minor capstone or is/p
To complete a Minor Capstone with me, please confirm my availability 1-2 terms before your preferred term. Begin brainstorming at least 2-3 project ideas in the term before your IS/P. I recommend that you keep a running list of topics that pique your interest during your regular coursework. Together, we will agree on the best research program before your Capstone term begins.
You need to submit a Minor Declaration Form to the Registrar's Office first. Then, submit a Minor in Spanish Approval Form to the Registrar's Office as soon as you've completed/enrolled in enough courses to complete the Capstone. You may leave the last line (1/2 unit capstone experience) title as TBD and the grade as N/A so long as you can enter the sequence number and the term. We will decide those together because to register, you need to complete the IS/P Registration Form. This form requires you to know your IS/P title (max. 30 characters). Prior to obtaining my signature, please email me a couple of options for the title. We'll narrow it down together.
Once the term begins, you can see a general description below of what the essay will look like. We will meet weekly for you to get me up to speed on your progress, get feedback, and ask questions. You will be in charge of those meetings, which are a required component of the Minor Capstone.
I. General Description of an Independent Study/Project and Final Essay (Adapted from Prof. Ángel Rivera and IGSD)
Course Goals and Objectives
Role of advisor:
· Provide project “guidance” rather than project “instruction;”
· Encourage critical thinking;
· Push students to realize their greatest potential;
· Create a learning environment based upon openness, trust, and respect;
· Establish milestones to encourage timely work;
· Provide advice and/or resources for group effectiveness.
· Comment on (rather than edit) Spanish grammar
Advisor expectations of students:
· Demonstrate knowledge of the relevant literature and other background sources; evaluate this material critically and apply it appropriately to the
project work;
· Have clearly stated, achievable goals and objectives;
· Achieve the goals;
· Design a sound approach; understand and apply appropriate methodologies;
· Arrive at conclusions and recommendations that are supported by evidence;
· Effectively present the methods, evidence, and conclusions, orally and in writing;
· Take initiative: students should make the project their own, and pursue its completion independently; (Advisors advise and consult; they should not
have to dictate.)
· Work smoothly with each other and with advisors, meeting deadlines and conducting work in a timely fashion;
· Lead meetings with advisors. It is your responsibility to make sure they are productive;
· Fulfill responsibilities to advisors and other students;
· Effectively document and report information about the project, in written and oral form: drafts and presentations are the primary means by which
you convey your work to your advisor; I expect that these materials will represent your best efforts;
· Be flexible, and take adversity in stride;
· Grow and learn;
Have some fun doing the project!
I. General Description of an Independent Study/Project and Final Essay
Through an Independent Study Project you demonstrate, foremost, independence in designing and executing an advanced research project. The basic idea: that you, with my guidance, establish competency in a specific aspect of Latin American or Spanish history, literature or culture. Alongside weekly meetings with me you will conduct and synthesize research to produce a final scholarly essay.
Page length
Regular course IS/P: 10-15 pages, including notes and bibliography
HUA Inquiry Practicum: 15-20 pages, including notes and bibliography
Minor Capstone Experience 20-25 pages, including notes and bibliography
Guidelines
Essays must be:
· Composed in Spanish
· Doable in seven weeks (research included)
· Driven by a clearly defined thesis
· Supported by an adequate body of research
· Formatted according to MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
· Typed, double-space, standard 1-inch margins
· Composed in a font size no bigger than 12 pts.
· Devoid of many fonts, italics, bold, etc. The use of graphs or illustrations, if appropriate, will be welcomed, as long as illustrations are pertinent and
not used as "filler."
In this project you will engage in a conversation with the scholarly material relevant to your topic. In designing this intelligent and meaningful conversation, you must first establish an independent position and thereby avoid mere reproduction of what other scholars have said; you may—and are, in fact, encouraged to—ground your arguments on what others have said.
That means a great deal of the project will be dedicated to reading.
Although I understand that you, at this level, are not an expert in the field, I will expect a certain level of originality. You should produce at least a modest contribution to the subject being studied.
You can develop the aforementioned independence in many different ways, but you must always be aware of your audience: I would like to know more at then end of your paper than I did at the start.
II. Brainstorming
Once you have decided upon a topic of your liking, you have to think immediately about 3 specific questions that you might have about that topic. Your most pressing goal: to narrow down your larger topic, which may be too general. From these questions you will choose one. This question will be the main focus of your work.
III. Thesis
Once you have focused on a specific aspect of the subject, you will then proceed to establish an initial thesis. The thesis can be defined as your tentative response to a central question. Your essay must ask a relevant historical, cultural, or literary question. You must find an interesting idea, present it clearly, argue that idea carefully, and use evidence to support your claims. Finally, you will show why your idea is significant for the particular subject of study.
