GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PAPERS

Winning projects will judged based on a combination of the originality of the research on a significant subject, primary and secondary materials appropriate to the area of study, clarity of composition skills, and superior style. To enter the competition, students must complete the following:

• All students are required to complete and submit the COLFA conference application online. Completion of this form will serve as an indicator of your intention to participate in the conference, and will allow your name/title of your project/name of your faculty sponsor to be printed in the program. You should include the faculty member’s email who is supervising your research and we will contact him/her directly. These materials are due at this time so that judges will have adequate time to consider all of the projects and determine award winners. Students who fail to submit a paper by the deadline or who fail to present at their designated time during the conference will be ineligible for the awards.
• Papers should not exceed 10 typewritten pages (excluding bibliography). Students with longer research papers should condense their main findings for submission in the 10-page format. Students may want to consult their faculty advisor for assistance.
• Presentation versions of papers should not exceed 15 minutes (about 7 ½ pages). 
• All submissions should be double-spaced and organized in a form similar to that of articles published in the student’s field of study. Citations, spelling, and punctuation should conform as nearly as possible to the standard rules of the student’s discipline. A bibliography or works cited page must be included with the submitted paper.
• A coversheet should accompany the paper. This should include the applicant's permanent mailing address, phone number, and email address. In addition, students should indicate the paper title, their level of study (undergraduate or graduate) along with their program of study and the name of their supervising faculty. All papers should be clearly marked as entries for the 2020 COLFA Research Paper Competition.
• One submission per student per category.

GUIDELINES FOR CREATIVE WRITING SUBMISSIONS (fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry)

• All students are required to complete and submit the online COLFA conference registration, which opens November 8th, 2019. Completion of this form will serve as an indicator of your intention to participate in the conference, and will allow your name/department/title of your project and name/department of your faculty sponsor to be printed in the program. You should include the faculty member’s email who is supervising your research and we will contact him/her directly.
• Manuscripts must be submitted no later than February 13, 2020. These materials are due at this time so that judges will have adequate time to consider all of the projects and determine award winners. Students who fail to submit a paper by the deadline or who fail to present at their designated time during the conference will be ineligible for the awards.
• Creative writers must submit a manuscript of 10-15 poems or 15-20 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction. Manuscripts must be double spaced in 12 point font, either Arial or Times New Roman. The writer’s name shall not appear anywhere on the manuscript.
• A cover sheet should accompany the creative writing project. (The cover sheet will not be included in the presentation.) It should include the applicant’s permanent mailing address, phone number, and email address. In addition, students should indicate the presentation title, home department, their level of study (undergraduate or graduate) along with their program of study and the name of supervising faculty member. All Creative Writing presentations should be clearly marked as entries for the 2020 COLFA Creative Writing Competition.
• A panel of judges will read all submitted manuscripts.  Writers with winning entries will have an opportunity to read their work on Thursday, March 26st, 2020 as part of the COLFA Research Conference.
• Be sure to bring your own laptop for your project if needed for your project presentation, although it is recommended that you also bring a hardcopy in case there are computer problems.
• Submissions may be in English or Spanish.

GUIDELINES FOR DIGITAL MEDIA

• All students who want to enter a presentation in the Digital Media Competition are required to complete the COLFA conference application form. Completion of the form will serve as an indicator of the student’s intention to submit a presentation, and will specify the student name, project title, and name of the faculty sponsor. You need to include the faculty member’s supervising the presentation must also sign this form.
• Students must submit the presentation that will be presented at the conference no later Friday, February 10th, 2019. Students who fail to submit it by the deadline, or to present at their designated time during the conference, will be ineligible for the awards competition.
• Digital Media presentations should include a combination of at least two media including text, still images, moving images, sound, and/or animation. They should be at least three (3) and no more than seven (7) minutes in length.
• Instructions describing the procedures necessary to run the presentation must be included with the entry. All software and required elements for allowing the judges to “plug-and-play” the presentation must be included with the entry.
• A cover sheet should accompany the presentation. (The cover sheet will not be included in the presentation.) It should include the applicant’s permanent mailing address, phone number, and email address. In addition, students should indicate the presentation title, their level of study (undergraduate or graduate) along with their program of study and the name of supervising faculty member. All Multimedia presentations should be clearly marked as entries for the 2020 COLFA Digital Media Competition.
• Submissions are limited to one Digital Media presentation per student.
• Be sure to bring your own laptop for your project.
• Submissions may be in English or Spanish.
• Questions regarding this competition may be directed to Paulo Villarreal at (210) 458-4290 or paulo.villarreal@utsa.edu

