Who can participate in the Showcase?

If you are a graduate student at Sacramento State, you are eligible to participate! We encourage submissions that encompass all academic areas. For example, scholarly entries may be from your dissertation or thesis, from a project you are working on, a project from a class, or a artistic entry such from the visual or performing arts.

Students with an expected graduation term of Fall 2023 are also eligible to participate! However, because students in this population will no longer be enrolled in courses at Sac State in Spring 2024, they will not have access to use University resources to print their posters. If you are a Fall 2023 graduate, you will either need to complete and print your poster in Fall 2023 or you will need to use off-campus printing resources to print your poster.

Registration opens: October 23, 2024

Registration submission deadline: March 1, 2024

Click here to submit your application!

Will there be a virtual option for presenters?

Yes! Graduate students in online-only graduate degree programs or students whose schedules do not allow them to attend the Showcase in-person, can participate in a virtual version of the Showcase.

Students use the same registration process as the in-person version. The virtual Showcase will involve a recorded three-minute presentation of your poster. You will receive more information after you have completed your registration.

What if I have class during the times of the Showcase?

As an in-person presenter, it is expected that you will be at the Graduate Student Showcase during the entire event. We encourage you to contact your instructor(s) and let them know you are participating in this campus-wide graduate student Showcase. You will need to discuss this directly with your instructor(s) to determine if participation is feasible.

If in-person participation is not feasible due to your class or work schedule, we encourage students to consider participating as a virtual presenter.

Does my poster/artistic entry have to be completed before registering?

No, your poster or artistic entry does not need to be completed at the time of registration. However, you will need to have your completed poster or artistic entry available seven (7) days before the Showcase.

You must register as a presenter before the application deadline, Friday, March 1, 2024.

Registering to present at the Showcase (in-person or virtual) requires you to submit your name, contact information, graduate degree program, faculty advisor’s name, and submission title.

What are the entry rules?

The showcase has a strict one-student one-entry policy, and group entries are not permitted. If more than one student enters the same poster or video (virtual presenters only), the entries will be disqualified from participating in the showcase. This means that for each entry there should only be one student presenter.

However, if your project was developed in a group or lab setting, each member of a group or lab may create their own individual poster for the project and submit it to the showcase. This submission will also require individual presenter contact information to be submitted upon signing up.

Can I reuse a graduate-level poster from a previous presentation?

Students who have already printed a poster for a conference are welcome to reuse that poster for the Showcase.

How to I register to participate in the Showcase?

In order to register to participate in the Showcase, students must submit a registration application.

Registration opens: October 23, 2023

Registration submission deadline: March 1, 2024

Click here to submit your application!

What does a poster or visual/performing arts proposal look like?

A Showcase proposal submission should include the author’s name, contact information, graduate degree program, faculty advisor’s name, submission title, and abstract (maximum 250 words).

After the Office of Graduate Studies receives your application, presenters will be provided with a poster template based on the dimensions indicated in their application, a guide, and next-steps instructions.

Poster presentations will be required to use the provided template and use the poster size that best suits their disciplinary requirements.

What does a scholarly poster look like?

First time making a poster? Need help getting started on a poster? Need a refresher course? No problem! The Sac State Student Research Center (SRC) can provide assistance with poster development and review as well as poster presentation tips. The SRC can also provide information about free templates and which poster sizes are appropriate for certain disciplines.

Here’s some other important information specifically about making posters for the Graduate Student Showcase:

• Although the Student Research Center discusses research posters, the Graduate Student Showcase will incorporate posters that cover a variety of topics (e.g., theory, project proposals, etc.) and areas of expertise. Any student in any area of study can sign up to present a poster!
• What needs to be included on the poster? Poster content may vary – please talk with your faculty advisor about standards and expectations in your discipline. We encourage students to reuse these posters, if applicable, for future conference opportunities.

What are the dimensions for poster presentations?

We recommend 48″ x 36” for the poster dimensions due to the size of the easel and backer board provided at the Showcase. However, if you have a poster, you may still present it. If you have a larger poster, work with your major advisor or program coordinator to find a backer board that will support your poster.

For event planning purposes, poster presenters will be asked to provide the dimensions of their proposed poster in their Showcase application.

Will there be electric outlets for my presentation?

Electric outlets will not be available.

Where can I print my poster?

First and foremost, plan to print your poster before the week of the event; you will need to have your poster or artistic entry available seven (7) days before the Showcase. Printers/plotters break, particularly given the large number of posters that students will print. Don’t be left out of the Showcase because of a printing issue!

Second, talk to your major advisor or program coordinator/chair – they are in contact with the Office of Graduate Studies and will have printing options and alternatives for you. There are both public and private printing opportunities; many departments and programs have plotters that can print large-format posters. University Print & Mail operates a large-format printer at a very affordable price. However, in order to utilize University Print & Mail’s online print shop ordering system, students will need to create a Print Shop Pro account.

What should I expect on the day of the in-person Showcase?

The Showcase is a professional event, so casual dress is discouraged. Graduate students should expect to set up their posters before the start of the event. The event space in the Union will open at 5 p.m., the evening of the event. All posters will be in place for the entire Showcase, and you should be prepared to be there in-person for the entire event and prepared to discuss your research with the attendees at the event.

The event space will be staged in rows of easels, back-to-back, with backer board and easel assignments (numbers) in place. Displays will be close to one another, but staggered so there will be room on both sides and space to meet with viewers. Viewers will move through the space, observe the student entries, and interact with the students. Upwards of 60 individual posters and artistic entries (visual/performing arts) will be will be showcased, so there will be considerable background noise during the event.

Participants and attendees will be informed via announcements when the event begins and will receive announcements during the event.

If possible, please plan to leave your poster up for your entire event period. Posters that remain at the end of the Showcase will be collected and made available in the Office of Graduate Studies office (River Fronter Center, Room 215) after the event.

At the Showcase, how will my work be displayed?

The materials vary based on the type of submission:

• For Posters, an easel, backer board, clips, and space to display your poster will be provided and ready for you when you arrive between 5 p.m. and 5:25 p.m. to set up. Handouts, or additional information that you want to provide, are optional.
• For Virtual Posters, pre-recorded presentations will be on display for one hour in the event space. Viewers will be able to sit and watch your 3-minute presentation. The Office of Graduate Studies will be in touch with you well in advance of the Showcase to provide further details about your video submission.
• For the Visual Arts, a wall or space for displaying your work may be available depending on size. The Office of Graduate Studies will be in touch with you well in advance of the Showcase to provide you with further details about your display options.
• For the Performing Arts, a podium and predetermined performance time will be provided. When you submit your abstract/contact information and indicate that you will present a Visual or Performance Art piece, the Office of Graduate Studies will contact you with additional information. Please arrange to bring any other materials on your own.

Who can I direct questions to?

Please direct questions to the Faculty Director of the Graduate Student Showcase, Dr. Yvette Farmer, at drfarmer@csus.edu or at gradengagement@csus.edu