse students, creating a period of rich conversation and deep connection among future and current scholars. Equitable student research conferences also provide professional development opportunities for students who are unable to travel for conferences and a safe space to practice discussing research. These conferences also build confidence for students who might not otherwise present, providing an inclusive space for all voices to be heard. They also allow student presenters and student organizers to develop critical skills for future scholarly work, including presenting research, responding to research questions, moderating presentations, and organizing conference programs.

This is a 3 hour workshop, with the majority of time spent on working collaboratively to design an inclusive and equitable student research conference at participants' home institutions. This workshop is geared towards anyone who is interested in creating and/or facilitating student research conferences, and welcomes graduate students and new scholars in particular. This workshop is open to up to 25 participants.

In this workshop, participants will discuss the different facets of a student research conference and walk away with plans for a potential conference at their institution. We will discuss practical and philosophical matters, including the value of a student research conference for student presenters and committee members, getting stakeholder buy-in, determining conference themes, access to a conference, communication, programing, working with faculty, and how to provide development opportunities for students prior to submitting proposals to encourage participation. At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to create:
- A communication plan that includes how to recruit members to the committee, engage with faculty for departmental support, connect with student presenters, and advertise the conference
- A submission/proposal plan that includes a timeline of the submission process, from the call for proposals, to the review process, and finally providing review results to submitters
- A program plan that provides concrete details regarding the administrative/programing needs of a conference, including web presence, program scheduling, identifying and recruiting keynote speakers, budget considerations, conference accessibility, and hosting conferences in person and online

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Workshops, Book launches, and Visual Art Exhibits / Pre-Conference Workshop

Workshop Organizer

• Christopher Johnstone, University of Minnesota

Presenter

• Kristina Cibuzar, University of Minnesota