ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
11/2011
Requirements for Senior Research Sections/Teams
In order to ensure that all ENVS majors get a similar experience for Senior Research, the following
guidelines apply to all sections.
 Senior Research sections in any given semester will be limited to the faculty receiving teaching credit
for them.
 Each faculty member with teaching credit for Senior Research will identify the project he/she will
offer for the next semester before the beginning of the appropriate advising period.
 All projects must be designed to be appropriate for Studies and or Science majors.
 All students must take Senior Research for 3 credits, and should expect to work 9 hours per week
(not counting class time).
 Each section must meet as a group for 3 hours per week.
 Each research team:
1. Will consist of 4-6 students, except under extenuating circumstances. As appropriate, juniors
may be allowed to join a senior research project, but would be registered for Environmental
Research.
2. Must be performed within the budget allocations unless additional funds can be secured outside
ENVS.
3. Must have explicit knowledge and skill objectives that are assessed and reported.
4. Must produce a written product that could be a research paper, report, article or something
similar.
5. Must deliver and oral or visual presentation, such as a website, poster or video.
6. Must address and evaluate the following ENVS programmatic goals:
Programmatic Goal
Assessment Tool
Demonstrate fundamental scientific literacy as it relates to the environment
Demonstrate fundamental political, economic, ethical, cultural and historical
literacy as it relates to the environment
Demonstrate advanced political, economic, ethical, cultural and historical
literacy as it relates to the environment
Demonstrate advanced scientific literacy as it relates to the environment
Demonstrate competency in written, oral and visual communication, especially
to a variety of audiences
Demonstrate the ability to lead others, as well as the ability to function
effectively as part of a team
Demonstrate the ability to connect theory and practice through experiential
and/or service learning
Demonstrate the ability to draw on the relevant literacies to approach
environmental problem solving from a cultural perspective using skills such as
social research methods, GIS, argumentation, and logic.
Demonstrate the ability to draw on the relevant literacies to approach
environmental problem solving from a scientific perspective using skills such as
academic research, GIS, experimental design, and computation
Senior Research Paper
Senior Research Paper
Senior Research Paper
Senior Research Paper
Presentations at Whalen Symposium or
other venue, capstone paper, portfolio
In-class exercises and discussion
Targeted reflective essay questions and
capstone paper, portfolio
Research Group performance
Research Group performance