SSA Frequenty Asked Questions

General
From Students
From Faculty

GENERAL

What is SSA?
SSA (Science Society and the Arts) is a W&L sponsored research conference where students are encouraged to present their work to the W&L community.  The 3rd  Science, Society, and the Arts (SSA) conference will be held on Friday, February 27, 2009.  Undergraduate classes are suspended that day, and it is hoped that students participate in the conference by presenting their own work, joining a book colloquia, or simply attending. 

What type of work is appropriate for the SSA conference?
Research or creative work in any discipline is acceptable. Any project (paper, performance, etc.) that you are proud of and want to share with others is likely appropriate for SSA.  Most junior and senior theses would be ideal, but some projects and papers you have completed as part of coursework are also likely appropriate. 
What is important is that the work demonstrates your independent thinking and serious effort to do quality work. This is not meant to exclude group projects or co-authored projects which might demonstrate the independence and hard work of group members.

The work you present does not need to be the sort of quality that would be expected of an honors thesis. Your work does not need to be perfect if it is thoughtful and carefully executed. Conferences are designed to give scholars a chance to share work that is not yet in its most complete form and to benefit from exchanging ideas with others who have the courage to share their own less-than-perfect projects. 

Who is the Keynote Speaker this year?
The keynote address for SSA III will be delivered by Dr. Brian Nosek, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.  Dr. Nosek is co-founder and director of Project Implicit, a virtual laboratory for research and education in the social and behavioral sciences, especially for research in implicit social cognition. He will be speaking about “Mindbugs” or filters that people use when perceiving stimuli around them.

FROM STUDENTS

How can I get involved in SSA?
1.  Submit your own original work. 

Research or creative work in any discipline is acceptable. Any project (paper, performance, painting, etc.) that you are proud of and want to share with others is likely appropriate for SSA.  Most junior and senior theses would be ideal, but some projects and papers you have completed as part of coursework are also likely appropriate. 

What is important is that the work demonstrates your independent thinking and serious effort to do quality work. This is not meant to exclude group projects or co-authored projects which might demonstrate the independence and hard work of group members.

Work can be presented in a poster format or oral presentation.  Or, it might be a performance.  Regardless of the format, we (the SSA committee) will schedule your work into a symposium with a theme.
Original work can be submitted at:  http://ssa.wlu.edu/   

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING ORIGINAL WORK IS Friday, January 23, 2009

2.  Participate in a book colloquium reading.

Besides presenting your own work, you can get involved in SSA by joining in a book discussion group.  Think of it as sort of like a book club that meets one time to discuss a book.  You are given the book for free before winter break so that you can read it before the conference.  Currently, there are 27 books that will be discussed at SSA.  You can go online (address above) and pick one book discussion that you would like to be involved in.  (Go to the website to see all the book titles--you probably want to include some of them in the presentation). 

THE DEADLINE FOR SIGNING UP FOR A BOOK COLLOQUIUM IS Friday, January 23, 2009

3.  Attend the SSA conference and support your friends.

Even if you don't present at SSA, please plan on attending--it's a great place to see what others are working on and exchange ideas.

Why should I present at SSA?
There are many reasons to present your work at SSA.  First, it’s a great opportunity to share with others the kinds of things that you have been working on and thinking about.  Second, you will likely get some helpful ideas from others about your own work.  Third, it is a resume-builder.  Presenting at a conference tells future employers and educational institutions that you take learning seriously and have begun to master a particular domain.   Fourth, you can accrue free stuff!  We have free T-shirts for those who participate in the conference, free books to those who are involved in the book colloquia, and free lunch for those who sign up to attend the luncheon and keynote address.

Is my summer work appropriate for the SSA conference?
Yes.  As long as you played a significant part in planning and/or conducting the summer research, your R.E. Lee project would likely make a great SSA poster or paper presentation. 

Can I present more than one project?
Yes.  We will work hard to accommodate those who submit more than on project.  Due to scheduling conflicts during the conference, two papers or posters and on book colloquium group is probably the maximum that any one person could do.

What if my work can’t easily be presented in a poster or paper format?
We can accommodate all performance pieces (theater, music, dance, etc.) and all art.  We have access to galleries and theaters across campus.  Submit it, and we will find a way to present it!

Can law students participate?
Absolutely!  This is a campus wide event.  We are encouraging law school participation and hope that we will have good law school representation. 

FROM FACULTY

How can I encourage student participation in SSA?
There are several ways to encourage participation:

1.  Approach students who have SSA quality work and tell them about SSA.  Add a “Save this work for SSA” Post-it (or your written comments) to papers and projects that are of high quality.  The conference isn’t aimed only at capstone-type research.  The goal is to encourage work that’s at the “term paper/project plus” level.  SSA Post-its were distributed last Spring and will be distributed again before Thanksgiving. 

2.  Encourage students to attend the conference.  The faculty has decided that the conference merits cancelling a day of classes.  Let students know that the conference is a great place to learn about what other students are working on and thinking about.  You might consider strongly suggesting that students attend in lieu of your class.  Before the conference, you could access the conference program and direct students towards sessions related to your class. 

3.  Plan on attending at least some portion of SSA.  It means a lot to our students when they see faculty taking an interest in their work, and it’s a way to encourage the intellectual climate on our campus.  

How can I help out with the conference?
Volunteer to moderate a session.  Moderators at SSA help structure the time, introduce speakers, etc.  No work ahead of time is required.  Please contact Julie Woodzicka if you are interested. 

Can I sponsor a SSA symposium session?
Absolutely.  Go to the webpage (http://ssa.wlu.edu/) and sponsor a session (perhaps with another colleague) and invite students to participate. This is a great way to develop interdisciplinary relationships, and would likely lead to some fascinating sessions.