The sooner you have a research topic in mind, the sooner you can begin to experiment with the formulation of your thesis. The success of your project depends on the careful choosing of your topic and on the diligence and resourcefulness you show in finding the resources. Your topic should be focused enough to allow you to treat it fully within the time limitation of seven weeks.
In my experience, the more interest you have in a topic, the easier it will be to research and write it.
Ensure that there are enough resources available within the Worcester Consortium. If your topic is too difficult, or if the materials have to be requested from other universities, be sure to request the material needed from other libraries or institutions well ahead of time. While the Gordon Library is growing its collection of journals or books related to Hispanic cultures, literatures or histories, you may need to consult other local libraries to find articles or other material relevant to your research topic (the libraries of Holy Cross and Clark University are good options). ILLiad will become your friend.
IV. Organization and Presentation
The essay as a whole might be considered a structured response to the question you initially pose. Once you have your topic and thesis, break your research topic into four or five subtopics. These can be organized around a set of four or five minor questions that will help you to organize the answer to your central question.
Organization and presentation are key components to having a successful essay. You must present your argument clearly and logically, maintaining paragraph unity and coherence. Verbal and argumentative transitions from one paragraph to the other or from one section to the other are crucial. As for language components, check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation carefully, and always double-check all of your quotations for accuracy.
Draft means your best current effort, well written, spell-checked, and carefully typed. A draft should never be a document that would embarrass any of us. Do not be satisfied with the first draft of any section. A good essay will take a lot of careful revision and rewriting. The Writing Center is a great resource.
The drafts must include all the material that will be in the final draft, including footnotes and bibliography according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Be sure to regularly back up your paper on a USB, on email, on Dropbox, on your hard-drive.
V. Evaluation
Project grading is difficult, particularly since students and advisors develop a working relationship during the project. Project grading is also very different from course grading. In a class, correctly completing all assignments and evaluations (designed by the professor) earns a student an A grade. However, an A project grade requires that students go beyond this level and demonstrate originality, initiative, and creative analytical skills. Students generally feel that a great deal of hard work and a nicely presented report deserve an A. Most professors (including me) do not, unless there is real analysis, originality and analytical depth in the total project effort.
Listed below are some specific guidelines on how WPI professors determine project grades. Many of the grading characteristics described below are subjective and open to some degree of interpretation. Student attitude throughout the project can also affect how we, as advisors, make these subjective judgments. Students often ask at the end of a project how they can improve their grade. No project grade can be changed by last minute work; rather, only sustained quality effort over time will result in a good grade.
A: This grade represents a consistently excellent effort that exceeds explicit project goals. Characteristics of A work include meeting all project goals, and exceeding them in several areas such as development of objectives, initiative, originality, depth of analysis, and creativity. This grade is reserved for performance that is exceptional and thus is not achieved easily.
B: This grade represents a consistently good effort that attains the project goals. Characteristics of B work include doing all that was asked in a substantially correct form; setting clear project goals, writing a clear, professionally presented essay that has not required many drafts; completing all work in a timely and satisfactory manner; demonstrating sound analysis that includes logical interpretation of results; coming to meetings well prepared; and working hard, consistently, and diligently. A grade of B means that you worked well and did a good, strong job. Students should be proud of this grade.
C: This grade represents an acceptable effort that partially attains the project goals. Characteristics of C work include meeting some but not all of the project goals; and writing a readable but average report requiring many drafts and lots of faculty corrections. Missing deadlines, missing meetings without prior notification, and ignoring faculty comments on report drafts are traits common to some C projects. Students who receive this grade have fallen short of expectations in a number of ways.
NR: This grade denotes effort insufficient for registered credit. Characteristics of NR work include doing very little throughout the project; missing several meetings without prior notification; coming unprepared to meetings; repeatedly missing deadlines; turning in substandard work; not completing assigned tasks and showing little or no initiative and originality.
VI. Academic Integrity
According to the Faculty Guide to Academic Integrity at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, “Any act that interferes with the process of evaluation by misrepresentation of the relation between the work being evaluated (or the resulting evaluation) and the student’s actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty.” In simpler words, I trust that you alone have produced your answers, ideas, and writing and therefore evaluate your work as such; if you misrepresent your knowledge, that’s academic dishonesty. For specific examples and details, see “What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI” on MyWPI.
If you do look to and use sources outside of your breadth of knowledge, you must indicate that you’ve borrowed ideas or words belonging to someone else. If you misrepresent that work as your own, you’ve committed an act of plagiarism. I am required to report you the Humanities and Arts department head if I suspect you of academic dishonesty; while we can resolve a first offense internally (by, for example, refusing you credit on the assignment or for the whole projecy), we must report it to the Dean’s office, thereby giving you a record. Further offenses will potentially be judged by the Campus Hearing Board.
