Organizing an Undergraduate Psychology Conference: The successes and challenges of employing a student-led approach

Abstract

Connecting Minds (CM) is a North American undergraduate research conference in psychology, hosted annually by Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, Canada. However, CM is a conference with a twist: it is both student-focused and student-led. The organizing committee is comprised of both faculty and students working collaboratively. While prone to some unique challenges, this approach to conference organization has been exceedingly successful, both for the event and the individuals involved. The organization of CM provides an opportunity for faculty to take teaching out of the classroom, and for students to develop skills essential for success at the graduate level of their education or in employment settings. This article presents the challenges and benefits intrinsic to such a model from both a faculty and student perspective.