Presentation Guidelines

The UC-wide Grad Slam competition has recently updated its guidelines, limiting presentations to one static slide. This means that animations, transitions, and sound will no longer be permitted. UC Santa Barbara will be aligning with these updated requirements to better prepare our competitors for the final round. Additionally, UC Grad Slam Finalists will now be required to use Powerpoint for their slide.

While this is a change from previous years, the simplified format allows participants to focus on honing their public speaking skills and delivering impactful presentations without the distraction of managing a clicker or worrying about technical issues. Using visuals remains optional, but slides can be a valuable tool to enhance your talk when used thoughtfully.

We hope these changes encourage participants to think critically and creatively about the type of visuals (if any) that best complement their content. Please note: Slides must be original to the presenter and cannot be professionally designed. You may include photos, visuals, charts, or graphics created by others, but these must be properly cited or attributed.

To help you get started, we’ve provided a Google Slides template below that will convert easily Powerpoint. While you are not required to use the designs included, we encourage you to use it as a framework to build a polished and effective slide.The template contains preloaded colors and fonts that follow UCSB's visual identity guidelines. 

Timing

Presentations should be no more than 3 minutes total in length.
 

The talk timer begins when the student starts talking. For the preliminary rounds, a member of the Graduate Division will be seated in the front row with an iPad timer that presenters may use for reference during their talk.

If the presentation is longer than 3 minutes, points will be deducted from the final score as follows (not to exceed a total of 10 points deducted for timing penalties):

3:03-3:05 - 1 point deducted

3:06-3:08 - 2 points deducted

3:09-3:11 - 3 points deducted

3:12-3:14 - 4 points deducted

3:15-3:17 - 5 points deducted

etc.

Judging & Scoring

Judging for both the Preliminary Rounds and the Final Round Showcase will take place live and in person, with the winners of the Final Round Showcase announced during the event.

To ensure a diversity of perspectives, all judging panels will include a balanced mix of faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and community members. Judges are carefully selected to represent a range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds, and every effort will be made to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Judges will evaluate presentations based on four key criteria:

• Accessibility: The presenter translated their research and its disciplinary significance into language that all audiences can understand.
• Organization: The presenter delivered a talk that followed a clear and logical sequence.
• Delivery: The presenter used an effective performance style, including appropriate body language, eye contact, expression, volume, and pace.
• Engagement: The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and successfully captured and maintained the audience’s attention.

The four categories are: