PROFRA. ANA BERTHA VAZQUEZ HERNANDEZ RUBRICA

In the not-too-distant past, thesis work came at the end of a hierarchical program of study, from general education to special- ized courses in a discipline; from advanced courses to independent research; from smaller research papers to a larger, deeper, and culminating thesis research project. Student development and academic careers were carefully controlled, with the honors thesis occupying the last stage, the capstone level. In contrast to earlier coursework, the honors thesis at this level was meant to give more scope to the student’s originality and independent work.

In this context “originality” for the honors project meant study beyond standard course content, assignments, and papers. It meant that students designed their own research projects rather than having them assigned, and it highlighted the student’s own insights and conclusions rather than the received ideas that often dominated traditional coursework. “Independent” research meant no required class texts, no fixed assigned course meetings, and no intrusive examinations. The specific thesis project determined the

appropriate readings, students and advisors agreed on convenient meeting times, and the thesis itself determined the student’s grade. Still, students engaged in independent research were not permitted to wander off on their own. Faculty thesis advisors monitored and guided the “independent” research closely, working in a tutorial/ mentoring role.

Today the concepts of originality and independent research sometimes owe more to the dictates of faculty research than they do to the realities of undergraduate study. Although one often hears the terms “originality” and “original research” in discussions of honors theses, these concepts today are so weighed down by the expectations of faculty research that some faculty struggle to under- stand what would be realistic expectations for an undergraduate honors thesis. At the back of their minds, these faculty believe that the “original” work required for an undergraduate honors thesis should meet almost the same standard for academic activity that is expected of them: work that breaks new ground in a specific area of research, work worthy of publication. These high standards too often lead to frustrated and unsatisfactory faculty interactions with their honors thesis students.

Are such standards, however, really appropriate for undergrad- uates? True, one Princeton undergraduate used his research project to discover the means of constructing a viable atomic bomb. (See Phillips and Michaelis, 1978.) But similar discoveries are rare. We need to be honest here: most honors directors and deans recognize that few undergraduates, including even the brightest and most dedicated honors students, even those intending to become rocket scientists, lack the time or the training to produce an original con- tribution to a discipline’s knowledge base. Yes, David Foster Wallace and others have turned their honors theses into successful books or substantial articles, and some honors theses are published in professional or student journals. (See Peterson, 2009.) Others win impressive national prizes such as the NCHC’s Portz awards, and a great many other students present their thesis work at regional or national conferences. But most honors theses, even the outstanding ones—as well as most master’s theses or doctoral dissertations—are

rarely, if ever, consulted in professional research projects or listed in standard disciplinary bibliographies of significant publications.

If honors administrators focus on the important place of the honors thesis in most undergraduates’ careers, more appropriate expectations for thesis work become clear. Even without a hierar- chical curriculum, the honors thesis has a valuable function as a capstone to undergraduate studies, as a culminating project that draws on the student’s previous study and experience. For students, the thesis does not necessarily embody their most original ideas. Rather, it allows them to demonstrate their mastery of a specific subject matter, their familiarity with the practices and conventions in a discipline, and their qualifications for future independent work. Hence, it is similar to the final projects of apprentices, which prove their mastery of a trade and qualify them for admittance as full members of a guild or union. In such work, whether by an appren- tice or an honors student, the finished product may not have the mastery, quality, and polish comparable to that of an experienced professional, but it does reflect the potential for such achievement in the future.

The place of the thesis in an undergraduate’s final year at a four- year institution restricts the scope of the thesis. The thesis does not need to be a huge, groundbreaking research project; a smaller project is sufficient to demonstrate a student’s mastery of his or her discipline and a capacity for independent work. Hence, the honors thesis is typically tied to a single thesis course, usually a 3–4-credit course, although a preparatory course may also be required as a prerequisite to thesis work, and some honors thesis programs require a larger thesis course or extend it over a year or two. (See Chapter 4.)

When it comes to credits, as a general rule the thesis course—in which the student registers the thesis and receives a grade—should follow the institution’s established policies for the relationship between work expected and credits awarded. Because thesis work must fit into an undergraduate’s schedule, which normally includes other demanding courses and obligations, a student may need to adjust the scope of the thesis project to fit the time available. If this

shift is not possible, the student may have to find another topic that can be completed within the time constraints.

Most institutions do not permit undergraduates to register repeatedly for a thesis course to complete their thesis work, a prac- tice common for masters and doctoral students. There is a strong expectation that undergraduates should complete their coursework, including the thesis, by the end of their last term in college. Experi- enced honors deans and directors can testify that few problems are more vexing and less easily resolved than those posed by students who do not complete the honors thesis before they leave campus at the end of their undergraduate careers. Despite the flexibility that characterizes much of the contemporary world of academe, educa- tors still expect undergraduates to make steady progress towards graduation, to complete the thesis while enrolled in other courses, and even to graduate on time with their peers. Responding to these demands is another reason why educators prize the honors thesis and admire the honors students who do it.

In most honors programs the thesis itself, rather than a par- ticular grade, satisfies the honors thesis requirement. In some cases, therefore, allowing a student to register a thesis for fewer credits than is usually acceptable may be appropriate. Sometimes this situ- ation occurs when a student has done work in an advanced research course or a non-honors thesis course offered by the major depart- ment. When the product of this research meets the quality standards and other requirements for an honors thesis, honors administrators can accept it without additional work and certainly without having the student register twice for the same work.

In many cases, however, work completed in a non-honors course may need beefing up to meet the honors thesis requirements: selective revisions or specific additions such as more systematic documentation of a performance project, more issue-oriented dis- cussion and argumentation, or the addition of reflective comments on the student’s academic development and thesis experience. Stu- dents are often permitted to register for 1–2 credits for this additional work to meet honors thesis standards and requirements. Finally, at some institutions a thesis student may face additional per-credit

charges or may be constrained by the maximum number of credit hours allowed per term. In such cases, the student might be allowed to register for a reduced 1–2 thesis credits while completing the work that would normally be done for a 3–4-credit thesis.

Students at two-year colleges obviously do not have the longer time frame that students at a four-year institution have to plan and complete a thesis. Most two-year colleges, therefore, do not have a thesis requirement; however, some offer students the opportu- nity to complete what is typically referred to as an honors project. Such projects may be an outgrowth of an honors course; the further development of an assignment done for a course in the student’s area of interest, perhaps with additional requirements for research and public presentation; or a one- or two-term faculty-guided independent study. Such honors projects serve many of the same functions as the honors thesis and offer an integrating and culmi- nating honors experience for students in two-year programs.