GUIDELINES FOR LBA 438
Note: LBA 438 Guidelines are subject to change. Guideline revisions posted before the
start of each Fall term. LBA 438 is a FALL ONLY course.
LBA 438, Seminar in the Liberal Arts, is designed to give LBA majors the opportunity to use
their experiences in their fields and minor to develop and present a unique researched paper
or project or combination thereof that grows from those experiences.
Each student’s seminar faculty is made up of the LBA program coordinator as lead mentor,
and two additional mentors, one from each of the student’s two fields. A mentor from the
minor or from another discipline pertinent to the project may be substituted for one of the
field mentors. A proposal must be submitted to the mentors within the first week of the
semester; within a week, the student will meet with each mentor to discuss and revise the
proposal, and then to secure each mentor’s approval of the proposal. Proposals will include
the aims, methods, and hypothesized outcomes of the project, and a timetable for the
completion of the project.
HON Program students should consult with the HON Program Director during the first week
of the semester, and must include the HON Program Director as an additional mentor. Upon
successful completion of LBA 438 and all requirements for an HON thesis, LBA 438 will be
substituted for HON 437. That is, although HON 437 will remain on the HON student’s
Degree Audit, once the final project has been submitted and approved by the HON Program
Director, the HON 437 requirement will be waived.
LBA 438 projects, including the literature review (defined as the research component,
reviewing research on the topic at hand), should be approximately 25 pages in length (30
pages for HON Program students) and should demonstrate:
a) awareness of a key issue or question related to both fields (the minor may be
substituted for one field);
b) substantial relevant research to elucidate and address that issue or question;
c) evaluation and synthesis of that research;
d) a stand on the issue.
A performance or other non-paper project may be substituted for part of the final paper, but
does not replace the need for an introduction, literature review (research component), and
conclusion. Students should discuss such opportunities with the Liberal Arts program
coordinator and obtain prior approval.
LBA 438 projects are intended to be suitable for use as writing samples for job-search
portfolios or graduate school applications. Thus the expectations for the quality of the
writing, documentation, revision, editing, and proofreading are very high. Proper citation
form for the predominant discipline must be used throughout the document.
LBA 438 also requires a presentation. In the fall, students will participate in an LBA forum;
in the spring, students may participate in Scholars Week.
Any student who is in need of help with composition, writing, documentation, revision,
and/or editing skills, will be referred to the Racer Writing Center for tutoring. Students are
encouraged to use the resources of the Racer Oral Communication Center, as well.
LBA 438 Schedule of Events
During Advanced Scheduling in the semester before LBA 438:
Meet with the LBA coordinator to identify your project. Choose mentors. Be sure to have the LBA coordinator
submit the Permission Override when you receive your RUN code.
First Week and First Class (8/21):
Discuss syllabus, course requirements, and timetables.
Deliver Mentor Information Sheets to all Mentors.
Draft Proposal. Have Mentors review and comment on Proposal. Revise Proposal accordingly. Have Mentors
approve Proposal and sign Mentor Agreement form. Submit Proposal and Mentor Agreement on 8/28.
Note: LBA 438 students are required to adhere to all deadlines. If you miss deadlines you will need to drop the
class and re-enroll in the following fall semester.
Second Week and Second Class (8/28):
Submit Mentor Agreement and Proposal. Library Exercise Assigned.
Third Week and Third Class (9/4):
Library Exercise Due. Citation Workshop. Annotated Bibliography/Works Cited assigned.
Fourth Week of Class (9/11):
Research Workshop 1 – using secondary sources in research/literature review. Annotated Bib/WC due (bring to
class).
Fifth Week of Class (9/18):
Research Workshop 2 – structuring the research/literature review.
Sixth Week of Class (9/25):
Bring DRAFT of Research/Literature Review. Draft should be AT LEAST 10 pages, plus Bibliography or
Works Cited. Revision workshop.
Seventh Week of Class (10/2):
Literature Review, including Bibliography or Works Cited , must be submitted to all mentors by this date.
