Chemistry 294

Spring, 2010

 

General Requirements:

 


Guidelines for Seminar Presentation:

 

           The goal for the seminar speaker is to disseminate important, relevant information to the audience in a manner that is clear, organized, understandable, and even entertaining.  Clarity and good organization are the two most important features of the presentation.  Below are some tips on how to improve your seminar.

 

1.      Dress appropriately for the occasion.  Make a good impression.

2.      Show up early to make sure the A/V equipment is working.

3.      Have an overview slide that gives a brief outline of what you will be discussing.

4.      Do not use slides with too much information on them.  Keep it simple.

5.      If you present a slide, talk about it.

6.      When a reference is used, it should be cited on the slide.

7.      Be sure to provide adequate background information such that the audience can understand your talk.

8.      Use color to highlight key points.

9.      Make sure everything is large enough and has enough contrast so that your audience can clearly read your slide. 

10.  Make eye contact with the audience.  If you have your back to the audience throughout the talk, they will likely lose interest in what you are saying.  Pay attention to how the audience is reacting to you.

11.  PRACTICE your talk several times before you give it.  This will help you figure out what you want to say and how you want to say it.  It will also give you the opportunity to find out how long your presentation will be.  Remember: it should be approximately 45-50 min.  Seminars lasting less than 40 minutes or longer than 55 minutes will not receive credit for this graduation requirement, and seminar must be given again on a new topic in a subsequent semester.

12.  Have your research advisor, your peers, and / or the seminar coordinator listen to your presentation. PRACTICE!

13.  Watch how other seminar speakers make their presentation.  What did they do well and where were there problems?

14.  Make the most of the opportunity.  This is your chance to share your knowledge on a subject that interests you.

 

 

Seminar Evaluation and Acceptable Seminars

 

·        Student literature seminars will be evaluated by faculty in attendance.  (See the “Seminar Evaluation” handout.)

·        Either the seminar coordinator or the student’s research advisor will meet with the student after the seminar to go over evaluations and give suggestions for improvements in future seminars.

·        A seminar will be considered acceptable if every faculty member reviewing the seminar gives it a “pass” grade

·        Students receiving a majority of faculty evaluations of “fail” will be considered unacceptable and the student will be required to give another seminar on a new topic in a subsequent semester.

·        Students receiving a mixture of both “pass” and “fail” marks will be required to meet with the seminar coordinator to assess remediation.

 

 

Timeline

 

 

 

 

PLEASE NOTE:  Students who sign up to give a seminar but fail to do so will be required to wait out one semester before being allowed another opportunity to give seminar.