Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)
- What is involved in the judging process? What do the scores mean? What about the feedback?
- What are the basic guidelines for giving a presentation at an academic convention?
- If my work wasn’t accepted for presentation, are there any other ways I can participate in the convention?
- Why weren’t Sponsors copied on the notification letters?
- Why was the title of my submission changed?
- When will the program be available so that I know when I will be presenting?
- Why should I plan to attend the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday evening?
- I heard that the convention this year will have a Friday morning Recognition Ceremony, in addition to the Saturday evening Red & Black Gala Dinner and Convention Awards. Could you explain these events a bit more?
- Will participants have any free time to explore Pittsburgh?
- I heard that the 2011 Convention will continue the 2010 effort to “go green” in a variety of ways. What is the Society doing for this effort, and how can I help?
1. What is involved in the judging process? What do the scores mean? What about the feedback?
The convention judging was conducted via blind review. Close to 1,000 papers and panel proposals were judged by 82 faculty members from a variety of colleges and universities. Due to the record number of submissions and the volunteer time asked of the judges to read and score entries, feedback on individual entries was not required. However, several judges did provide some commentary, when possible. Please keep in mind that most academic conferences and conventions do not provide any feedback for submissions other than acceptance and/or denial letters. Any commentary that was provided for submissions was limited by the electronic system’s 250-character restriction.
The judges used the criteria, weighting, and guidelines listed below. The electronic system only records the overall score.
General Judging Criteria & Weighting:
Content, Organization, Purpose = 40%
Style, Originality, Voice = 40%
Grammar, Punctuation, Mechanics = 20%
Scoring Scale (to be used within the electronic system):
Excellent = 500
Good = 400
Satisfactory = 300
Poor = 200
Unsatisfactory = 100
2. What are the basic guidelines for giving a presentation at an academic convention?
All presenters should practice delivering their works to stay within the 8-15 minute time frame. Paper presenters may need to cut down paper length to stay within the 15-minute presentation maximum. Poetry and short prose presenters may need to provide explanation and/or context for a work to meet the 8-minute presentation minimum. All presenters are expected to dress in business attire. All revision should be completed in collaboration with a faculty member. If time permits, a question-answer period follows the session. View additional tips on presenting.
3. If my work wasn’t accepted for presentation, are there any other ways I can participate in the convention?
Yes. Absolutely. The convention chair is in need of students to chair sessions by introducing the individual speakers within a session. Moreover, convention organizers often need help at the registration desk. Lastly, all convention attendees are encouraged to present original work during the open mic night of the convention.
4. Why weren’t Sponsors copied on the notification letters?
The new electronic submission system does not provide the option of copying Chapter Sponsors. Chapter Sponsors can view the Accepted Papers by Chapter School and Accepted Panels by Chapter School.
5. Why was the title of my submission changed?
The Guidelines for Paper Submissions stated under the heading Instructions for Paper Submissions: "Type in the title of your paper as the full title or an abbreviated title of no more than 25 characters." If you typed in a longer title, we may have been required to shorten it in order to fit within the format of the convention program layout.
6. When will the program be available so that I know when I will be presenting?
The program Schedule of Concurrent Sessions will be posted online before March 1.
7. Why should I plan to attend the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday evening?
The Opening Ceremony, at 7:00 p.m., will celebrate the start of the convention by highlighting several of the key events, providing basic convention information, introducing the first speaker, Jacqueline Woodson, and presenting The Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle Readings. The first evening will end with a Meet-n-Greet, followed by a movie night screening of Dave Egger's screenplay, Away We Go.
8. I heard that the convention this year will have a Friday morning Recognition Ceremony in addition to the Saturday evening Red & Black Gala Dinner and Convention Awards. Could you explain these events a bit more?
The Friday morning Recognition Ceremony will applaud scholarship and award winners and celebrate chapter and Sponsor anniversaries.
The Red & Black Gala Dinner and Convention Awards will occur on the last night of the convention to celebrate the end of several days of academic discourse, stimulating speakers, and fun events. The dinner will lead into the convention awards. Dave Eggers will speak following this event. Participants are encouraged to wear the Society's colors, red and black, and/or to wear honor cords.
9. Will participants have any free time to explore Pittsburgh?
Yes. Some extra time was built in for a bit of exploration during lunch and dinner. Additionally, participants are encouraged to stay on Sunday for a variety of optional tours and sightseeing. Please visit Pittsburgh Highlights and Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau for additional information about exploring Pittsburgh.
9. I heard that the 2011 Convention will continue the 2010 effort to “go green” in a variety of ways. What is the Society doing for this effort, and how can I help?
The Sigma Tau Delta International Convention eliminated a significant amount of paper consumption by moving the judging, submission, and notification process to an electronic system, and moderator packets were eliminated. Furthermore, convention folders and handouts were removed by placing the information within the convention program. Finally, name badges will be recycled, recycling bins will be provided throughout the venue, and leftover food will be donated to local homeless shelters and/or food banks.