Progress Reports must be received from mentors within seven (7) days. Please be sure that your mentors are
aware of this deadline. What Comes Next Workshop.
Eighth Week of Class (10/9):
NO CLASS this week. Gather commentary and Progress Reports from Mentors. Begin work on the rest of the
project.
Ninth Week of Class (10/16):
Career/Professional Planning Workshop. Continue work on project.
Tenth Week of Class (10/23):
DRAFT of Project due. Workshop: Introduction and Conclusion. Revision Workshop.
Eleventh Week of Class (10/30):
Completed draft of the project must be submitted to each mentor. Mentor commentary must be returned to you
within seven (7) days. Presentation Workshop, including Technology-Based AV Aids.
Note: The completed draft should not be a partial draft; it must represent the entirety of the project and thus
should be ready for mentor commentary toward final revision. If the draft is not submitted by on time, you must
meet with the LBA coordinator to discuss feasibility of completing the project during this semester, and work
will be completed under the direction of ONLY the LBA coordinator.
Twelfth Week of Class (11/6):
Detailed commentary from all mentors should be in hand; revision toward completion should be under way.
Note: Since the final product of LBA 438 is expected to be of excellent quality, suitable for use in a job search
or graduate school application, the revision process is extremely important. All mentor commentary should be
addressed. The LBA coordinator will serve as arbiter should mentor commentary be contradictory or confusing.
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Thirteenth Week of Class (11/13):
A revised final draft of the project must be submitted to each mentor by this date. A Final Review Meeting
should be scheduled between November 18th and 26th. Presentation “Dress Rehearsal” – bring script and AV.
Note: If the project is not submitted by 11/13, a Final Review Meeting will not be convened and you will
complete work under the direction of ONLY the LBA Coordinator.
Fourteenth Week of Class (11/20):
All LBA 438 students will deliver a presentation on their work (8 minutes maximum) in a Forum. Mentors and
others should be invited.
Fifteenth Week of Class (12/4):
Career/Professional Readiness Workshop. COURSE IS FINISHED.
LBA 438 Proposals
Components of the Proposal:
I. Introduction
In a paragraph or two, present your chosen topic. Explain the purpose and significance of
your research and/or project. Use discourse appropriate for a generalist academic audience.
II. Research Question
In a sentence or two, present the question that you will strive to answer in your scholarship
process.
III. Brief Works Cited / Bibliography
Provide a preliminary list of texts to be consulted. Use a citation form appropriate to the
primary discipline of your project. Ask your mentors for advice on appropriate citation form.
IV. Method
In a few sentences, explain the process that you plan to follow in your scholarly work.
V. Timetable
Use the “LBA 438 Schedule of Events” as a template for your own timetable. Remember:
you must meet every deadline; if you do not meet a deadline you risk having to re-enroll in
LBA 438 in Fall 2014.
LBA 438 Literature Review
A literature review is the research component of your project. Your literature review should
be presented in narrative form (that is, as a research paper, with a thesis and a conclusion). It
will become a section of your final paper. In it you should provide expert, scholarly,
authoritative research on your topic, establishing the groundwork from which you will
proceed in taking your stand and presenting your argument or project. The literature review
should be approximately 10-15 pages, and should be divided into sections with appropriate
titles.
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LBA 438 Final Projects
Components of the Final Project (this is NOT a table of contents!):
I. Cover Page
II. Table of Contents
III. Thesis
Your thesis, or stand on the issue, should be clearly stated and explained in the first
paragraph(s) of the project.
IV. Literature Review
V. Body
The structure and form of your support for your thesis will vary depending on your topic.
VI. Conclusion
Be sure that your conclusion neither repeats your thesis nor begins a new argument. Usually,
a conclusion will focus on the significance of your thesis to a specific audience.
VII. Works Cited or Bibliography
With the exception of II and VII, these heading should NOT appear in your document!
This is a list of required components, NOT a template for your Table of Contents page!
