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PARTNERSHIP-IN-LEARNING APPLICATION
University of St. Thomas
Center for Faculty Development
Submit electronically as a word document to
(facdevctr@stthomas.edu) by 4:00 pm on the due date.
the
Faculty
Development
Center
1. Faculty mentor's name, department, Mail #, phone # and e-mail address:
EXAMPLE: Political Science faculty member
2. Student partner's name, class, major, and Mail #:
3. Please describe why this particular student is appropriate for this project.
The role of the student partner is to assist the faculty mentor in conducting research on
India’s relations with its neighboring South Asian countries, the results of which will be presented
in the form of a book authored by the faculty mentor. The book is expected to be published by
FirstForumPress/Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, Colorado. The student is the best person to
provide assistance with this project because:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
He is a Political Science major with Senior standing. He has taken a total of eight
courses in Political Science at University of St. Thomas so far and hence has the
requisite background to conduct research in the field of political science;
His academic record at the University of St. Thomas is impressive. He was included
in the Dean’s List during 2009-2011 and received the University of St. Thomas
scholarship and award as an incoming freshman. He is also currently within the
top-third of his graduating class;
He has taken three courses with me so far and I have been impressed with his
reading, writing and speaking abilities, demonstrated through class assignments,
research papers, exams and class participation. His work in these courses is
evidence of his ability to conduct independent, intensive research in the field of
political science;
He has taken my 300-level Politics of South Asia course during Spring semester
2011 and hence has the requisite background to understand the issues associated
with the region. He consistently scored at the top of his class and received a letter
grade of “A” for the course at the end of the semester;
He is taking my Third World Politics and Government course during Fall semester
2011, so he is familiar with the international relations of third world countries;
He will be studying abroad in India during J-term 2012 as part of a UMAIE course.
As such, his coursework on South Asia and India will be supplemented by firsthand experience of the region and its issues.
4. Check type of partnership: _____ Teaching Partnership ____ Research Partnership
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5. Term(s) when partnership will take place, including anticipated end date for this
partnership:
The partnership will take place during Spring semester 2012. The anticipated end date for
this partnership is May 18, 2012 (end of the semester).
6. Please provide a brief description of Faculty Mentor's project on which the student will
be working, and how this partnership will promote the faculty member’s scholarly agenda.
I have recently received an “Intent to Publish” letter from FirstForumPress/Lynne Rienner
Publishers, Boulder, Colorado in response to my book proposal submission titled India in South
Asia: Issues, Challenges and Prospects. The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive
overview of India’s relations with the South Asian countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and The Maldives. It is intended to help readers: (i) understand the
importance of the South Asian region to India and vice-versa, (ii) identify the broad tenets of
India’s policy towards the other countries of South Asia and the domestic factors that impact
India’s policy in the region, (iii) recognize the multiple issues and challenges that affect India’s
relations with other South Asian countries, and (iv) learn how individual South Asian countries
perceive India.
Although India’s relations with the countries of the South Asian region have been the subject of
study for decades, most of these studies have been limited to exploring single-issue areas. In
addition, they do not address the impact of India’s economic rise and developments such as 9/11
and the recent democratic transitions in several countries in the region. As a result, they present an
incomplete picture of India’s relations with these countries. This book is therefore intended to fill
this gap. The book would be useful for a wide range of audiences including general readers,
students and scholars in the humanities and social sciences, both in the United States as well as
abroad. To my knowledge, there are no books on this topic that incorporate the recent
developments in the South Asian region. In addition, most books on South Asia omit any
discussion on Afghanistan, which is crucial to understanding India-Pakistan rivalry and the spread
of religious extremism and violence in both India and Pakistan.
I will begin working on this book project during Spring semester 2012. The initial work on this
project involves researching the history and geography of the South Asian region and identifying
the broad tenets of India’s foreign policy, which is intended to serve as the background for the
book. The most important questions being examined at this initial stage are:



What are the broad tenets of India’s policy towards the other countries of South Asia?
What are the domestic factors that impact India’s policy in the region?
How do the individual South Asian countries perceive India?
It is in this connection that I’m requesting a Partnership-in-Learning (PIL) grant for a student
partner to assist me in completing the initial work involved with this project.
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My scholarly agenda focuses on the changes in India’s foreign policy since the end of the Cold
War. As an emerging power, India is expected to play an increasingly significant role in global
politics in the twenty-first century. The rise of India has implications for not just the larger Asian
region but the United States as well. My research so far has resulted in peer-reviewed publications
and presentations at refereed professional conferences. As a tenure-track faculty, I intend to
continue scholarly activity in this area and my project described above is the next step in a
sustained research agenda that I have articulated. The student partnership will offer me the
opportunity to pursue intensive research in the field of India’s foreign policy. The outcome of the
research conducted through this student partnership will also be useful for the course I teach on
South Asian politics. It will help me introduce students to new ideas and perspectives necessary
to understand current developments in the South Asian region.
7. How will the student partner contribute to the work of this project? What will her/his
specific roles and responsibilities be?
