Revised Dec. 2000

I. CHAIRPERSON:

A. Confer with candidate about doing a Departmental Honors Thesis.

B. Mentor and advise the student throughout the project in a manner appropriate to this type of extended research and writing. Hold several regular or occasional meetings with the student to provide opportunities for conversation about the project. Monitor progress to see that all deadlines will be met.

C. Supervise the project to ensure that:

1. The research is adequate.
2. The topic is small enough to be handled, yet large enough to be worthy of a departmental honors project.
3. Research is conducted in accordance with accepted practices.
4. The project and research are well-outlined in advance.
5. Any experiments and data collected are well-conceived in advance.
6. The student knows, and the Chair approves, of the analyses that will be performed on the collected data.

D. Supervise the written thesis to ensure that it:

1. Uses an approved style for the subject area.
2. Would be classified as well-written by professional persons in the field of study.

E. Work with the other Committee members to:

1. See that candidate periodically informs other Committee members of progress.
2. Converse informally with other members outlining how the work is progressing and seeking their reactions.
3. Read and critique drafts as described and scheduled in the Timeline explained in the Instructions.
4. Set a date for the examination promptly when the candidate is ready, so as not to delay the completion of the Project.

F. Conduct the examination and any necessary follow-up. (See accompanying page)

II. COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

A. Keep informed of the candidate's progress, either by checking with the candidate or the Thesis Chair.

B. Inform the candidate and Thesis Chair of any expectations concerning the research or thesis.

C. Read and critique any rough drafts submitted by the candidate promptly, especially as mentioned in the Instructions.

D. Read and critique the typewritten thesis promptly, as listed in the Timetable and Instructions.

E. Help find an early date for the examination by adjusting your schedule if necessary.

F. Have questions ready for the examination.

G. Actively participate in the final committee decision.

H. In general, endeavor to see that the candidate produces a quality piece of work.

GENERAL COMMENTS:
The April deadline when the typewritten thesis is submitted to the Chair may be a busy time in the semester, so the student must be working during their first semester of preparation [and Interterm/and summer] to be ready by the appropriate date. This document should be preceded by a draft to the Chair and to the Committee members so there will be time to make any major and minor changes. See the Timetable for further details.

Before the examination on the thesis, all members of the Committee should have time to read and assimilate the word-processed thesis.

THE THESIS EXAMINATION:
The examination on the thesis is of major importance. It is at this time that the Committee decides whether the candidate's thesis is worthy of recommendation for Departmental Honors. It is entirely possible for a committee to reject a thesis.

The examination may have the following format:

A. As this is an examination, it is helpful if the candidate be allowed to release some nervous tension at the beginning. Frequently this is accomplished by having the candidate give an overview of the complete project and thesis. The Chair may ask the candidate to prepare this in advance.

B. At an appropriate time, each committee member, including the Chair, should ask questions of the candidate.

C. After all questions have been considered, the candidate and any guests should be dismissed from the room and, in private, the Committee should discuss the project and thesis. At this time the Committee decides if the thesis is worthy of Departmental Honors. There are several options:

1. Thesis worthy of Departmental Honors with no changes.
2. Thesis worthy of Departmental Honors with a few minor modifications.
3. Thesis has a major flaw which can be rectified but may require an extension of time. The Committee should be very careful of granting an extension as examples of uncompleted work are in existence. The Departmental Honors Coordinator should be consulted regarding questions of summer completions. In cases of further questions, appeals may be addressed to the Departmental Honors Coordinator and the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The Committee should require another examination after a major flaw has been altered.
4. The thesis is deemed not worthy of Departmental Honors. The Committee is under no obligation to approve the work the student has or has not accomplished; shoddy workmanship should not be condoned or approved. If a student needs hours to graduate or would like to have credit for work performed, some independent study credit may be recommended.

D. After the Committee has reached its decision the candidate should be invited back into the room where the Chairman will convey the Committee's decision. If the decision is in any way negative, a discussion should follow in order that the candidate understands the consequences of the Committee decision and his subsequent action.

E. If the Thesis was not fully approved, as in Option 2 or 3, the Committee should continue to monitor the student's progress, and approve or follow-up with any thesis modifications or subsequent re-examinations in a timely fashion. It is very important that the student be allowed to finish before the deadline without experiencing delays from the Committee if the student is progressing appropriately in good faith.