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Advising a Senior Honors Project (HON 496)

     A Senior Honors Project (HON 496) takes place over two semesters. Usually, the emphasis in the first semester is on research; in the second, the emphasis is on writing and re-writing, hence this portion is designated with a General Education Writing (W) focus.

     The Senior Honors Project offers the student an opportunity to do independent research on a problem in your discipline. This is especially challenging for young and inexperienced researchers so we hope that you will work closely with the student, being an expert, guide, supervisor, and cheerleader as needed. You will be chief resource for all manner of questions, from those about the development of the research design, to constitution of the thesis committee and the style and format of the final product. We hope that you will find this experience rewarding, and offer a few suggestions to help you avoid some problems that have occurred in the past:
 

  • Please discuss your expectations with the student, making clear the scope of your supervision and the standards that you expect the student to meet. Be sure you are clear on the topic to be researched so that you feel comfortable and competent to advise. If you are from a discipline other that the student’s major, please be sure to reach a working agreement with Chair of that field (please see “Draft Memorandum of Understanding”).
     

  • Please make sure of your availability to the student over the two semesters of the project. We encourage regular meetings as often as needed, typically from once per week to biweekly. It is also useful to require the student complete tasks or bring specific questions each time you meet.
     

  • Please help the student specify a coherent and concise research question as soon as possible and guide their reading and research accordingly. If there is any question about the appropriateness of the scope of the project please see “Guidelines for Developing Honors Senior Honors Project (HON 496)” and/ or contact the Honors Program.
     

  • Please make sure that the student saves enough time in the second semester for writing and revision. It is important not to let research continue indefinitely as without time to draft and revise properly, the student’s written work will not do justice to the research.
     

  • Please make sure that the work is original. It should not be lifted from another course project, and it should be more or less a complete piece of research from inception to completion all under your supervision.
     

  • Please exercise your right to refuse to supervise the student if your good faith effort to maintain a mentorship relationship is not being reciprocated by the student. Please be assured that your judgment is the most important. If you have serious doubts about the quality of the project, you have the right to require further work (for example, agreeing to award an Incomplete) or of judging the thesis as “No Honors”, in which case the student graduates normally with no notation on the transcript. The Honors Council is concerned that we maintain a minimum quality while being fair to all students.

    If you have any questions at any time during the process of advising a Senior Honors Project, please contact Jon Goss, Director (jgoss@hawaii.edu; 956-5404 or the Honors Program office honors@hawaii.edu; 956-8391).