First, he will assist me in identifying literature on South Asian history and geography available at
University of St. Thomas library and other area libraries. In addition, he will look at academic
databases like JSTOR and Academic Search Premier for academic journal articles pertaining to
the topic. He will compose a literature review and submit it to me. Second, he will assist me in
research on the history of India’s foreign policy towards the South Asian region, thereby helping
to identify whether there are any patterns observed in this regard. He will be expected to assist me
in locating primary documents (letters, memoirs, biographies, treaties, etc.), available online on
the website of academic libraries and research institutions, which will help define the broad tenets
of India’s foreign policy towards the region. Third, he will assist me in identifying books, journal
articles, etc., written by South Asian authors (non-Indians) on India’s policy towards the region
helping to identify how individual South Asian countries perceive India. Finally, his knowledge
about the South Asian region will allow me the opportunity to discuss with him the major
theoretical perspectives associated with international relations and avoid any bias in the
conclusions drawn from the materials examined.
The student partnership will begin in Spring semester 2012 as soon as the PIL grant request has
been approved. Please note that the student partner is not receiving any kind of funding from any
other source for the project being proposed and the faculty mentor has not previously applied for
or received a PIL grant.
8. What routine preparation work is required of the student?
The student has already completed routine preparation work required for assisting me in this
project. I believe that his impressive academic record as a student makes him uniquely qualified
to assist me in intensive research in the field of foreign policy and international relations. He is
currently a political science major with senior standing. He has taken several courses in
Comparative Politics and International Relations at the Department of Political Science, including
American Government in Comparative Politics, Introduction to World Politics, Politics of South
Asia and Third World Politics and Government. He is therefore not only familiar with international
politics but also knowledgeable about the research methodology pertinent to the field. The courses
taken by the student are sufficient to allow him to assist me in research. No other preparation work
(including knowledge of local language of South Asian region) is necessary.
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9. How will the mentor supervise and interact with the student partner?
The faculty mentor and the student will have close and frequent interactions during the term of the
partnership. Regular weekly meetings (1-1½ hours in length) will be scheduled during the Spring
semester 2012. During these meetings, the student will be provided with instructions as to the kind
of materials that need to be identified at academic libraries, research institutions and academic
databases. The student is then expected to work independently identifying materials, summarizing
them and submitting the finished product to the faculty mentor. The weekly meetings will also be
used to gauge progress on the work done by the student and offer suggestions/recommendations
as required. Finally, the meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss and clarify the important
theoretical perspectives and controversies associated with international relations and foreign
policy
10. List, and describe briefly, any previous experience the faculty mentor has had with
student partners or assistants.
Faculty advisor to McNair Scholar at University of St. Thomas, during Academic Year 2010-2011.
11. What are the anticipated benefits of this partnership for the Faculty Mentor and for the
Student Partner?
The student partnership will benefit the faculty mentor through research assistance provided by
the student partner during the completion of the initial work on this project. The student partner
working independently on the literature review will provide the faculty mentor the time to focus
on other aspects of the project. The division of labor between faculty mentor and student partner
will help the former adhere to the timeline outlined earlier, i.e., complete initial work during Spring
semester 2012. The partnership will also help the faculty mentor gain experience in supervising
student research. The student’s knowledge about the South Asian region will make it possible to
have discussions on major theoretical perspectives associated with international relations and
avoid any bias in the conclusions drawn from the materials examined. The experience gathered
from working on this research project will help the faculty mentor in applying for future external
grants. Finally, the goal of the Political Science faculty has always been to encourage
undergraduate students to undertake intensive research work so as to prepare them for graduate
school. This student partnership grant provides an opportunity to fulfill these goals.
The nature, scope and timeline of the project allow for regular student partner inputs. The student
partnership will provide the student with research experience and an understanding of the process
leading up to the publication of a scholarly product in the field of political science. It is expected
that the research being undertaken by the student and the weekly meetings will help him gain a
deeper understanding of the South Asian region and major world issues, including the Kashmir
dispute and the “War on Terror”, and their implications for the United States. His knowledge and
experience about the region will facilitate constructive discussions on the topic thereby assisting
the student in the development of critical-thinking skills. Finally, as a result of the partnership, it
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is anticipated that he will develop an appreciation of the finer points of the theoretical perspectives
and controversies associated with international relations and foreign policy. As such, the student
will benefit immensely from the opportunity provided by the Partnership-in-Learning (PIL) grant
and it will encourage him to aspire to new heights.
Grantee Agreements:
___ I agree to submit to the Faculty Development Committee (1) an evaluation of the partnership and (2)
an accounting of funds spent, within three months of the completion date of the partnership as indicated
above. I understand that the submission of this final report is a necessary condition for further funding from
Faculty Development. I also understand that I will be responsible for any overdraft of funds awarded to this
project.
___ I do not have any Final Reports due for previous Faculty Development grants. (Check with the Center
if you are uncertain.)
___ I understand that if my research will involve human subjects, I will be required to obtain approval
from UST's Institutional Review Board (IRB) before beginning the project. See the IRB Web site for
information: http://www.stthomas.edu/irb
Signature of Faculty Mentor: ____
Date: _____
Partnership-in-Learning Budget Form
1. Student stipend $___1000___ (no more than $1000 for a one semester partnership; $2000 for
a two semester partnership)
2. Check with Faculty Development for current hourly rate.
3. Other Expenses (up to $300) $_____0____ Please itemize below:
4. TOTAL FUNDING REQUEST $___1000____