Senior Project Information Session UNIV 4995

1. Senior Project Information Session UNIV 4995

2. Congratulations! You are nearing graduation, but there is one major hurdle left to clear . . . . your senior project. This presentation will take you through the process required to complete this critically important endeavor.

3. Overview • Your senior project is the capstone of your undergraduate academic career. • Because of the interdisciplinary scope of our college, individual senior projects vary greatly.

4. Overview • The final product of your senior project must directly relate to the major concentration(s) around which your degree is structured. • You will be assigned to a senior project section which relates to your major concentration. • Your UNIV 4995 instructor has the authority to require you to modify the title and/or scope of your senior project, if deemed necessary.

5. Student Responsibilities To be eligible to register for UNIV 4995 – Senior Project, you must: • meet with your advisor one semester before you plan to graduate in order to complete a preliminary graduation summary and review your last semester’s course requirements; • be qualified to graduate in the semester in which you will enroll in the senior project; • review the Graduation Information page found at: http://www.memphis.edu/univcoll/graduationinfo.php and click on the “Intent to Graduate Form” link at the bottom of that page; • enter your Username and Password to access the Intent to Graduate form. Completion of the Intent to Graduate form will also determine into which section of the senior project you will be placed.

6. Senior Project The Senior Project is an Interdisciplinary Thesis involving researching and writing about a significant societal issue directly pertaining to your academic area(s) of study.

7. An Interdisciplinary Thesis • Your senior project must exemplify collegiate-quality work. • Plagiarism is unacceptable and will be addressed according to University of Memphis policy. • Citations, format, the “works cited” page, and punctuation must comply with a major style manual which will be selected by your instructor. • Projects must be grammatically sound and free of typographical errors.

8. An Interdisciplinary Thesis • Your senior project is an academic research paper; consequently, the following are not acceptable as projects: • Your autobiography • Your personal perspective on anything • Operational/procedural manuals • Overly-broad topics (e.g., “The Meaning of Life,” “Divorce,” “AIDS”) • “How to Become a . . . .” projects • A business plan except as an outgrowth of your research and included in an appendix.

9. An Interdisciplinary Thesis • In addition to the body of your senior project, your project must include an: • cover page, • table of contents, • appendix of attachments, • and a “works cited” page. • You may also include appendices or attachments. • The body of your senior project must be a minimum of 15 pages exclusive of the pages listed above.

10. The Senior Project is Online • UNIV 4995 – Senior Project is an online course; consequently, you must have some computer knowledge to successfully complete it. • If you do not have such knowledge, links to resources which may be helpful to you are provided in the upcoming slides.

11. eCourseware • UNIV 4995 – Senior Project will be taught solely through eCourseware. • In order to access eCourseware, you must obtain a “memphis.edu” e-mail account (a.k.a., a UUID) and a password. This must be done during the first week of classes. Please call 901.678.8888 for instructions. 

12. cCourseware If you do not log into eCourseware and access your assigned section of UNIV 4995 during the first week of classes, you may be administratively dropped from the course and be unable to graduate that semester.

13. eCourseware • To access eCourseware, go to: https://elearn.memphis.edu • If you are unfamiliar with eCourseware, you should visit: http://www.memphis.edu/ecampus/index.php • If you are enrolled in an R50 (Regents Online) section of UNIV 4995, go to: https://elearn.rodp.org

14. eCourseware • If you need assistance accessing eCourseware, you may call the Information Technology Help Desk at 901.678.8888 - a free service available 24/7. • Walk-in assistance is also available in Room 124 of the Administration Building, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

15. Words of Advice for Completing the Senior Project FOLLOW YOUR SYLLABUS TO THE LETTER! Thoroughly complete each assignment and submit them as directed to your instructor prior to the deadlines set forth in the course syllabus.

16. More Words of Advice • Log onto your UNIV 4995 course site regularly. • Work constructively, closely, courteously, and consistently with your instructor.

17. Still More Words of Advice • You should not underestimate the magnitude of the senior project or minimize its importance. • Ignoring assignments and established deadlines in the course syllabus can result in your failure to earn a grade of “C-” or better in the course. This will postpone your graduation to another semester.

18. Remember • Make and resubmit timely revisions to your project as directed by your instructor. • Communication with your instructor is a must. • Projects must be completed, properly submitted to your instructor, and graded with a grade of at least a “C-” before your graduation will be certified. This assumes all other courses required for your degree will have been successfully completed.

19. Good luck in completing your senior project!