Bid defense is a part of the bid process that happens during conference. During conference, the schedule will have times for the award bid sessions, if you have a bid submitted in a specific bid award category that is voted upon the Regional Board of Representatives, you and other contesting institutions will present a:

• Opening Statement (30 seconds)

• Answer Q & A (3 minutes per bid, can be extended 2 times with a final exhaustion of the speakers list) (If that sounds confusing, click here to review bid and voting language used!)

• Pro-Con (Pro-Con stops after a third unanswered pro or con)

• Discussion (10 minutes per bid, can be extended 2 times with a final exhaustion of the speakers list) (If that sounds confusing, click here to review bid and voting language used!)

• Closing Statement (2 minutes per bid)

Here are some additional rules If you an institution that has submitted a bid and you're in the space:

1. All participants and observers including advisors must exit the space for Pro-Con for their bid

2. Up to three observers for the same bidding school, excluding advisors can be in the same space

3. If you're a school who is defending a bid in the space but not for your bid, you can stay for Pro-Con but you're not allowed to make any pro's or con's 

4. Bidding schools can only answer questions during Q&A.

5. Bidding schools can stay for discussion but cannot discuss their own bid. 

6. Advisors are not allowed to participate in any part of the bid defense.

Scroll below for a more detailed explanation on all the listed components above!

University of Summit and Steggie University have both submitted bids for IACURH Student of the year for RLC 2024. Here's how the bid session would look like. 

1. The chair of the space, would introduce the bid space and read off some rules, reminders and a statement before the bid process starts including that the space is closed boardroom - which means once or if you need to leave the space, you cannot re-enter until the bid session is concluded. 

2. The chair will introduce University of Summit to start the session, beginning with a 30 second opening statement 

3. After the opening statement, the chair will entertain an initial speaker's list - here schools can raise their own placard and be put on a list to ask the defender presenting University of Summit's bid a question about their bid. Steggie University is able to ask questions.

4. The defender presenting the bid will answer Q&A in a three minute session, extendable twice (aka 9 minutes) and exhaustion of the speakers list, other individuals from the University of Summit who're in the space can stay and observe. Other students from that bidding school can also observe, but not participate whatsoever in speaking. They can communicate with the presenter via writing. Advisors can observe but have no writing or speaking rights.  

5. After Q&A is concluded, a Pro-Con session will occur. At this time all observes and the representative presenting University of Summit's bid will leave the room, representatives from Steggie University can stay in the room but are not allowed to make pro's or con's about the bid. 

6. Pro-Con concludes after the third unanswered Pro or Con, at this time steps 2 through 5 will repeat, only this time it will be Steggie University's turn to present their bid, answer Q&A and leave when pro-con occurs.

7. After both schools have finished Pro-Con, all reps and observers can stay for discussion, 10 minutes, extendable twice with a final exhaustion of the speakers list - however they are not allowed to discuss their own bid during the time. 

8. After discussion, both schools have the opportunity now to make a closing statement, up to 2 minutes. The defenders and bidding school observers cannot be in the space during each other's closing statements. 

9. After closing statements, voting will occur, usually a form is sent to each institution present in the space. Each institution will get only ONE vote, either for one for the University of Summit or Steggie University. The institution can also vote no confidence if they don't want to vote for either, or abstain if they feel like have a personal or any other kind of bias that may affect the voting outcome in an effort to be fair. 

Q&A is the most important time in a bid defense (in my opinion!!) This is a 3 minute session, and can be extended twice with a final exhaustion of the speakers list. Meaning Q&A can run up to 9 minutes and by whomever is still on the speakers list. 

This is a time where representatives will ask questions about your bid and for you to answer them. Remember this is the only time you can answer questions, please do not ask them before the session or during a session that is not Q&A!

The most helpful tip is to make mock questions! Have a team or another individual ask questions themselves as well so you can get a feel of what questions to expect during boardroom bid sessions. This also helps you practice and rehearse your answers so you can be confident when presenting. 

What I have seen that makes a great Q&A session:

• DETAIL: The more details, the more examples you can give aids in giving the reps a chance to really feel the impact of your bid as well as emphasize the defender's knowledge of it. 

• CONFIDENCE: While it can be scary speaking publicy (which is totally valid) being confident in even the little details or if you make a mistake, still provides a sense of stride in your work and your defending skills

• REFERENCE YOUR BID: Your bid has page numbers, titles, sections and pictures - if you point them out in your answer lots of reps will be able to not only look over the bid again but have the opportunity to see you're supplementing your answer with details you have included.

• DON'T WORRY ABOUT TIME: it may seem like time is an enemy, but if you do your best you can answer questions and provide detail for questions people may have never even thought about! This can be stressful so like I mentioned before - practice, practice, practice!

Also note that you can only questions to things pertaining in the bid, nothing additional which is why my extra tip includes making your bid VERY detail based so you have much to refer and discuss upon!

Discussion comes after this, bidding schools can be in the space but are not allowed to discuss their own bid. Discussion is 10 minutes and can be extendable 2 times with a final exhaustion of the speaker's list. Meaning discussion can run up to 30 minutes and by whomever is still on the speaker's list. 

This is a time where representatives will discuss their thoughts on the bids, usually applauding the hard work all bidding schools have done on the bids, and then also discuss what bid they are leaning to vote for. 

Ex: "Steggie University appreciates both bids presented by ____ and ____. We recognize the hard work and effort contributed by _____ especially in their involvement on campus, however we are leaning more towards ________ for the _______ award."