FAQs

A: The deadline for proposals is March 14, 2025. You may submit your project proposal through the "Submit a Proposal" tab.

If you have any questions about this process after reviewing the form, you may reach out by emailing Dr. David Pietz at dpietz@arizona.edu.

A: Yes! You are welcome to apply to present your work at the conference, even if you have graduated.

A: Yes! Students whose proposal is accepted into the symposium will be eligible to having their work published in the UA history journal, Footnotes. 

Footnotes: A Journal of History presents original primary research and historiographical papers from the University of Arizona’s undergraduate and graduate students. Learn more about the journal by visiting the Footnotes page on the UA History Department website.

A: For students coming from other campuses, a limited number of rooms will be made available at the hotel, Graduate Tucson, located adjacent to the UA campus.

These will be available on a first come, first served basis based on proposal submission and acceptance dates.

A: Your presentation will be part of a panel consisting of 3-4 presentations, all centered around a common theme highlighted by the panel name.

The 2024 symposium will run in three sessions throughout the day (9:00-10:30; 10:45-12:15; 1:30-3:00), with multiple panels taking place simultaneously in different rooms. If you are unsure of when you will be presenting, you should check the schedule for your name to verify the time and location.

A: Most presentations at professional conferences are supported by a slide deck (ex; PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.). You may also consider sharing your research in a format similar to how it was originally developed (a research paper, electronic modality, etc.) as it is relevant. Use your slides to help the audience grasp your research topic, thesis, evidence, and conclusions. Feel free to incorporate visuals, sounds, artwork, etc., to enhance your presentation and effectively communicate your points to the audience.

Your presentation should be approximately 15 minutes. (Also, please practice while timing your presentation before the day of the symposium! You want to make sure that you neither cut the presentation of your research too short, nor go too long and run into the presentation time of your fellow panelists.)

A: The Chair/Discussant for your panel will be a faculty member or an advanced graduate student in History. They will moderate the panel, briefly introducing each presenter and ensuring presentations adhere to the allocated time. As a Discussant, they will also provide useful feedback and pose questions to the presenters.

A: While you're not obligated to remain for the entire duration, we highly encourage you to do so. Demonstrating support for your colleagues' panels is considered good practice when presenting at a conference, and they are likely to reciprocate the support.

For the symposium presentation, we suggest "business casual" attire. This would include dark-wash jeans or slacks paired with a nice shirt or blouse, or even a neat t-shirt topped with a blazer. A professional dress or skirt would also be appropriate. Just make sure your shoes are clean and comfortable enough for standing during your presentation and walking between panel sessions.

A: Unfortunately, the dinner is reserved exclusively for presenters, as well as invited faculty and university administrators. Nevertheless, it offers a valuable opportunity to forge connections with your colleagues and celebrate your accomplishments. Additionally, it provides a relaxed environment for speaking with fellow history enthusiasts from throughout the university before the conference commences.

A: Yes! Your commitment to attending the Friday dinner played a significant role in our preparation efforts, including catering and seating arrangements. It will also ensure a smooth experience for our keynote speaker.

In short: Your presence is highly valued and will greatly contribute to the success of the event, and we look forward to seeing you there.

A: Absolutely! Feel free to bring your supporters along, as the panels on Saturday will be completely open to all who are interested in attending.

A: Unfortunately, our budget will only allow for us to provide breakfast and lunch for symposium presenters, chairs/discussants, and certain support personnel. So, while all attendees are welcome to join and mingle with presenters during their break periods, we are unable to provide food for guests during breakfast and lunch.

A: Please contact David Pietz ASAP using the provided contact information on the website.