CAPSTONE
HANDBOOK
2012-13
MARYMOUNT COLLEGE
AUGUST 2012
1
Marymount College Palos Verdes
Mission
Marymount College is a Catholic institution that welcomes students of all faiths and
backgrounds into a quality, values-based education. We foster a student-centered
approach to learning that promotes the development of the whole person. In the
spirit of our founders, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, we challenge our
students to pursue lives of leadership and service.
Vision
Marymount College empowers its students through an educational program that develops
principled thinkers in the Catholic liberal arts tradition. We promote an open and welcoming
campus that builds skills for lifelong learning. We assist students to reach their goals in
higher education. We strive to graduate students who embody the virtues of integrity,
respect for human dignity, and commitment to justice.
Values
Tradition
Rooted in the Catholic intellectual and faith tradition, we educate and challenge students to
think critically and to grow spiritually.
Openness
We welcome freedom of inquiry and diversity of experience within a community of educators
and learners who seek truth, moral wisdom and global understanding.
Integrity
We strive for academic and professional excellence in an educational experience that builds
character and values the whole person.
Service
We encourage our students to seek a more just world and to lead lives of compassionate
service to others.
2
Marymount College Palos Verdes
Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs)
Upon completion of their program of study, all Marymount graduates can
demonstrate attainment of the ISLOs at the level appropriate to their
degree.
I.
Effective written, verbal, and digital presentation skills
II.
Analysis using relevant conceptual, quantitative, and technology tools
III.
Evaluation of competing options and reflection on values
to support reasoned and ethical decision-making
IV.
Recognition of multiple perspectives and global awareness
V.
Experiential learning and collaborative skills for personal, social, civic, and global
responsibility
These ISLOs are nested in BA Program Learning Outcomes and Capstone evaluation
rubrics. See Capstone Syllabus for further detail.
3
THE MARYMOUNT CAPSTONE
Every Marymount BA student completes a senior Capstone project. Capstone
projects, experiences, and deliverables vary across programs and students,
allowing for a very individualized culminating experience in each BA program.
Through these projects, students gain experience in planning and designing an
original project, conduct appropriate research to frame and ground their work,
constructively critique and support one another’s work, and present in a
professional setting. Students use the projects to demonstrate attainment of
program learning outcomes, and are supported in their professional and
academic growth along the way. Graduate and career preparation is directly
enhanced by the development of skills, reflection, engagement, and record of
work produced as part of the Capstone year.
1. The Marymount Capstone is a student project. It is meant to be a year-long
senior project that demonstrates mastery of the Program Learning Outcomes
through an original project, a tangible deliverable, and a presentation. The
deliverable must include a written project description, context, and reflection.
2. While conducting their project, students are enrolled in 497, then 498 in their
program (AM 497-498, BUS 497-498, ID 497-498, or PSY 497-498). 497 is a prerequisite to 498. Each program is responsible for structuring and administering its
497-498 experience, as long as it ensures meaningful opportunities for capstone
students to collaborate and reflect on their work together, either within or across
fields. Frequency and forms of collaboration may vary. Each 497-498 sequence is
coordinated by an Instructor of record.
3. Successful completion of 498 with a grade of C or higher is a BA graduation
requirement. Grades in 497 and in 498 are recorded as A, B, C, or NC. A grade of
C- or lower in a Capstone course (497 & 498) will be recorded as No Credit (NC).
4
THE CAPSTONE COURSE
Pre-requisites and 497-498 Course registration:
• Prerequisites: Senior Class Standing & Division Chair Approval
• Registration: Needs Chair signature - see form
• Petitions: Discuss with Division Chair or Academic Advisor
Student responsibilities include:
• Sign up for the course before the end of the Add/Drop period
• Contribute to the class through attendance, discussion, and mutual
feedback and support
• Identify a project with guidance from the instructor and in alignment
with educational and professional goals
• Adhere to conditions of syllabus, including due dates and deadlines and
instructions on how to submit work
• Keep instructor apprised of progress or setbacks to manage reasonable
adjustments and timely completion
• Participate in Senior Showcase
• Make use of college resources if help is needed, whether within the
course or to manage competing demands on time, satisfactory degree
progress, research support, counseling, or career planning. We are here
for you and we care about your well-being and success!
5
THE CAPSTONE INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD
It is the responsibility of the 497-498 Instructor of record to oversee and manage
the 2-semester Capstone course and help prepare the students to graduate.
The goal of this course sequence is to provide the students with the requisite
project process knowledge (planning, documentation, plan presentation, report
writing, etc.) and guidance they need to successfully complete the phases of
Marymount’s Capstone project and stay on track to successfully complete their
graduation requirements.
Instructor role includes:
• Establish a ‘learning community’ among the Capstone cohort students and
provide a mutually supportive environment in which to explore ideas and
offer formative feedback.
• Provide project planning guidance and regular feedback to ensure the
effective development of the individual Capstone proposal and reasonable
progress towards timely project completion. Sign off on the proposal and
key steps along the way.
• Help students identify resources that will help advance their work and
encourage use of the College’s support and career planning services as
appropriate.
