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The final component of the IRP is an oral presentation to an assembly of students, faculty, and staff. This page specifies:

1. what is expected of students in the Presentation;
2. the dates and sign-up procedures for the Presentation;
3. how the IRP Presentation Jury evaluates Presentations; and
4. how students and mentors are notified of the Jury’s evaluation.

Follow these links to learn:

• why the Jury’s grade for the Presentation matters; what consequences it has for students.

1. Expectations

15 minutes are allotted to each student presenter. Students are expected to do three things:

• present their research orally (length: 10-12 minutes);
• answer questions from the audience (length: 3-5 minutes); and
• distribute a one-page handout.

The presenter’s task is to introduce her study’s leading questions and conclusions.  She may speak from notes or read a prepared text. Her charge is to bring out, as far as possible, the evidence and reasoning that lead to your conclusions.  Her presentation should make clear how the texts, tools, and terminology of two distinct academic fields influenced the formulation and resolution of your study’s leading questions.  Her challenge is to be clear, comprehensive, and concise. 

Presenters should try to present their work in a way that will be comprehensible and engaging for an audience of educated non-specialists.   The use of PowerPoint is permitted but not required.  If any presenter requires special technology for her presentation, she is asked to contact the Scholars Assistant at least one week in advance of her presentation date.

All presenters must speak at least 10 minutes.  A timekeeper will indicate when 10 minutes have passed.  At 12 minutes, the timekeeper will indicate that time has expired and invite questions.  If a presenter finishes before 12 minutes have passed, he is asked to invite questions himself.

Handout (Length: one-page)

The handout should include a one-paragraph précis of your paper’s argument.  It should also include a bibliography of the sources that figure most importantly in the student’s paper. Presenters are urged to attend carefully to the formatting of these bibliographies. 

Presenters should bring at least 40 copies of their handouts to the presentation.  They should give them to the Scholars Director at the start of the session, who will oversee their distribution.  If a presenter submits the handout electronically to the Scholars Assistant before midnight on the day before your presentation, the Scholars Program will make copies for you.  Otherwise she must bring them to the session.

Once the final schedule for Presentations has been set, it is distributed to students, mentors, and the University community. Please note: Friends and relatives are cordially invited to attend the Presentations.

Final advice for presenters:

• The time for presentations is tightly defined.  As you know, you must speak for at least 10 minutes and may not speak for more than 12.  The timekeeper will indicate when 10 minutes have passed and ask you to finish speaking if you have not finished in 12.  We will need to adhere rigorously to our timetable.
  
• You may speak from notes or read a prepared text; either option is acceptable.
• You may use PowerPoint if you like; you are not required to do so.  If you intend to use PowerPoint, please be sure that your presentation file is loaded on to the computer in the Krasa Presentation Room in advance, so that you may begin speaking at the scheduled time.  If you need assistance in using PowerPoint, please contact the Scholars Assistant.
• Please bring 40 copies of your handout.  If you email the Scholars Assistant an electronic copy of your handout by midnight on the day before your presentation, the Program will prepare the copies for you and bring them to the session.  The handout may exceed one page, if necessary, but should not exceed two.
• After your presentation proper, you will be expected to answer questions for 3-5 minutes.  You may decide which questions to address and in what order.  There will likely not be time to address all questions immediately.
  We expect a good turnout of faculty, students, and staff for both sessions.  We encourage you to speak slowly and clearly and loud enough to be heard. 
• An effective Presentation requires careful planning. Presentation Sessions have been a source of great pride for the Program in years past. By the time the Presentation arrives, most students find they have more than enough to say, and look forward to sharing their ideas.

2. Dates and Sign-Up Procedures

Presentations ordinarily take place in April, in the Krasa Presentation Room.

Sign-ups for individual Presentation time slots ordinarily begins in March on a date announced by the Scholars Director. The Sign-up sheet is maintained by the Scholars Assistant.

Click here for the schedule, date, time, location and other information for upcoming IRP Presentations.

3. Evaluation

Presentations are evaluated by a Jury of faculty members. Each Jury members assigns each Presentation a grade on a 100-point scale; the presenter’s Presentation grade is the average of the grades submitted by Jury members.  The Presentation grade is averaged with the student’s grades for his Second and Final Drafts.  Students must average 75 or better in order to graduate as Scholars.  Students who average 90 or better graduate as “Benedictine Scholars with Distinction”.

Click here for the guidelines for members of the Faculty Jury for IRP Presentations.

Click here for the titles of presentations by Scholars in the Class of 2007.

4. Notification

The Scholars Program sends an e-mail to students and their mentors within two weeks of receipt of the grades from the IRP Jury. This e-mail states the Jury’s grade for the student’s IRP Presentation. It also indicates her final grade for the Interdisciplinary Research Project. If all Scholars graduation requirements have been met, and the student does not commit any gross violation of University policies, this final grade determines whether the student has earned the honorary designation “Benedictine Scholar” or “Benedictine Scholar with Distinction”.

Click here for more information about these honorary designations.

Click here for information about requirements for graduation from the Scholars Program.