Faculty Resources

We value the hours faculty mentors invest in student research. Thank you for making undergraduate research a highlight of the Hope College experience. 

Is my student's project ready to become a presentation?

For a successful event, projects should have clear results available by the abstract deadline on February 12. Preliminary results are acceptable. A good rule of thumb is this: If a student cannot write an abstract with results for the project by the abstract deadline, the project will not be ready for presentation in April. Much work is needed to master the material enough to create a condensed, high-quality presentation. A student who merely has a research topic in hand with no or little work done in the field by February 12 will not be ready for a successful presentation in April. Any project from the calendar year prior to the Celebration is welcome at the Celebration. Thus, if a student's spring project isn't ready this year, it can be presented the next year.

Registration: What does the student need from me?

If your project is grant-funded, provide the student with the exact wording the grant requires for funding recognition. If any other thanks should be noted for making this project possible, this should also be in the "statement about funding source" section of the registration form. This information will be published in the abstract book online, with hard copies distributed across campus and to donors.

Do you want the students' poster included with their abstract when it is archived on Hope College Library's Digital Commons? Talk to the student about this possibility (and how it will be search-able down the road). A Google form will be shared with all registered participants in late Mrch for poster and abstract book permissions.

My student doesn't plan to present a poster

Most of the presentations at the Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity are done as posters. These are typically flat posters, occasionally oral presentations, and sometimes with presentations on a computer. 

That said, to facilitate the “creative activity” portion of the Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, we understand that sometimes a project cannot be contained within the frame of a poster. Students will be able to register for the following presentation styles: Poster, Laptop, Visueal Art, Performing Arts. Students may also apply to present an Oral Presentation. If you have selected Visual Art and Performing Arts presentation, please contact the Celebration program manager (celebration@hope.edu) early, so we can come up with ways for your student's presentation to be successful. We do have space that can be used for movement pieces and performances.

My student doesn't have an abstract yet

Students do not need an abstract to register initially. Completing the registration form will create an editable document. Students have until the abstract deadline to insert their abstract, along with any text of recognition for funding sources, into that document.

As some essential elements of your abstract such as italics, formatting and equations may not be copied into the abstract document correctly, we ask that all students and mentors double-check the document for accuracy before submitting for approval.

If your student will not have sufficient information to complete the abstract by the abstract deadline, we encourage the student to wait another year before presenting results. (See "Is my student's project ready to become a poster presentation?" above). 

How do I know if my students have registered?

Up-to-date registration data will be available on the list of registered projects. You may search this form for a name by clicking on any cell and then pressing "ctrl + f" or "command + f". A search box will appear on the top right of the spreadsheet. Entering a word in that search box will highlight all cells that contain that word. You may also filter and sort by clicking on the top of a column and using the drop-down arrow/funnel button.

This registration report is a copy of elements of the registration database. Your filters and any data you enter on this spreadsheet will not be saved. Thus, if you notice any errors or typos on this form, contact Maricela Mireles at celebration@hope.edu, and she will fix the error. Once a typo has been fixed, the registration report will reflect that change.

I don't want this research published in the abstract booklet

All students must be able to articulate their research in the form of an abstract by the abstract deadline in order to register for Celebration of Undergraduate Research. It is our desire to have these abstracts available for public viewing on Digital Commons, on our website, and in the form of a research booklet available across campus and to donors and prospective students.

In some cases a faculty mentor may not want novel research available to the public. In this case, we ask first that you work with your student to find a way to word the abstract so that sensitive details are not disclosed. If this is not possible due to the nature of the research, a student may still present their research, but prior approval must be obtained by the Office of Research and Scholarship. Contact Maricela Mireles to start the exemption process.

When you request an exemption, be sure to state if you are willing to have your title or abstract in any of the following locations: Digital Commons, online abstract booklet, hard copy of abstract booklets. Let us know if you'd like abstract only or both abstract and title omitted from these locations. Keep in mind that exemptions are extremely rare.

Titles will be included in the program which will also be published as a pdf online prior to the event. Programs will not be digitally archived.

What resources are available to help my student have a successful event?

CURCA PRESENTATION SessionS: ORAL, POSTER, AND WRITING SESSIONS

At this session (see the event timeline) we cover the basics of good poster design, how to print, how to write your abstract and poster/slide presentation, and how to prepare for your oral presentation (elevator speech) about the project. Staff are available to answer questions about logistics, printing, design, etc.

Online Resources

Most of the information provided at the CURCA presentation sessions will also be available on the Celebration website. Encourage your students to check out the Celebration timeline, read our tips for poster creation and peruse the presenting webpage.

Students may also make an appointment with the Writing Center or the Digital Media Lab:

• Writing Center
• Digital Media Lab

Mentor/ Faculty Role in the Event Process

Faculty members will be consulted throughout the Celebration registration process. Often this correspondence will be through carbon-copy of student emails. In particular:

• We will notify faculty that it is time to register through Hope Daily in August 2024. This will also include a link to the CURCA website where students can access the Registration form. The website includes a link where faculty can view the list of registered students (see “How do I know if my students have registered?” above).
• You will receive also recieve email notification that a student has registered and has listed you as their mentor.
• With this email notification will be a link to the student's abstract. You will be asked to approve the abstract by the abstract deadline. A student will not be fully registered for the project until the abstract is approved. If you do not approve of the student's participation, please contact us.
• Follow along with the event timeline to stay up-to-date on deadlines and events.
• We encourage you to discuss poster design and presentation with your student, especially if this is their first presentation experience. Encourage students to attend CURCA presentation sessions.
• On the day of the Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity — you don't need to do anything! Come and enjoy the presentations along with refreshments. 

Supporting Images: Photos, graphs, and other visual elements

Do you have pictures of your students doing research or other visual images that help describe their results? Did the student create visual art as part of their research or creative activity that is showcased at this event? Send these visual elements to us at celebration@hope.edu by mid-March for potential inclusion in our abstract booklet.