Please feel free to ask me for an extension instead of risking the consequences of plagiarizing. I’m likely to be considerate in such situations.
Through an Independent Study Project you demonstrate, foremost, independence in designing and executing an advanced research project. The basic idea: that you, with my guidance, establish competency in a specific aspect of Latin American or Spanish history, literature or culture. Alongside weekly meetings with me you will conduct and synthesize research to produce a final scholarly essay.
Course Goals and Objectives
Role of advisor:
· Provide project “guidance” rather than project “instruction;”
· Encourage critical thinking;
· Push students to realize their greatest potential;
· Create a learning environment based upon openness, trust, and respect;
· Establish milestones to encourage timely work;
· Provide advice and/or resources for group effectiveness.
· Comment on (rather than edit) Spanish grammar
Advisor expectations of students:
· Demonstrate knowledge of the relevant literature and other background sources; evaluate this material critically and apply it appropriately to the
project work;
· Have clearly stated, achievable goals and objectives;
· Achieve the goals;
· Design a sound approach; understand and apply appropriate methodologies;
· Arrive at conclusions and recommendations that are supported by evidence;
· Effectively present the methods, evidence, and conclusions, orally and in writing;
· Take initiative: students should make the project their own, and pursue its completion independently; (Advisors advise and consult; they should not
have to dictate.)
· Work smoothly with each other and with advisors, meeting deadlines and conducting work in a timely fashion;
· Lead meetings with advisors. It is your responsibility to make sure they are productive;
· Fulfill responsibilities to advisors and other students;
· Effectively document and report information about the project, in written and oral form: drafts and presentations are the primary means by which
you convey your work to your advisor; I expect that these materials will represent your best efforts;
· Be flexible, and take adversity in stride;
· Grow and learn;
Have some fun doing the project!
I. General Description of an Independent Study/Project and Final Essay
Through an Independent Study Project you demonstrate, foremost, independence in designing and executing an advanced research project. The basic idea: that you, with my guidance, establish competency in a specific aspect of Latin American or Spanish history, literature or culture. Alongside weekly meetings with me you will conduct and synthesize research to produce a final scholarly essay.
Page length
Regular course IS/P: 10-15 pages, including notes and bibliography
HUA Inquiry Practicum: 15-20 pages, including notes and bibliography
Minor Capstone Experience 20-25 pages, including notes and bibliography
Guidelines
Essays must be:
· Composed in Spanish
· Doable in seven weeks (research included)
· Driven by a clearly defined thesis
· Supported by an adequate body of research
· Formatted according to MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
· Typed, double-space, standard 1-inch margins
· Composed in a font size no bigger than 12 pts.
· Devoid of many fonts, italics, bold, etc. The use of graphs or illustrations, if appropriate, will be welcomed, as long as illustrations are pertinent and
not used as "filler."
In this project you will engage in a conversation with the scholarly material relevant to your topic. In designing this intelligent and meaningful conversation, you must first establish an independent position and thereby avoid mere reproduction of what other scholars have said; you may—and are, in fact, encouraged to—ground your arguments on what others have said.
That means a great deal of the project will be dedicated to reading.
Although I understand that you, at this level, are not an expert in the field, I will expect a certain level of originality. You should produce at least a modest contribution to the subject being studied.
You can develop the aforementioned independence in many different ways, but you must always be aware of your audience: I would like to know more at then end of your paper than I did at the start.
II. Brainstorming
Once you have decided upon a topic of your liking, you have to think immediately about 3 specific questions that you might have about that topic. Your most pressing goal: to narrow down your larger topic, which may be too general. From these questions you will choose one. This question will be the main focus of your work.
III. Thesis
Once you have focused on a specific aspect of the subject, you will then proceed to establish an initial thesis. The thesis can be defined as your tentative response to a central question. Your essay must ask a relevant historical, cultural, or literary question. You must find an interesting idea, present it clearly, argue that idea carefully, and use evidence to support your claims. Finally, you will show why your idea is significant for the particular subject of study.
The sooner you have a research topic in mind, the sooner you can begin to experiment with the formulation of your thesis. The success of your project depends on the careful choosing of your topic and on the diligence and resourcefulness you show in finding the resources. Your topic should be focused enough to allow you to treat it fully within the time limitation of seven weeks.
In my experience, the more interest you have in a topic, the easier it will be to research and write it.
Ensure that there are enough resources available within the Worcester Consortium. If your topic is too difficult, or if the materials have to be requested from other universities, be sure to request the material needed from other libraries or institutions well ahead of time. While the Gordon Library is growing its collection of journals or books related to Hispanic cultures, literatures or histories, you may need to consult other local libraries to find articles or other material relevant to your research topic (the libraries of Holy Cross and Clark University are good options). ILLiad will become your friend.