• Coordinate with other Capstone Instructors and college staff to schedule
and promote a Senior Showcase.
• Verify collection of the proposal, presentation, project, CV, and summative
reflection in a culminating portfolio.
• Issue a grade in 497 and a grade in 498 (A, B,C, or NC).
6
THE MARYMOUNT e-PORTFOLIO
Your e-Portfolio helps you keep a record of projects and reflections from which you can
draw when it comes time to prepare job or graduate school applications or to create
tailored showcase portfolios of your work. It will also help you reflect on your own
learning, how you learn best, and how your interests may be evolving. It is a tool to help
you “know thyself” and plan your journey.
FRESHMAN YEAR
•
Marymount freshmen launch an e-Portfolio in their ID 117 class, beginning with
an educational plan, study skills inventory, and service learning reflection.
Incoming transfer students have a similar opportunity in ID 217.
SOPHOMORE & JUNIOR YEARS
•
Many courses and co-curricular experiences provide opportunities to add to the
e-Portfolio. Some courses include e-Portfolio requirements. Choose to add other
samples of your work, feedback, reflections, updates to your educational plan,
letters of recommendation, evidence of internships or study abroad, your updated
resume.
SENIOR YEAR
•
At the time of graduation, and to satisfactorily pass the 498 Capstone course, the
e-Portfolio must contain at minimum:
 Capstone proposal
 Capstone presentation
 Final Capstone project report
 CV
 Summative reflection
Please refer to your Syllabus for additional requirements or conditions.
7
SENIOR YEAR ADVISING & GRADUATION
Your Class Schedule:
• Every full-time student is assigned an Academic Advisor in their program of
study. Requests to change Advisors may be filed with the Advising and
Career Center, or discussed with the Program Chair.
• PLEASE VERIFY YOUR EDUCATIONAL PLAN AND CLASS SCHEDULE BEFORE
THE END OF THE ADD/DROP PERIOD, in case changes are needed.
• If you need help with registration or advising, turn to the Advising and
Career Center or the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Graduation:
• Note the distinction between the graduation ceremony and the conferral of
the degree.
• Graduation applications should be filed with the Registrar’s office in fall for
participation in the following May commencement ceremony. Students
may participate in the graduation ceremony if they have no more than 7
units of course work remaining at the time of the ceremony.
• KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED
BEFORE THE DEGREE IS CONFERRED. This may mean completing some
remaining units after completion of the 498 course. Please work closely
with your Academic Advisor to avoid surprises.
• Make sure any holds have been cleared, whether financial or other.
8
GRADUATE SCHOOL AND CAREER PLANNING
The Advising and Career Center provides a range of resources and
programs to help you prepare for post-baccalaureate options.
Examples:
Resume-writing workshops and individualized feedback
Information regarding graduate school testing (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, …)
Career planning and self-assessment tools
Job search and network planning webinars
Job and internship website
Individual appointments at the RPV and Waterfront campuses
Capstone + Internship Option:
If you are interested in combining an internship with a corresponding current
or potential Capstone project, please discuss options with the Director of
Career Services.
9
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB)
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) ensure that all research involving human subjects have
minimal risks. The IRB protects the participants AND the institution through informed consent
forms.
MANDATED BY LAW
•
•
•
The federal government requires that all federally funded research be reviewed by an
IRB
The law speaks specifically to federally funded research
Still, many colleges apply the same standards to non-federally funded research,
including student projects
MARYMOUNT POLICY
 All students enrolled in a Capstone course will go through an online training
regarding ethical issues in research, regardless of the nature of their
research.
 In addition, those students whose research involves contact with human
subjects will have to submit a research proposal to the Marymount College
Institutional Review Board (IRB) after completing the online training.
The online training can be found at:
http://www.labiomed.org/tests/StudyVolunteers/protect_study_volunteers.htm
At the end of the training, participants will receive a certificate. Copies of the
certificate will be given to the Capstone Instructor of Record and the IRB
Chair, Carlos Royal.
Timelines for completion of the online training will be determined by the Capstone
Instructor of Record. Submission of a research proposal to the IRB should be done in a
timely manner to allow for completion of the Capstone project. See your Syllabus and
IRB Handbook for more information.
10
HELP IS AVAILABLE
• It is the students’ responsibility to seek guidance and manage their
educational plan, course selection, and degree progress.
• The College provides many resources to support students’ educational
journey and degree attainment. Please see your Academic Advisor,
Capstone Instructor, Division Chair, or other college personnel if you
need help. The Library and Learning Center are available to all students.
