Student Scholarship & Inquiry Conference

Students who have declared a major or a minor in one of the college’s departments are welcome to apply. Undecided majors as well as majors from other colleges are welcome, too. However, the project must have been completed in a CLA class, lab or in a CLA independent study.

In order to facilitate interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary discussions among students, faculty and staff, the event, which occurs yearly, is organized around a common theme. 

CLASSIC 2026

Event Information

• Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
• Time: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Location: College of Liberal Arts (specific location TBD)
• Event theme: TBD

Application Process

The deadline for applications is Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Students will be notified of their acceptance by Monday, March 2, 2026.

Please note that the faculty/mentor who supervised a student’s project will be asked to verify that the students completed their work with them. Furthermore, applicants are required to participate to communication workshops and peer mentoring sessions organized by the Public Communication Office.

Conference Structure

The event is structured in two sessions: a plenary panel session and a poster session.

Plenary Panel Session

During this session a few students will discuss “identity” as they examined it in their research in a formal setting—a panel. Each student will be asked to summarize the results of their research project (10 minutes), and then engage in a Q&A with the audience. The panel will run from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Panel Session

During this session, students will discuss their research before a poster they’ve created based on their research. While posters will be available for perusal from 11 a.m. onwards, students will not have to attend to them until 12:30 p.m., when the panel session officially opens. In order to do so, students will be asked to turn a research paper they wrote for a class into a poster.

Student Learning Outcomes

By participating in the conference students will have the opportunity to:

• Enhance their presentation skills.
• Discuss their research and explain their arguments before an interdisciplinary audience, thereby honing their rhetorical abilities.
• Offer students career readiness development as they distil data collected through research from a research paper into a presentation (panel) or poster (poster session).

Goals and Mission

College Strategic Goals and Mission

CLASSIC advances the following college’s strategic goals:

• Impart a spirit of curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
• Teach students to express themselves clearly and creatively, to weigh complexities of argument and circumstance.
• Support student learning experiences beyond the classroom.

TU Strategic Goals and Mission

CLASSIC advances the following TU strategic goals:

• Educate: emphasis on engaged learning and innovative approaches to learning.
• Innovate: increase our commitment to undergraduate and graduate student research.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the conference open to graduate students?

At this time, CLASSIC is open to undergraduate students only.

Who can participate to the conference?

Students enrolled in classes at the time when the conference takes place are allowed to participate.

Does a student have to attend one of the workshops even if they already have presented their research elsewhere?

Yes.

How long is the workshop for poster presenters?

One hour and a half.

How long is the workshop for panelists?

Between one hour and one hour and a half.

When are the dates for the poster presenter workshop?

The dates are listed in the application form.

When are the dates for the panelist workshop?

The date will be determined once the panelists have been selected, based on their schedule.

Can I attend even if my major is in another college?

Yes, all students are welcome to apply to CLASSIC. The only requirement is that their research be carried out in a class they took in CLA.

I applied last year but I had to pull out at the last minute. Can I resubmit my application with the same project?

Yes, you may do so.

Can I present on a topic I research two falls ago?

While we prefer students to present on topics they’ve researched in the current academic year (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026) we welcome all applications that fit the topic of the conference.