Mellon Scholars Program
Senior Tutorial Guidelines
IDS 590 Mellon Scholars: Senior Tutorial and Project – Working
with a faculty member (or more than one) on a topic approved by the
Mellon Scholars Committee, students produce a substantial work of
original scholarship to be presented at a conference organized by
the Mellon Scholars Program near the end of the academic year. Students
may petition for disciplinary credit, but IDS 590 may not substitute
for departmental capstone courses without the approval of the chair.
Special arrangements are available for students engaged in off-campus
study programs. Four Credits, Both Semesters, Staff.
Guidelines for the Mellon Scholars Senior Tutorial and Project:
1. The Mellon Senior Tutorial and Project is a two-semester sequence
taken during the fall and spring semesters of the senior year.
2. Continuing Mellon Scholars register for an independent study
in their major discipline with their mentor in the spring of the
junior year and the fall of the senior year. The topic of the Mellon
Senior Tutorial must be approved by the mentor and the director in
advance of registration. At the end of each semester Mellon credit
(IDS 590) will be given to the student if the work performed meets
the expectations of the Program Director in consultation with the
Mellon Scholars Committee. The approval of the appropriate department
chair is required if the student seeks course credit in a disciplinary
area for a major or minor.
3. A project proposal must be submitted to the program director
before October 1 for approval by the Mellon Scholars Committee in
order for a student to register for the spring semester of the Mellon
Senior Tutorial. The proposal (no more than 1,000 words) should include
a description of the project, an explanation of its scholarly significance,
including a supporting bibliography, plans for incorporating digital
technology, and, in some cases, a budget for appropriate expenses.
It should also include a 1-page endorsement from the student’s
faculty mentor(s).
4. The Senior Tutorial and Project may not substitute for a departmental
capstone experience without the permission of the appropriate department
chair.
5. The Senior Tutorial and Project is undertaken with a single faculty
mentor over both semesters of the senior year, but other arrangements
are possible with the approval of the program director and the Mellon
Scholars committee.
6. At the conclusion of each semester of the tutorial, the student
may apply for disciplinary credit with the approval of the
appropriate department chair using the “credit/waiver substitution
form.”
7. The Senior Project is a substantial work of scholarly research,
typically 40-50 pages or the equivalent, including creative production.
The creative use of digital technology may constitute a portion of
that written work.
8. Seniors are encouraged to present their work at off-campus conferences
appropriate to their disciplines and petition the program director
for support to present their projects.
9. Seniors are expected to present their work at a conference organized
by the Mellon Scholars Program near the end of the spring semester,
possibly coinciding with the Celebration of Undergraduate Research.
The Mellon Scholars committee considers senior projects that have
been presented at that event for special recognition, including awards
for the student and his or her advisor.
10. Off-campus study programs in the senior year should support
the preparation of the Senior Project. If a Mellon Scholar participates
in an off-campus study program in the spring of the senior year,
he or she must still participate in the Mellon Scholars Program’s
conference presentations in order to complete the Program. That participation
may be done electronically.
11. Students who complete the Mellon Scholars Program will receive
special recognition at the Honors Convocation and Commencement. Completion
of the Program is also noted on Mellon Scholars ’ academic transcripts.
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