IV. Organization and Presentation
The essay as a whole might be considered a structured response to the question you initially pose. Once you have your topic and thesis, break your research topic into four or five subtopics. These can be organized around a set of four or five minor questions that will help you to organize the answer to your central question.
Organization and presentation are key components to having a successful essay. You must present your argument clearly and logically, maintaining paragraph unity and coherence. Verbal and argumentative transitions from one paragraph to the other or from one section to the other are crucial. As for language components, check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation carefully, and always double-check all of your quotations for accuracy.
Draft means your best current effort, well written, spell-checked, and carefully typed. A draft should never be a document that would embarrass any of us. Do not be satisfied with the first draft of any section. A good essay will take a lot of careful revision and rewriting. The Writing Center is a great resource.
The drafts must include all the material that will be in the final draft, including footnotes and bibliography according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Be sure to regularly back up your paper on a USB, on email, on Dropbox, on your hard-drive.
V. Evaluation
Project grading is difficult, particularly since students and advisors develop a working relationship during the project. Project grading is also very different from course grading. In a class, correctly completing all assignments and evaluations (designed by the professor) earns a student an A grade. However, an A project grade requires that students go beyond this level and demonstrate originality, initiative, and creative analytical skills. Students generally feel that a great deal of hard work and a nicely presented report deserve an A. Most professors (including me) do not, unless there is real analysis, originality and analytical depth in the total project effort.
Listed below are some specific guidelines on how WPI professors determine project grades. Many of the grading characteristics described below are subjective and open to some degree of interpretation. Student attitude throughout the project can also affect how we, as advisors, make these subjective judgments. Students often ask at the end of a project how they can improve their grade. No project grade can be changed by last minute work; rather, only sustained quality effort over time will result in a good grade.
A: This grade represents a consistently excellent effort that exceeds explicit project goals. Characteristics of A work include meeting all project goals, and exceeding them in several areas such as development of objectives, initiative, originality, depth of analysis, and creativity. This grade is reserved for performance that is exceptional and thus is not achieved easily.
B: This grade represents a consistently good effort that attains the project goals. Characteristics of B work include doing all that was asked in a substantially correct form; setting clear project goals, writing a clear, professionally presented essay that has not required many drafts; completing all work in a timely and satisfactory manner; demonstrating sound analysis that includes logical interpretation of results; coming to meetings well prepared; and working hard, consistently, and diligently. A grade of B means that you worked well and did a good, strong job. Students should be proud of this grade.
C: This grade represents an acceptable effort that partially attains the project goals. Characteristics of C work include meeting some but not all of the project goals; and writing a readable but average report requiring many drafts and lots of faculty corrections. Missing deadlines, missing meetings without prior notification, and ignoring faculty comments on report drafts are traits common to some C projects. Students who receive this grade have fallen short of expectations in a number of ways.
NR: This grade denotes effort insufficient for registered credit. Characteristics of NR work include doing very little throughout the project; missing several meetings without prior notification; coming unprepared to meetings; repeatedly missing deadlines; turning in substandard work; not completing assigned tasks and showing little or no initiative and originality.
VI. Academic Integrity
According to the Faculty Guide to Academic Integrity at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, “Any act that interferes with the process of evaluation by misrepresentation of the relation between the work being evaluated (or the resulting evaluation) and the student’s actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty.” In simpler words, I trust that you alone have produced your answers, ideas, and writing and therefore evaluate your work as such; if you misrepresent your knowledge, that’s academic dishonesty. For specific examples and details, see “What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI” on MyWPI.
If you do look to and use sources outside of your breadth of knowledge, you must indicate that you’ve borrowed ideas or words belonging to someone else. If you misrepresent that work as your own, you’ve committed an act of plagiarism. I am required to report you the Humanities and Arts department head if I suspect you of academic dishonesty; while we can resolve a first offense internally (by, for example, refusing you credit on the assignment or for the whole projecy), we must report it to the Dean’s office, thereby giving you a record. Further offenses will potentially be judged by the Campus Hearing Board.
Please feel free to ask me for an extension instead of risking the consequences of plagiarizing. I’m likely to be considerate in such situations.
Through an Independent Study Project you demonstrate, foremost, independence in designing and executing an advanced research project. The basic idea: that you, with my guidance, establish competency in a specific aspect of Latin American or Spanish history, literature or culture. Alongside weekly meetings with me you will conduct and synthesize research to produce a final scholarly essay.
| sample_syllabus_isp.pdf |
| spanish_minor_form_2013.pdf |
| undergraduate_isp_registration_form_0.pdf |
| sample_minor_trajectory.pdf |
| major_sample_trajectory.pdf |
| hua_requirement-spanish.pdf |
| language_credit_form_2015-16.pdf |