Video Competition Participant Rules & Guidelines

1. Purpose

• Celebrate student work in research, internships, fieldwork, and lab experiences.
• Recruit future participants by showing what opportunities look like in real life.
• Strengthen mentoring visibility by recognizing supervisors/mentors and departments.
• Create a low-barrier showcase that doesn’t require personal social media participation.
• Build reusable promotional content (with required permissions) for College of Science storytelling.

2. Eligibility

• Contest winners must be current TAMU-CC College of Science students OR TAMU-CC students collaborating with a member of the College of Science.

3. Video Requirements

Format

• Length: 30–90 seconds
• Orientation: Vertical (9:16; Reels/Shorts style)
• File type: MP4 or MOV
• Recommended resolution: 1080 × 1920

What to include (aim for 2–3 items minimum)

• Who you are (name, major/program, year)
• What you’re working on (research/internship site or project area)
• What you do day-to-day
• One cool or surprising thing you learned
• How the experience connects to your future plans
• Why other students should try research/internships
• How it benefits society/community

4. Safety, Conduct, and Content Standards

Safety and privacy

• Follow all TAMU-CC safety rules and lab/field protocols (including appropriate PPE where required).
• Do not include confidential/sensitive information (e.g., patient data, exam answers, proprietary information).
• Obtain permission to record in the space from the relevant PI/professor/staff/supervisor (as applicable).

University colors and spirit wear

• Wear TAMU-CC/university colors and/or spirit wear when appropriate.
• Judges will award points for visible university colors/spirit wear.

Audio and music

• No copyrighted music.
• Use royalty-free or original audio only.

Accessibility (best practices)

• Use clear audio and avoid excessive background noise.
• If possible, include captions or on-screen text for key points.

5. Permissions and Releases

Required confirmations

• Permission to record in the space from the relevant PI/professor/staff/supervisor (as applicable).
• Permission to publicly post/share from the PI/supervisor (as applicable).
• PI / Mentor / Advisor Approval Form (pdf)
• Release to TAMU-CC allowing the College of Science to use submitted video content for promotional purposes (via submission form checkbox).

Required photo/video release for everyone featured

Any student who appears in the video (not just the creator) must complete the TAMU-CC Photo/Video Release form

Official logos

• Logo usage is not required and will not earn points; incorrect usage may disqualify a submission. When in doubt, don’t use official logos.
• Do not use TAMU-CC or College of Science official logos unless you use approved logo files and follow the official usage guidelines from Marketing & Communications.

6. How to Submit

Official submission (required for judging and archiving)

• Submit using the official portal (restricted to TAMU-CC accounts).
• You will provide basic information, mentor/supervisor information, and a short description (1–3 sentences).
• You will confirm safety compliance and required permissions via checkboxes.

Optional social media participation (for “Viral Video” award only)

• Posting on personal accounts is optional.
• Approved platforms only (Instagram Reels). TikTok is not permitted due to TAMU-CC policy.
• Tag @tamucc_cos and hashtag #IslandersDoScience
• Send the College of Science account (@tamucc_cos) a collaboration invite so CoS can choose whether to accept/deny, share to stories, or reshare.
• When making your post, before publishing click on “Tag People” and then “Invite Collaborators” and search for “tamucc_cos”)
• To be considered for the Viral Video award, you must still submit via the official portal.

7. Judging and Awards

Award categories

• Best Overall Story
• Best Visuals / Creativity
• Best Content (clarity + substance)
• Most Impact (community/society)
• Viral Video (based on engagement metrics)

Judges will be paying attention to:

• Clarity
• Engagement
• Impact
• Authenticity
• Technical quality (audio/visual clarity)
• Safety: pass/fail (disqualifying)
• Conduct: pass/fail (disqualifying)

8. Timeline (subject to updates)

• Submissions close: March 27 (additional submissions may be accepted after March 27 at the discretion of the CoS)
• Judging complete: April 16
• Showcase: Friday, April 17 (Details TBA)

Questions can be submitted to cosmarcom@tamucc.edu & laurel.weeks@tamucc.edu