Senior Honors Project

During their senior year, Honors students will complete a senior honors project. The Dean of the Honors Program must sign the student's registration card prior to registration for the senior honors project. This project, with exceptions, will derive from a student's major field and will individualize and deepen a student's understanding of a topic of compelling interest in her or his major. Depending on the scope of the senior project, students may register for the senior project (HNR 455) for 1-3 hours of credit. In some majors, senior seminar projects are already a requirement; the senior Honors student, in such cases, will complete a single project, which will fulfill both requirements by special arrangements with the Honors Program director and the chair of the major department. It is expected that the project merit the credit hours being earned. If the research project is not a new design, the extension should be substantial. Three aspects of the senior honors project require particular mention: the faculty mentor, the written presentation and the public presentation.

The Faculty Mentor

A semester or two before the student registers for HNR 455, the student will propose a topic for individual study to a faculty member of her or his choice. The faculty member will serve as a research and writing mentor for the student's senior honors project. The student will complete the senior project contract and submit it to the faculty mentor for feedback and signature of approval. Responsibility for limiting the topic, selecting an appropriate style sheet and setting up research and writing deadlines resides with the student with input from the faculty mentor. The faculty mentor will assign the final grade and sign the final version of the senior honors project as a demonstration that she or he has approved the project in its final form. The faculty mentor is responsible for evaluating the senior project, including the written report and oral presentation, allowing revisions to be made if needed.

Human Subjects

If the project involves human subjects in any way, it must be approved by Heidelberg's Institutional Review Board. Complete the appropriate forms before beginning the project.

The Written Presentation

The written presentation will appear in an appropriate style and format, decided upon by the student and her or his faculty mentor. A copy of the written presentation, signed by the student and the mentor, will be preserved in her or his portfolio.

The Public Presentation

To enrich the intellectual and community life of the Heidelberg community and the larger Tiffin community, senior honors students will share their senior honors projects in a public celebration of excellence in scholarship. Each student will prepare an oral presentation of her or his project in which the student presents the substance of her or his project. The student will wish to consult with her or his mentor for guidance and coaching in preparing for the public presentation.