2008/09 Dates and Deadlines for Scholar of the College applicants. See below
Program Description
Scholar of the College is a designation given at Commencement to exceptional students who have excelled academically in their undergraduate studies and who have done substantial, independent work of the highest quality for a significant part of their senior year under the supervision of faculty scholars.
The McCarthy Prize is a recognition awarded at the Scholars Banquet for what is judged by dean's reviewers as the best scholars project(s) in the areas of the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the Humanities. The Program is administered by the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office.
Qualifications
To qualify for Scholar of the College consideration, students will ordinarily have and continue to maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 3.667 or better, in all subjects, as an indication of their mastery of the entire undergraduate program. In addition they must gain permission to complete a substantive research project in a special six-credit Advanced Independent Research course (described below) under the direction of a faculty scholar with appropriate expertise in the field of inquiry.
Department Approval for enrollment in six-credit Advanced Independent Research
To apply for acceptance into the Advanced Independent Research course, students, in consultation with their faculty research advisor, must prepare a written proposal sufficiently substantive to warrant a two-semester, six-credit/semester, advanced independent research project (in general this means about 240 hours of work per semester). The student's proposal and a supporting letter from the faculty advisor should be submitted to the department chairperson* prior to the beginning of the senior year. The chairperson should review this material and decide whether or not to admit the student into the department's restricted Advanced Independent Research course. In reviewing student proposals, the department chairperson and advisor should consider the scholarly nature and level of sophistication of the project, the feasibility of the research, the preparation of the student to undertake the project, and how the research fits the overall academic development of the student. The chairperson should forward his/her decision, along with copies of the proposal and advisor's letter, to Dean Petri in 106 Gasson prior to the end of drop/add in early September. The Dean's review will include confirmation that the students cum GPA is at least 3.667, with no outstanding incompletes, missing grades, etc.
During April registration, seniors anticipating applying for the six-credit Advanced Independent Research course should enroll in a regular three-credit Advanced Undergraduate Research, Senior Honors Research, or equivalent course. Department advisors should be consulted for the most appropriate course in each case. Students whose projects are approved will be given permission to switch their enrollment to their department's six-credit Advanced Independent Research course in both senior semesters.
If during the first semester of senior year, a three-credit senior honors thesis or advanced undergraduate research project, or equivalent, should develop into a significantly more ambitious and advanced project, the faculty advisor and chairperson may, in consultation with the Dean, propose a change to a six-credit Advanced Independent Research project in the second senior semester. Such nine-credit projects would qualify for consideration for Scholar of the College and would encompass work done in both senior semesters. Regular application packets (described above) should be forwarded to Dean Petri by 12 December** and specifically address how the project has gone significantly beyond a normal, three-credit thesis project therefore meriting the requested change.
Nomination
Normally, formal nominations for a Scholar of the College award must be submitted by the advisor to the Dean's Office no later than 15 March** of senior year for students graduating in May or by 1 November for December graduates. Nominations consist of:
- a report from the faculty advisor on the status of the project;
- and, if successful completion of the Scholar's Project is anticipated, a statement from a second scholar, approved by the chairperson who agrees to evaluate and grade the completed project in the required timeframe.
Note: These requirements can be easily met by completion of the two-page form.
As the evaluations of the advisor and second scholar are critical in determining whether or not the project merits Scholar's status, chairpersons should appoint second reviewers who are reasonably independent of the project and who have appropriate expertise to judge the student's work. The solicitation of faculty reviewers from outside the student's department is encouraged. In cases where the progress of the student in the Advanced Independent Research course is judged by the advisor to not merit further consideration for Scholars status, no second reviewer letter is required and the student can simply be graded in the Advanced Independent Research course or, if more appropriate, the advanced course reduced to a regular three-credit UG Research course by consulting with the Dean.
Evaluation
To be considered for Scholar of the College recognition and for the McCarthy Prize, final and complete versions of nominated projects must:
- be submitted to the Dean no later than 16 April/4 December for December graduates**;
- be accompanied by a written evaluation from both the advisor and the second reader;
- receive a final grade recommendation of A- or better from both the advisor and the second reader.
In addition, the student will be expected to have maintained their cumulative average of A- (3.67) throughout the senior year. Final determination of Scholar of the College recognition is the responsibility of the Dean.
The Dean's Office will notify chairpersons by the end of each semester of those students who, along with their completed advanced independent research projects, have been granted Scholar of the College recognition. This prestigious award will be noted on the student's transcript and recognized at the Senior Awards Ceremony and in the Commencement brochure in May.
*In all cases Chairperson refers to the department chairperson or his/her designee.
**If these dates fall on a school holiday, the deadline will be extended to the next full school day. Projects submitted after these deadlines will not be considered for the McCarthy Prize, but may still be submitted for consideration in Scholar of the College recognition until the last day of classes of the relevant semester.
For more information contact Patricia McLaughlin in Gasson 106; 617-552-3272.
Version 7, March 2008
Important dates and deadlines for 2008/09 Scholar of the College applicants.
Note: Students waiting to learn if they are acepted into Advanced Independed Research should register for regular research and/or thesis courses and then drop/add if accepted into the Program.
|
Submission of application for enrollment in two, tandem six-credit Advanced Independent Research courses to department chair |
15 August** |
1 December** |
|
Forwarding of packet with chair's comments and decision, advisor's letter and propoals to Dean Petri |
Prior to end of September |
18 December** |
|
Expected enrollment in Advanced Independent Research course |
Fall and Spring |
Spring and Fall of senior year |
|
Nomination for Scholar's status |
15 March** |
1 November** |
|
Submission of final version of Scholar's projects and two evaluation letters to Dean for review for McMarthy Prize |
April 16** |
4 December** ^ |
|
Final deadline for submission without McCarthy consideration |
4 May** |
11 December** |
**If these dates fall on a school holiday the deadline will be extended to the next full school day.
***Applications to enter SOC Program for only last semester of senior year must be received in the Dean's Office by 12 December**.
^Projects submitted by December graduates by 4 December for McCarthy Prize consideration will be combined with subsequent May graduate submissions on 16 April for the once-a-year McCarthy review.