Greetings SMTE Symposium Participants,
This post is to provide information about the logistical considerations for the 2021 Symposium. Since this will be a fully online Symposium, it is important that you are aware of how each of the events on the schedule will operate.
The Symposium schedule is available now at https://smte.us/conferences-symposia/2021-symposium/2021-symposium-schedule/. That version of the schedule contains few active links, but you can use it to determine the day and time to which your posters and/or presentations have been assigned.
Within a few days prior to the Symposium, I will post a new version of the schedule with active links to each session. Only registered (paid) attendees who have provided their smte.us user name at registration will be able to access the page with live links. If you think you should be able to access the page but you cannot, please feel free to reach out to me (admin@smte.us). I encourage you to check this in advance of the Symposium so that we are not caught trying to find a last-minute fix. Please make sure you are a paid registrant before reaching out. You can register at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/5976998/smte-symposium-greensboro-cvpa-unc-greensboro.
General Sessions
The opening and closing sessions, keynote, plenary sessions, mentoring/health and wellness sessions will all be accessible through meeting links available on the Symposium schedule.
Poster Sessions
We hill hold four main poster sessions of approximately 30 posters each.
Those accepted for poster presentation received instructions to create your poster and to send to me, via email (admin@smte.us) both the full-size and thumbnail versions by August 15th. You should also have submitted, through the acceptance acknowledgement form, a link to an online meeting (Zoom, Teams, Meet, etc.).
Once I receive the electronic versions of your poster, it will be uploaded to a specially-made website, the link to which will be available on the Symposium schedule. Abstracts for each poster session will be linked from the site. Also on that site will be the thumbnail you have submitted, a link to the full-size version of your poster, and a link to your online meeting. At the time of your assigned poster session, you should log in to your online meeting and wait for any attendees who would like to discuss your work with you.
Presentation Sessions
The Symposium will be held using Zoom rooms through the University of North Carolina Greensboro for all presentations. A link to your presentation room will appear on the Symposium schedule. Note that there are only five minutes scheduled between sessions, so please avoid logging in to your room too early. Once you do log in, a Symposium representative will be online to serve as host (their name in the list of participants will say “SMTE” or something similar), and will be able to grant Zoom co-host privileges to you and any co-presenters.
Please end presentations promptly at the listed time. If you wish to continue conversations beyond the time allotted, you may want to provide a personal meeting link for attendees to join you.
Graduate Research Forum/Poster Session
The participants in the GRFP—both student presenters and JMTE board members—will have access to an online meeting linked through the Symposium schedule. All participants will join a single Zoom meeting at the assigned time, then will be split into breakout groups after an introduction.
Note that students whose work was accepted for the GRFP have also been assigned to a main poster session. See instructions for that above.
University Receptions
We have reserved Friday, September 24th at 8:00PM to continue the tradition of university programs hosting gatherings of their students, faculty, and alumni. If you wish to share a link to an online meeting, please forward me the link (admin@smte.us) to be included in the program.
If, at any time throughout the Symposium, you experience difficulties accessing a meeting room or other technical problems, please feel free to send an email to me (admin@smte.us) or to Symposium Chair Brett Nolker (symposium@smte.us). Please include a telephone number where we can reach you if necessary. We will do our best to resolve any issues that arise. We appreciate your help in testing links early, and your patience as we navigate the Symposium together.
Jay Dorfman
SMTE Communications Chair