Students Seminars

Student Seminar Protocols and Schedule

• Abstract The speaker will submit the abstract to Jennifer DiMassimo, Student Affairs Officer one week prior to the date of presentation. The abstract needs to be signed by the supervisor. If the abstract is not submitted one week prior to the seminar presentation, the student will lose 5% from the total mark. The abstract of their presentation will be circulated by the office to all of the graduate students and Professors, one week before the seminar is scheduled. In respect for the work that the students put into their seminars, all those persons attending the seminar must have read the abstract and should have formulated some provisional questions for the speaker after the presentation.
• Arrival and attendance In consideration of the seminar speaker, the students and staff attending the seminar should arrive before 9:00 a.m. The students shall pick up a seminar attendance and assessment form from the office room 511. The evaluation forms are to be returned to the office that same morning.
• Introduction by the Chair At 9:00 a.m., the Chair will introduce the speaker and inform the audience of the supervisors’ name and the location of their research laboratory. The Chair will also review the students’ background and how long they have been engaged in the current research program and a general statement of the research interests of the research supervisor. The Chair and Speaker shall decide who will present the title of the presentation.
• Presentation of the seminar At 9:00 a.m., the Speaker will start the seminar by introducing the topic and title of their research project. The presentation of the seminar should take about 30 minutes for 1st seminar and 40 minutes for final and/or switch seminar including a question answer period. The speaker will allow between a 5 to 10 minutes for this period before the seminar period ends.
• Questions for the speaker During the seminar, the members of the audience should note down points of interest or potential questions on their copy of the seminar notice and abstract. After the seminar presentation is over the question period begins. Needless to point out, your colleague has worked hard to create the seminar presentation and the question period indicates your interest and appreciation of his/her efforts. The Student Chair of the seminar should ask the first question and then ask the students present to ask their questions. After couple of minutes or so, the Professors may ask their questions.
• Evaluation of the seminar The evaluation of the quality of the seminar by all parties must be based on a critical comparative evaluation of the current seminar in comparison to other seminars that the evaluator has heard. A full range of evaluations is expected in which excellent characteristics warrant an “A” and unacceptable presentations warrant a “F”. As this is a graduate course in which both the speakers and the audience are learning both scientific facts and the methods of effective communication or science, critical evaluation that provides useful feedback to the speaker is an essential part of this course.
• Absence Students are allowed to miss 30% of the scheduled seminars. One letter grade will be deducted from a student's final mark if more than 30% of seminars are missed (example A becomes A-; and A- becomes B+ etc); if more that 40% of seminars are missed the student will fail the course.
• Responsibilities of the Chair-person
  1. Conduct the entire seminar session
  2. Check the power point paraphernalia and the microphone
  3. Initiate questions/answers period (shouldn't exceed 10 minutes)

You may find more information about Student Seminars in Internal Guidelines