Independent Study Guidelines

Students are responsible for conceiving and organizing an Independent Study Project. Make an appointment with a Winter Term advisor early in the process to help you focus your project and offer suggestions. After identifying a topic of interest, create a draft proposal for a potential faculty supervisor. Once a faculty member agrees to serve as your faculty supervisor, work closely with that professor to identify learning objectives, research methodology and the final product. Your faculty supervisor will review and assess your final project for Winter Term credit. In most cases the supervisor should be a member of the full-time faculty and they should not be on leave or leading an off-campus study or service project during Winter Term so that they are available to you for consultation during Winter Term.

Independent Study Projects must be carried out and completed within the Winter Term timeframe during the month of January.

Note: Students are expected to submit individual project proposals. If multiple proposals are submitted for the same location, these proposals will be reviewed with particular care to ensure the projects are truly independent. This may mean a limit on the number of proposals for the same destination. Decisions on which proposals are approved within the limit will be based on (1) quality of the proposal and (2) time and date of proposal submission.

Applications due Friday, October 31, 2008. The information contained in your preliminary application will form the basis for your final project proposal/learning contract. Your faculty supervisor must agree to work with you to develop a Learning Contract and must sign your application.

Student Financial Support Applications: If you wish to apply for an award from the Winter Term Student Support Program, you must submit the Student Support Application by the same Friday, October 31, 2008, deadline. There is a separate application form for funding.

Important note: Because final approval of the independent study project is dependent on satisfactory development of the Learning Contract, student support award decisions are not final (and checks will not be issued) until after the signed Learning Contract is submitted and students are enrolled for the project.

Orientation: Students who propose independent study projects off-campus are required to attend a Winter Term off-campus orientation session, which will be held during November 2008.

Learning Contracts due Friday, December 5, 2008. With the assistance of your faculty supervisor, you must fully develop the project and prepare a detailed, formal learning contract. There is no single acceptable format, but in this document (typically 3-4 pages) you must provide:
  • A detailed description of the project with a timeline
  • A clear statement of your learning goals and how you plan to achieve them, including what research or preparation you need to do before beginning your project
  • A detailed methodology for carrying out the project
  • A description of the role of the faculty supervisor (how often you will consult, submit materials, etc.)
  • A description of the potential outcomes and expected nature of the final “product” (paper, presentation, performance, film, etc.) and an indication of the basis on which your project will be evaluated
  • A section in which you and your faculty supervisor agree to the terms of the contract, including the deadline for submission of materials.
  • Research or preparation you need to do before beginning your project
Once you have written a draft of the Learning Contract, review it with your faculty supervisor. If necessary, make any changes and revisions. When you and your faculty supervisor are satisfied with the content of the contract, both you and your supervisor sign and date a final draft. Make two additional copies keeping one for yourself and giving one to your faculty supervisor. The original copy should be submitted to the Center for International & Experiential Education.

Release and Medical Authorization, due Friday, December 5, 2008 (for off-campus independent study projects only): If your independent study project will be carried out off-campus, you must also complete and submit a Release and Medical Authorization form, which is available on the Winter Term website. The document must be signed both by you and by your parent or legal guardian.
For students traveling internationally, two copies of your passport, and a travel itinerary must also be submitted.

Registration: After the above materials have been submitted by the December 5, 2008, deadline, you will be enrolled by the CIEE. Only students who have submitted all of the necessary documents will be registered.

Note: You are not permitted to change Independent Study Projects after the application deadline. If a problem requires your withdrawal from this Winter Term project after registration, and if you intend to fulfill a Winter Term commitment this year, you may register for an on-campus course.

Submission of Final Materials, due Friday, February 6, 2009: You must submit to your faculty supervisor for evaluation any final papers, reports, and other materials, as indicated in your learning contract. On the basis of your work, your faculty supervisor will assign and submit your Winter Term grade.

Independent Study Showcase: Independent Study Projects choosen to participate will be showcased to highlight the exceptional academic work done by Winter Term Students. Details will be forthcoming.