MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                 Senior II’s and faculty in the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing

 

FROM:           Lauren Rose, Chair of the SM&C Division

 

RE:                 Senior Projects – Finishing Up

 

DATE:            October 29th, 2007

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Enclosed is information pertaining to the finishing up of senior projects:

        I.      Finishing Up Senior Projects in the SM&C Division

     II.      Senior Project Poster Session

   III.      Guidelines for Posters

 

 

Important Dates:

  • December 3rd, 2007:  Senior Project Due Date
  • Monday, December 10th, 2007:   Posters put up in RKC lobby.  (They can be put up earlier also.)
  • Wednesday, December 12th, 2007, 4:30-5:30:  Poster Session in the lobby of RKC.

 

 

If you have questions about your senior project or the Senior Project Poster Session, please ask your project adviser, or contact divisional secretary Megan Karcher at karcher@bard.edu, or me at rose@bard.edu.  For technical assistance for projects or posters, contact Mike Rich at rich@bard.edu.

 

Good luck finishing up your project.  Although you may feel overwhelmed in the final weeks of the project, most students find the senior project to be one of their most rewarding experiences at Bard.

 

I.  Finishing Up Senior Projects in the SM&C Division, Fall 2007

 

1. Senior Project Due Date: Monday, December 3rd, 2007

Senior project are due at the office of the Dean of the College by 5:00pm on the due date. 

 

2. Late Projects

Please get your senior project in on time! A late project (even one day late) will have its grade lowered. You are responsible for making sure your project is printed and copied on time - technological failures will not be accepted as excuses for a late project. Make sure you regularly back up your work on zip disks or memory keys. Make sure you are able to print your project ahead of time. The only way to obtain an extension on your senior project without penalty is by approval of the Faculty Executive Committee; your adviser cannot approve an extension.

 

3. Format

Please follow the formatting guidelines for senior projects distributed by the Dean’s Office. These guidelines are available at the website http://inside.bard.edu/doc/students/.

 

4. What to Submit

On the senior project due date, take four copies of your project, together with an extra copy of the title page, to the Dean’s Office. Leave an unbound copy of the project (in a 9x12” manila envelope with your name written on it), and the extra title page, at the Dean’s office. Give the other three copies (bound or not) to the members of your senior project board. The copy given to the Dean’s Office will go to the Bard Library. If you make revisions after your final project board, be sure to submit the revised copy to the library to replace the original.

 

5. Abstract

Every senior project should include an abstract, which is a one-paragraph synopsis of the project, and which should strive to be as free of symbols and technical jargon as possible.

 

6. Email Information to the Division Secretary

Please email the information below to Megan Karcher (karcher@bard.edu) by December 3rd, 2007.  This information will be used for the Senior Project Poster Session.

 

  • NAME
  • PROJECT TITLE
  • ADVISER
  • ABSTRACT

 

 

7. Final Board Meeting

After the senior project due date, you will meet with your project board for a final board meeting. Discuss the scheduling of the final board meeting with your project adviser when you hand in your project.

 

8. Grades

The grade for the project is determined by your program after getting a recommendation from the project board. Grades will be based upon the work done, the effort put in throughout the year, the quality of the writing, and the presentation at the poster session.

 

II. Senior Project Poster Session, SM&C Division, Fall 2007

 

1. What is the Poster Session?

After the senior project due date, all seniors in the SM&C Division participate in the divisional Senior Project Poster Session, in which each student presents a poster explaining the results obtained during the course of the senior project. 

 

2. Poster Session and Reception: Date and Location

The SM&C Division hosts a public reception during the Senior Project Poster Session.  Refreshments will be served.   This semester the session and reception will be held:

 

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

4:30 – 5:30 pm

Reem & Kayden Science Center, Lobby

 

During the reception, all seniors in the SM&C Division should stand their posters, in order to explain their projects and answer questions, adjusting the level of their presentation to the backgrounds of the audience. The audience will include non-scientists.  Invite all your friends to see what you have accomplished!

 

4. Putting Up Posters

  • Posters should be mounted in the lobby of RKC anytime 9:00am-5:00pm on Monday, December 10th, or the previous week.  Contact Professor Rebecca Thomas regarding placement of your posters, thomas@bard.edu.
  • Posters will remain mounted until the poster session next spring.

 

5. How to Make a Poster

See the enclosed guidelines about how to make a poster. Consult with your project adviser if you have any further questions.

 

6. Examples of Posters

Posters from recent years can be found in the lobby of the Reem & Kayden Science Center.

III.  Guidelines for Posters

Senior Project Poster Session

SM&C Division

 

  • Attract the Viewer’s Attention: Design your poster to engage the viewer in your work. Make it easy for the viewer to follow the presentation from section to section.

 

  • Use an Introduction and Conclusion: A quick reading of the introduction and conclusions should allow a viewer to understand the main questions your project addressed and what you discovered.

 

  • Keep It Simple: The poster should convey the main points of the project, but not overwhelm the viewer with all the details of the method or results. You will be able to make more detailed explanations in individual discussions at the Senior Project Poster Session Reception.

 

  • Make It Easy to Read From a Distance: Use 16-point type or larger for the text, and even larger type for headings. Colors should be chosen wisely for visibility, and used sparingly. The background for the poster should be white, with no background graphics (so that the poster will be easy to read).

 

  • The Poster Should Be Printed on a Single Sheet: You can print the whole poster on a single 42 in. x 42 in. sheet of paper.  Contact Mike Rich (RKC 204, 752-2318, rich@bard.edu) for information on how to print your poster.  Be sure to contact him at least a week before the poster session.

 

  • A Typical Poster Includes:

 

    1. The senior project title, your name, your program, and your adviser's name.

 

    1. Introduction -- State the goals and motivation of the project. This material should be accessible to a general science audience.

 

    1. Methods and Procedures -- Explain what was done and how it was done. Diagrams of experimental apparatus or sample calculations should be included where appropriate.

 

    1. Results -- Present the results in a manner that is easy to understand at a glance. Use headings on any graphs or tables indicating what they show. Graphs should have all axes marked with the relevant variables.

 

    1. Conclusions -- State the main conclusions one can draw from your work, or unanswered questions that your work raises. These are frequently given in a bulleted list.