Additional subsections may be included.
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LBA 438 Proposal Form
Student Author:
Fields:
Minor:
Working Title of Project:
Mentor 1Name (please print):
Department:
I have read the Mentor Guidelines and agree to abide by these guidelines. I have
approved the attached Proposal, and I agree to serve as Mentor for the proposed
project. I agree that, should this student fail to adhere to the timetable included in the
Proposal, I will cease serving as an advisor for this project.
Approval Signature: _________________________
Date: ______________
Mentor 2 Name (please print):
Department:
I have read the Mentor Guidelines and agree to abide by these guidelines. I have
approved the attached Proposal, and I agree to serve as Mentor for the proposed
project. I agree that, should this student fail to adhere to the timetable included in the
Proposal, I will cease serving as an advisor for this project.
Approval Signature: _________________________
Date: ______________
Lead Mentor: Dr. Barbara Cobb
Department: LBA
I have read this Proposal, and agree to serve as Lead Mentor for the proposed project.
Approval Signature: _________________________
Date: ______________
Student Signature: I agree to abide by the timetable established in this Proposal and by
the course syllabus and guidelines. I agree to attend all LBA 438 class sessions and to
meet with all advisors. I agree that, should I miss deadlines, all advisors except the
Liberal Arts coordinator will be relieved of their responsibilities, and I will complete
my project under the direction of the LBA coordinator only.
Student Signature: _________________________
Date: _________________
Student must submit this form with Approved Proposal by August 28, 2013.
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LBA 438 Mentor Commentary on Literature Review
Literature Review due to Mentors BY 10/2/13
Commentary due to Student BY 10/11/13
Mentor Name:
The Literature Review is the research component of the LBA 438 project. It should be
10-15 pages in length and should use the citation form generally accepted in at least one
of the disciplines represented in the project. After reading the Literature Review, please
provide commentary for revision and for the progress of the project as a whole. Please
feel free to put comments on the draft, if you prefer.)
Mentor Comments:
(Feel free to include comments on the draft Literature Review as well.)
Advisor’s Signature: ______________________
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Date: ___________________
LBA 438 Final Review Meeting
Before the Final Review Meeting, the LBA 438 project will have been completely revised as
per mentor comments. A Final Review Meeting will only be held if all deadlines have been
met. .
At the Final Review Meeting, the LBA 438 Candidate will present a discussion of the
project. The summary should not exceed 10 minutes reading time. (5-10 minutes is the
average.)
The discussion should include:
a) the history of the project (How did you grow interested in your topic? Did it
grow out of coursework? travel? experience? how did you develop your project?
What was your working thesis? Did it change over the course of your work?)
b) a description of the method (What kinds of research did you perform? What
resources did you use? How did you use them?)
c) successes and strengths (What has been particularly satisfying? useful? effective?)
d) challenges and obstacles (Did you have any difficulties that had to be
overcome? How did you manage them? What have you learned from your
experience?)
e) future plans (What future work would you like to pursue, after finishing this
project? What has grown, or might grow, from your work? What will you do after
graduation from MSU?)
After the presentation, the mentors may ask questions or make suggestions; if additional
revision is necessary, the mentors and the candidate will agree on revisions to be made and a
timetable. Under no circumstances will an Incomplete be issued. (HON Program candidates
may have to meet additional requirements.)
If the mentors do not require revision of the project, the cover page will be signed by each
mentor and the Review Meeting will be adjourned. The Candidate will prepare a clean digital
copy, saved as a PDF file, of the LBA project, and will submit it to Canvas by December 6th.
The LBA Coordinator will consult with all mentors, and a grade will be assigned.
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[Sample cover page for LBA 438 Final Draft – HON students will need both this cover page
AND the HON cover page]
Title
Student Name
LBA 438
Date
________________________________________
Name, Mentor, Field
________________________________________
Name, Mentor, Field
________________________________________
Dr. Barbara Cobb, Mentor, LBA Coordinator
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