COLORADO COLLEGE HISTORY DEPARTMENT
Social Issues and Historical Contexts Summer Student Assistantships
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
For summers 2015-2017, the Colorado College History Department is offering stipends for
sophomores or juniors. Preference will be given to History, Classics-History-Politics, History-Political
Science, or History-Philosophy majors and History minors with a special interest in historical and
global antecedents of contemporary mass incarceration. These awards may be directed, depending
on the connections between faculty and student projects, to student research, student assistance for
faculty research, student support for course development, or student facilitation of community-based
learning modules. In summer 2015, the department will offer two awards, each up to ten weeks. For
ten weeks students receive $4000 (or an amount prorated for shorter periods).
Interested students should make contact with department faculty to explore suitable projects and
develop applications. A first step is to discuss the web announcement of the grant at
https://www.coloradocollege.edu/newsevents/newsroom/history-department-grant-looks-at-prisonspunishment#.VI8cWqgRZ-N with a member of the departmental faculty. Students drawn to grantrelevant issues should then work with a faculty member or team of faculty members to consider what
faculty-supervised research might be possible and interesting or how they might be useful to faculty
designing a related course or community-based curricular element.
The goal of SIHC summer student awards is to develop both student research skills and student
advocacy of the role of historical investigation in the remediation of contemporary social crises such
as mass incarceration. Here, students with both scholarly and activist interests are encouraged to
develop research, curriculum, and community outreach.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Students are advised to read carefully through the application outlined below, and to contact the
History office coordinator, Joanna Popiel (719-389-6523), or Professor Jane Murphy
(jane.murphy@coloradocollege.edu ) with any questions.
RESEARCH PROPOSALS: All SIHC awards assume close cooperation between a student and a
supervising faculty member. Applicants for independent research support should prepare a proposal
of no more than 500 words for ten weeks of summer archival, library, or site-based research. This
proposal should state a research question, describe a methodology, and discuss primary materials
and scholarly context. It should also explain how the skills cultivated in the summer’s research will
support the applicant’s long-term academic and intellectual goals. Student work involving other
expenses beyond living expenses should include an itemized budget.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: Each application should be accompanied by a letter of
recommendation from the faculty member associated with the student’s proposed summer work.
This primary faculty recommendation should affirm the value of the specific research project student
application requires. A second recommendation from a member of either the History faculty or
another CC department is also required. While reference should indicate knowledge of the proposed
summer project, its chief focus should be on the student’s relevant skills in research, community
service, and collaboration. If human subjects are involved, Institutional Review Board approval will
be the faculty member’s responsibility.
Applications should be submitted as PDFs to Joanna Popiel (JPopiel@ColoradoCollege.edu )
and to both referees. Faculty should also send their letters to Professor Hyde for eventual
review by the History Department. Applications are due on the first day of Block 7, March 23.