Tips for Thesis Directors

br>Thank you for agreeing to serve as an Honors Thesis Director. The Barrett Honors College realizes that students cannot succeed without faculty support, and we are grateful for your willingness to participate in this journey with an honors student. We want to make your job easier, and hope these tips will help along the way:

There are several resources on the menu to the left in this section listed to assist you in navigating the thesis process. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Barrett Honors Advising office at 480-965-2353.

An honors thesis/creative project should not be a project for which a student signs up then disappears for a semester, only to show up with a product that he/she expects to defend. This is not fair to you and not a positive experience for the student. Therefore, it is helpful to set expectations for your student very early and to hold regular meetings, typically once every week or every other week. These meetings help the student work more effectively with your direction, and help you keep track of any problems.

Some departments limit students to three-hours of credit for the project; some prefer six-hour projects. Where the thesis/creative project is a year-long endeavor with no distinct break between the two semesters, the first semester grade is generally Z, indicating work in progress. If the student is not performing up to your expectations, this is the time for a serious discussion about expectations.

The thesis prospectus is considered a contract between the thesis committee and the student. The Barrett Honors College uses the prospectus to track student progress. Please encourage your student to submit the paperwork, using the forms provided and on time. Deadlines are posted on the Honors web page.

Students will typically complete their thesis/creative project in the department of their major, though there are exceptions. They will therefore sign up for XYZ 493 (thesis) and usually also XYZ 492 (honors reading) in the home department, which is also the department of the faculty mentor. Please assign a grade for the project when grades are due through your department, and don’t forget to change the “Z” grade to the letter grade after the work is completed. Typically, you will assign a letter grade for the thesis, though a “Y” is allowed, if appropriate.

Students must complete the graduation requirements for the Barrett Honors College, including the thesis, by the required deadlines. Students are responsible for meeting these deadlines and for keeping you informed about them. Please do not feel pressured by a student who comes at the last minute and demands a defense to make a deadline. It is entirely up to you and the committee to determine when the student is ready, and you may contact the Barrett Advising office for assistance with problem cases.

We hope you will be able to take part in the Barrett Honors College graduation celebration, since this is a special time to recognize both the students who have completed the honors requirements and the faculty who have helped make that possible. This is a symbolic, deeply significant moment in the student’s academic career, and a time to thank you for your helping the student weave together the skills and knowledge of his/her undergraduate career into a creative piece of scholarship.