Portfolio Presentation Guidelines

Portfolio presentations are scheduled throughout the year at times that are convenient for you and the advisory committee. You may even present your portfolio after you have officially graduated from MSU. The program coordinator will schedule your presentation via zoom, to accommodate community partners and your peers’ attendance. 

 

You should block out 75 minutes for your portfolio presentation in total. You will have 30 minutes to present your work, followed by 15 minutes of questions and answers from the public attendees. Then, the advisory committee will have 15 minutes to ask questions with you individually, followed by 15 minutes of deliberation. 

 

You should prepare a professional presentation, using powerpoint or some other presentation software. You are required to give a copy of your presentation to the program coordinator at the conclusion of your presentation.

 

Your portfolio presentation should be thought of as more of an executive summary than a comprehensive presentation of your community-engaged scholarship and practice. As you prepare your presentation, you can be confident that the advisory committee has read your written portfolio in advance. The presentation is a companion piece to the written portfolio.

 

The portfolio presentation follows the same guidelines as the written portfolio (add in link), with one major exception. In the presentation, you should not present your reflections on 15 of the 22 competencies. Instead, you should focus on the 2 competencies that meant the most to you and your learning.

 

The advisory committee has three options when reviewing your written portfolio and presentation together. They may pass you, ask for a revisions, or fail you. Approximately 50% of the students pass right away and 50% have to make some revisions. If you are asked to make revisions, the program coordinator will work with the advisory committee to have the necessary revisions clearly specified so you know exactly what to address in your revised portfolio. The program coordinator will work with you on a timeline for the revisions. Rarely, a graduate student fails their portfolio.

 

Once you have passed your written portfolio and presentation, the program coordinator will work with The Graduate School and the Registrar’s Office to ensure the Graduate Certification in Community Engagement appears as an official academic credential on your transcript. You do not have to complete any additional paperwork or online forms.

 

The program coordinator is available to review and comment on outlines and drafts of your portfolio presentation. This is review is not required.