Guidelines for Collaborative Symposia:

• Instead of submitting a single presentation, students may opt to create a cluster or team of presentations around a content theme (e.g., borderlands, latinx, medical humanities, health communication, etc.) to form a symposium of student presenters. The symposium could involve research papers, creative works, digital media, or art/music performances. The purpose of the symposium is to bring students and faculty together as a team based on their shared interest in a topic area. Each presentation should speak to a different angle on the same theme. Presentations can be from the same or different disciplines. Applications that involve different COLFA departments are strongly encouraged.
• Collaborative Symposia should include a three (3) to four (4) student presentations. Do not submit more than 4 projects, as there will not be sufficient presentation and discussion time.
• When forming a symposium, one student should be identified as the Chair (note: often this role can be separately listed on a resume or curriculum vitae) and work closely with their faculty sponsor to plan the symposium.  
• The Chair will be responsible for completing the online COLFA conference registration starting November 8th, 2019 on behalf of the panel. Completion of this form will serve as an indicator of your intention to participate in the conference as a collaborative panel. The Chair will enter the title of the collaborative panel, the name of the primary faculty sponsor/department who will serve as a Discussant, as well as the title, author(s), home department, and faculty sponsor of each contribution to be printed in the program (in order of presentation). Each faculty member’s email who is supervising each project should be included, and we will contact each faculty member directly.
• Chairs are responsible for coordinating all presenters, and must submit ALL presentation materials together and on behalf of the symposium (i.e., group entry) no later Monday, February 10th, 2019.  Students who fail to submit a project by the deadline or who fail to present at their designated time during the conference will be ineligible for the awards.
• Symposia will be judged as a collective for awards.
• A cover sheet should accompany the symposium proposal. This should include the Chair’s and each applicant's permanent mailing address, phone number, and email address. In addition, students should indicate the paper title, home department, their level of study (undergraduate or graduate) along with their program of study and the name of all supervising faculty. One faculty sponsor should be identified as the Symposium Discussant. All symposia should be clearly marked as entries for the 2020 COLFA Collaborative Symposium Competition.
• Format of the Symposium: The Chair will begin the symposium by introducing the theme of the panel and why it is important. Each student will then present or perform his/her project. The primary faculty sponsor will then provide a 5-10 minute discussion of the theme and presentations, including, for example, why the theme is particularly important in the larger context of society, the impact of bringing together these presentations to speak to the theme, future directions to expand the field or this line of work, etc. Finally, time should be allotted at the end to allow for questions and discussions about the presentations with the audience.
• Presentations or performances by each member of the symposium should not exceed 15 minutes.
• Each symposium paper should not exceed 10 typewritten pages (excluding bibliography). Students with longer research papers should condense their main findings for submission in the 10-page format. Students may want to consult their faculty advisor for assistance.
• Presentation versions of papers should not exceed 15 minutes (about 7 ½ pages). 
• An abstract of no more than 250 words should be provided with each presentation, including up to five (5) key words that capture the focus of the individual project. Submissions without and abstract and key words will not be considered complete.
• If submitting an art or music performance as part of the theme, the abstract will suffice as the submission prior to performance at the conference. The abstract should include a title (e.g., of the art piece, dance performance, musical piece), how it relates to the overall theme, how it is designed/choreographed/selected to speak to the theme, and applicable any sources/references.
• Chairs are also responsible for submitting an overall abstract (maximum 250 words) describing the relevance of the theme of the collaborative panel, a brief description of each presentation and how each speaks to the theme, and what was learned about the topic area from grouping the presentations together (e.g., “Collectively, these projects inform our understanding of [THEME] by…). Up to five (5) key words should be provided that capture the focus of the collaborative panel. Projects will not be considered complete without an overall abstract and keywords. Chairs are responsible for ensuring that all symposium materials are complete.
• All submissions should be double-spaced and organized in a format similar to that of articles published in the student’s field of study. Citations, spelling, and punctuation should conform as nearly as possible to the standard rules of the student’s discipline. A bibliography or works cited page must be included with the submitted paper.
• Submissions may be in English or Spanish.

Regulations and Guidelines for Research Posters:

• All students who want to enter the poster competition should submit the COLFA conference application form, which opens November 8, 2019. Completion of the form will serve as an indicator of your intention to present a poster, and will allow your name/department/title of project and name/department of your faculty sponsor to be printed in the program. The faculty member who is supervising your research poster must also sign this form.
• Students must submit:
  • A cover page with the first-author’s permanent mailing address, phone number, and the preferred email address of all student authors. In addition, students should indicate the poster title, the first author’s level of study (undergraduate or graduate), major or program of study (e.g., Anthropology), and the name of their supervising faculty member. Multi-author posters will be judged according to the first author’s level of study.
  • A summary of the study that will be presented on the poster board.  The one to two page typed double-spaced, 12-point font summary must indicate the: (1) introduction with the hypothesis; (2) methods; (3) results; (4) conclusion; and (5) tables and/or graphs.  Do not submit the poster itself or copies of the poster.
  • The summary must be submitted no later than Friday, February 10, 2020. Students who fail to submit the summary of the poster by the deadline or who fail to present at their designated time during the conference will be ineligible for the awards. 
• Posters should be organized in a form similar to that of articles published in the student’s field of study. Citations, spelling, and punctuation should conform as nearly as practical to the standard rules of the field. Audiences (and judges) typically read posters from a distance of 2 to 4 feet; submitters should choose fonts accordingly (typically 20 point Arial or larger). For information on a movement to create better posters that inspire discussion, see https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/06/24/theres-movement-better-scientific-posters-are-they-really-better.
• The posting space will have foam boards on three-legged easels and clips for attaching posters. To ensure your poster fits the space provided, it should be no more than 48 inches wide (“long”) by 36 inches high. Larger posters will not fit, and may be disqualified.
• All posters should be clearly marked as entries for the 2020 COLFA Poster Competition.
• Each presenter is limited to one first or sole author poster submission. In the case of multi-authored works, the first author should be the presenter.
• Presenters assigned to the 1st Session should register by 8:30 am and they are responsible for setting up their posters by 9 a.m. at the designated poster area on the day of the research conference. Presenters assigned to an 2nd Session should register by 10 a.m. and are responsible for setting up their posters by 10:45 a.m.
• Submissions may be in English or Spanish.

GUIDELINES FOR MUSIC

All students who want to enter a presentation in the Music Competition are required to complete the COLFA conference application form. Completion of the form will serve as an indicator of the student’s intention to submit a presentation, and will specify the student name, project title, and name of the faculty sponsor.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?   Each participant has 15 minutes for their presentation which must include a lecture about their topic and a live performance.  Visual aids such as power point may be used, but must be requested in advance on the equipment request form.  Students must also be prepared for questions from the audience on their presentation.

WHO IS THE MUSIC CONTACT PERSON?  Dr. Kasandra Keeling in ARTS 3.02.28; Kasandra.keeling@utsa.edu or (210) 458-5323.

GUIDELINES FOR WORK OF ART

All students who want to enter the work of art competition should submit the COLFA conference application form (https://rowdylink.utsa.edu/actioncenter/organization/colfa/forms/Form/355773/528278/projectbuilderpage/page/1512034). Completion of the form will serve as an indicator of your intention to present a poster, and will allow your name/title of your project/name of your faculty sponsor to be printed in the program. The faculty member who is supervising your research poster must also sign this form.

The 36th Annual Student Art Exhibition is a juried competition featuring recent work by UTSA undergraduate and graduate students.  The selected works represent the full range of materials, methods, and techniques, ranging from traditional processes to contemporary digital photography and video.  Themes range from representations of the human figure, to cultural commentary, and exploration of conceptual concerns.

Eligibility: All enrolled Graduate and Undergraduate students are eligible to participate. Art majors are encouraged! All mediums and sizes are eligible. 

Awards: Cash awards for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd places for both Undergraduate and Graduate levels are awarded from COLFA, and one Best of Show Award from the Wai Ching Lam Art Prize. Awards will be announced at the opening reception on March 25, 2020. However, all award winners MUST attend the COLFA Research Conference Award Ceremony at 3 p.m. on March 26, 2020 in the Art Building Recital Hall 2.03.02. 

Entry Rules: Entry fee is $10 to enter two pieces, and $5 for each additional piece. Works must be ready to hang: no wet paint, no unframed drawings, photos, or prints allowed. Please use plexiglas in frames -- no glass will be accepted. Please bring all necessary appropriate hardware (no nails, thumbtacks, or pushpins). Sculptural artists must provide their own pedestals, and artists presenting digital media or videos must provide their own monitors or projectors. Plan ahead and solve your framing/hanging/display issues ahead of time!! The deadline to submit a work of art is March 3.

Exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Further details to follow, including submission deadlines. Details will be posted online as part of the 36th Annual Juried Student Exhibition.

For information on the Work of Art submission, please contact Scott Sherer at 210-458-4402 or email atscott.sherer@utsa.edu

PROJECT SUBMISSION FORM