The Beacon Conference was established in 1993 to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the academic achievements of outstanding students at community colleges in the mid-Atlantic region. The conference is held each year on the first Friday in June, and it encompasses a wide range of disciplines (see “Beacon 2012 Submission Guidelines”).

Students work with faculty mentors from their colleges to prepare and submit papers that demonstrate outstanding scholarship and originality. Submitted papers are then read and ranked by community college professors with expertise in a particular discipline. The top three papers in each category are selected for presentation at the conference. Student presentations on each panel are judged on originality and quality of research, written work, and the oral presentation by a judge from a four-year college or an expert from a renowned institution in the field. The judge for each category chooses the most outstanding presenter. Outstanding presenters and their faculty mentors are recognized at the closing session of the conference and they receive $100 awards.

Beacon 2012 will be held on June 1 at SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY. View the program here.