INDEPENDENT STUDY POLICY(adopted September 14, 2007)
The
Global Studies Program offers qualified students independent study
opportunities. Independent study can be
valuable for both students and professors.
» Independent study is
available only to Global Studies majors with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or
better and only for good academic reasons.
» Students should only
submit proposals if there is no existing class within which such a
research project could be conducted.
» It is up to the
individual faculty member whether or not to do an independent study
course. Faculty are not
compensated for independent study courses: this is unpaid overtime. As
such, Faculty are encouraged to be discriminating about accepting
Independent Study proposals.
In
order to maintain consistency in our curriculum, Global Studies employs the
following procedures regarding the creation and approval of independent study
courses:
- The student poses a
question or questions he or she wants to explore; some refinement of the
questions takes place with a faculty member who expresses willingness to
consider the independent study proposal.
- The proposed research
topic must fit within the student’s declared concentration.
- The student composes a
reading list to examine the question; refinement of the list is done in
conversation with the faculty member.
- The faculty sponsor and
the student create a learning agreement that serves as the
syllabus/contract for the course.
It specifies:
§
The
number of credit hours for the course (calculated with the formula of nine
hours of work per week for an entire semester for a four-credit course)
§
The
defined period for the independent study (may not be an open-ended
process.)
§
Dates
for regular meetings between the student and faculty sponsor
§
The reading, research,
writing, and appropriate other activities to be carried out
§
The explicit method of
evaluation and written accountability. (The expectation for a four-credit
independent study is the minimum of a 15-20 page paper.
- At any time during the
creation of the learning agreement a faculty member may terminate the
process if, in her or his judgment, the student does not exhibit the
ability, competence and/or commitment to carry through on the independent
study and/or lacks the appropriate preparation to undertake the course
- If the faculty member
in question accepts the proposal, the student will submit a final copy of
the learning agreement and proposal to the chair of Global Studies, who
will submit the documents to the Global Studies faculty committee for
review.
- The chair will notify
the student if their proposal has been accepted. The student can then bring the independent study
registration card to the chair for signature.
- Independent study proposals are due before
the beginning of the semester in question.