Division Chairs
Arts & Media
Business
Liberal Arts
Math & Science
Psychology
Blue Wade bwade@marymountpv.edu
Dr. Rex Draman, rdraman@marymountpv.edu
Dr. Larry Dunlop, ldunlop@marymountpv.edu
Dr. John Alexander, jalexander@marymountpv.edu
Dr. Lynn DellaPietra, ldellapietra@marymountpv.edu
Advising
Advising & Career Center in Cecilia Hall at RPV Campus
Dr. Virginia Wade, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
vwade@marymountpv.edu
Director of
Career Services
John McCrudden – office at the Waterfront
JMcCrudden@marymountpv.edu
IRB Chair
Carlos Royal, croyal@marymountpv.edu
Provost’s Office
Leslie Stewart, Assistant to the Provost
lstewart@marymountpv.edu
Dr. Ariane Schauer, Provost and Dean of Faculty
aschauer@marymountpv.edu
11
BA Program Learning Outcomes
The Capstone course supports students as they prepare and showcase a
culminating project that demonstrates attainment of the Program Learning
Outcomes. Please refer to the course syllabus for further detail on expectations,
rubrics, format, and timelines.
BA in Business - Program Learning Outcomes
After completion of the Business Core courses, one concentration, and a capstone project, students will
be able to:
1. Read financial statements, interpret business news, use appropriate business and economic
terminology, prepare effective management reports, and deliver convincing verbal and digital
presentations.
2. Use economic and business concepts, models, and quantitative data to interpret, analyze, and
plan.
3. Evaluate competing options and reflect on ethical implications to support management
decisions.
4. Recognize and articulate the perspectives of multiple constituencies in a global context with a
focus on the creation of value.
5. Apply conceptual tools to management situations and collaborate to meet joint project goals.
BA in Liberal Arts - Program Learning Outcomes
After completion of the Liberal Arts core, two areas of emphasis, and an interdisciplinary capstone
project, students will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Utilize the vocabulary and thought patterns of at least two different academic disciplines.
Apply the analytic methodology of at least two disciplines to an issue.
Select the most appropriate disciplinary approaches to the understanding of an issue.
Recognize and analyze the ethical implications of a given issue, and, where appropriate,
articulate a personal position.
5. Engage in collaborative study of an issue with representatives of various disciplines.
12
BA in Media Studies - Program Learning Outcomes
After completion of the Media Studies program in one area of emphasis and senior capstone project,
students will be able to:
1. Use critical thought to analyze and critique professional and academic forms of art and design.
2. Discuss and write about creative design and media elements in historical and contemporary
context to visual culture.
3. Research and develop visual planning strategies for creative solutions related to adaptive design
competence and will learn basic business practices and professional standards of various digital
media industries.
4. Demonstrate the ability to design and create professional level artwork using industry standard
digital technologies including Apple Macintosh and Apple Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative
Suite software applications.
5. Exhibit leadership and self-promotion capacity skills related to visual art and media design.
6. Demonstrate outcomes of their design and/or multimedia creative skills projects with a Senior
Exhibition of the best work during their academic career.
BA in Psychology - Program Learning Outcomes
The student who graduates with a B.A. in psychology will be able to:
1. Produce sound, integrated arguments (written and oral) based on scientific reasoning and
empirical evidence.
2. Utilize technology to locate information, manage and analyze data, and communicate.
3. Apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and
interpretation.
4. Describe the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings represented in the
general content domains of psychology, including learning, cognition, biological basis of
behavior, development, and individual differences.
5. Explain human behavior using the major contemporary perspectives of psychology, including
behavioral, biological, cognitive, psychodynamic, and sociocultural.
6. Evaluate the quality, objectivity, and credibility of evidence of research findings.
7. Apply an ethical orientation to hypothetical dilemmas encountered in the classroom, as well as
to real scenarios occurring within psychological contexts and when conducting research.
8. Identify the variety of the psychological experience (one’s own and that of others) as related to
socioeconomic class, race, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, and sexual orientation.
9. Identify and develop skills and experiences relevant to achieving selected career goals.
10. Identify one’s personal, sociocultural, and professional values.
11. Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively.
13
Capstone Project Application
Capstone Course:
Semester:
Capstone Instructor of record:
STUDENT NAME:
Contact information: e-mail:
phone #:
Academic Advisor:
PROJECT TITLE:
Brief Description:
Date Final report is due:
Student and Instructor have reviewed and agreed on the terms of the project and their roles.
Student has completed IRB Training.
Student understands that the quality and completion of the project are the student’s
responsibility.
Student
Date
Capstone Instructor
Date
Academic Affairs
Date
14
Capstone Project Release
Student Name
(as wish to see printed)
PROTOCOL FOR SUBMITTING CAPSTONE PRESENTATION AND PROJECT
I agree to submit my Capstone proposal, presentation, and final report before
completion of the 498 course in booth of the following formats:
1. 497-498 Course Drop box in my.marymountpv
2. Student e-Portfolio in my.marymountpv
Student Signature
Date
RELEASE
I hereby authorize Marymount College to use in Marymount promotional
materials, including website:
My name
Title and abstract of my Capstone project
My final Capstone presentation and report and parts thereof
Photos of me
Student Signature
Date
15
MARYMOUNT COLLEGE
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
RESEARCH REVIEW SUBMISSION SHEET
(Proposal)
Project Title
________________________________________________________
Principal Investigator
_______________________________________________
Academic Title
_____________________________________________________
Division/Department
________________________________________________
Work Phone
________________________________________________________
Email
__________________________________________________________
Mailing Address
____________________________________________________
[ ] Campus [ ] Home
16
17