Student Convention Guide
Students new to the WPA conventions are often both excited and overwhelmed by the variety of activities going on. This article will provide you with some answers to questions you might have in mind as well as with some helpful suggestions to make your attendance more enjoyable.
Here are some questions this article answers:
- What convention activities may students attend?
- May students attend the WPA Receptions?
- Do you have to be invited to attend a session labeled as INVITED?
- May I leave during the middle of a session?
- May students ask questions in paper reading sessions?
- Is there a dress code at the convention?
- Who are the exhibitors in the hall with the poster sessions?
- What does it cost to attend the convention?
- What is the Code of Conduct for WPA?
Convention Registration
When you arrive at the convention hotel, make one of the first stops the WPA registration desk where you will receive your identification badge and convention program. The identification badge is your ticket that allows you to enter any and all convention activities. The convention packet contains the WPA Convention Program and other announcements for you to look over. Anyone who registers for the convention may attend all program events. Student early registration costs $90 and includes student affiliate membership. On-site registration is $120 for students.
The Convention Program
The WPA convention program book lists and briefly describes every activity at the convention. The 200+ pages with hundreds of activities might seem bewildering at first but be patient and focus on just one page at a time. Also, look for Psi Chi (International Honor Society in Psychology), Psi Beta (community college student honor society) and STP (Society for the Teaching of Psychology) events, as many of these are either presented by students or are on topics of special interest to students.
The convention program is organized into several sections. The opening section presents announcements and special events and lists the hosts, convention policies, etc. The rest of the program is devoted to a listing of the events by day, by hour and by room. Each program entry contains the title of the activity, the title of the presentation(s) and the name and affiliation of the presenter(s). The appendix contains an alphabetical listing of every presenter and a day by hour by room summary chart of every activity and presentation (to give you an overview of the whole convention) as well as a map of the convention floor. The convention activities and presentations you may attend include Paper Sessions, Invited Addresses, Symposia, Poster Sessions, the Presidential Address, Special Events, Receptions, and Exhibits. Each of these will now be briefly described.
The convention app will organize the convention sessions by topic. One of the topic areas is "Especially for Students." Others include content areas such as Social Issues. This will make it easier to find a listing of events that are especially relevant to students or for people interested in a given topic.
The 2020 WPA Convention App will be coming soon.
Convention Activities
Hospitality Room: You are invited to visit the WPA Hospitality Room during the convention. It is a great place to meet friends and interact with students and faculty from other campuses and just plain relax! Make it your home away from home. Check the program book for its location. The hospitality room is generally open from 8 am to 5 pm each day of the convention.
Presentations by Distinguished Speakers: Each year prominent psychologists are invited to present addresses at WPA (thus, this is sometimes called the "invited program"). This gives everyone an opportunity to hear first-hand the latest research findings and theoretical ideas from leading researchers in the country. Large meeting halls for 200 or more are often used for these addresses. All convention attendees are welcome at the talks by these speakers. Also, conversation hours with students will be scheduled for many of the distinguished speakers.
Poster Session: In a poster session, 40 or more presenters display the highlights of their research studies, including charts and tables, as posters mounted on bulletin boards. Presenters stand by their posters as attendees stroll along the rows, reading the posters and discussing them with the presenters. These sessions give you the chance to meet active research psychologists and ask questions and discuss findings. Most presenters have a limited number of copies of their research papers and will give you a copy if you ask. Each presenter welcomes your interest and questions no matter who you are. This is also a good opportunity to find out about graduate and undergraduate programs at other colleges and universities from the presenting professors and their students. Don't be shy!
Symposium: Two or more authorities in an area of interest present a brief paper or short lecture. After the presentation they each comment and critically evaluate each other's papers and hold a lively discussion of the issues involved. The chairperson also invites comments and questions from the audience.
Paper Session: Each presenter in a paper session delivers a brief talk. Four or five papers are scheduled per session. After each paper is presented, or at the end of a session, the audience is given an opportunity to ask questions.
Attendees are free to quietly enter and leave any session, so do not let this distract you. If you do not plan to stay the full session, please sit by the door or in the back so you can leave as unobtrusively as possible. You may enter any session at any time.
Exhibitors: During the convention, 15-20 publishers, universities, representatives of the American Psychological Association and other professional organizations, and companies that have psychology-related merchandise and research tools are located in the same large ballroom where poster presentations occur. Here you can browse through the latest books, see demonstrations of lab equipment, talk with universities about their graduate programs, and shop at The Psych Store. Be sure to stop in the booths that interest you and chat with the representatives. They appreciate your interest.
WPA Receptions: All convention registrants are invited to the WPA Receptions on Thursday and Friday evenings. Refreshments, good friends, and stimulating conversation will make these gatherings memorable events. There are also student welcome receptions on Friday and Saturday morning -- stop by for coffee, light breakfast items, and a chance to plan your day with other students.
Special Events: Each year WPA extends an invitation to professional groups to schedule special events and social hours in conjunction with the convention. Psi Chi and Psi Beta, for example, hold sessions for chapter members that include social hours.
Dress: There is no formal dress code. However, it is expected that everyone will dress in professionally appropriate clothing.
Code of Conduct: The purpose of this WPA code of conduct is to promote a healthy, safe, and enjoyable educational experience for all WPA convention attendees, and to encourage attendees to maintain the highest standards of professionalism while attending the convention. If WPA staff, officers, or representatives from the convention venue, should feel there are violations of the code of conduct, appropriate action may be taken, such as removal from any event, or restrictions on attending future conventions or activities.
You are expected to:
- Show dedication to the educational nature and program timelines laid out in the convention submission requirements and guidelines.
- resent the most contemporary literature and data appropriate to professional standards, and avoid all forms of plagiarism or misrepresentation of data.
- Approach topics and colleagues with respect for diversity in all its forms.
- Avoid disruptive, inappropriate, and harassing behavior both inside and outside all convention events (i.e., presentations, sessions, dances, other social events). This includes sexual harassment, such as unwelcome sexual flirtations or advances, and unwelcome comments or physical actions of a sexual nature.
We look forward to seeing you at the WPA convention!
Plan Ahead: Are other students at your campus also going to WPA? It can be a great idea to coordinate your plans. This can include finding people to share a hotel room or a ride to the convention. It can also mean planning such things as: 1) a breakfast meeting each morning to plan which talks to attend, 2) a dinner with students and faculty, 3) bringing cameras to take photos and videos of each other making presentations and meeting with some of the major speakers. A little planning with your colleagues can make the convention more fun for everyone.
Prepared by Jack Kirshenbaum and Lisa Gray-Shellberg and the WPA Student Council of Representatives, revised 2012, 2017