Prentiss M. Brown
Honors Institute Handbook

Part I. Academic Requirements

A. Year by Year Academic Requirements for Honors Students

To be a student in good standing with the Honors Institute you must:

after the first year, have a college GPA of at least 3.2 and have completed two of the required four Great Issues seminars. Students whose college GPA is below 3.0 will be dropped from the Institute, while those with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.2 will be placed on probation.

after the second year, have a college GPA of at least 3.35 and have completed at least three of the required four Great Issues seminars. Students whose college GPA is below 3.2 will be dropped from the Institute,1 while those with GPAs between 3.2 and 3.35 or who have not completed at least three of the required seminars will be placed on probation.2

after the third year, have a college GPA of at least 3.45, have completed all four of the required Great Issues seminars, and have submitted a Thesis Registry form (see Appendix B) to the Honors Director. To complete the Thesis Registry form, students must previously have decided the subject and tentative title of their thesis, and have assembled a Thesis Committee consisting of an Albion faculty member to serve as Thesis Director and at least two other faculty members to serve as additional readers. Students whose college GPA is below 3.4 will be dropped from the Institute,1 while those with GPAs between 3.4 and 3.45 or who have not completed all four of the required seminars or have not submitted a Thesis Registry form will be placed on probation.2

To graduate with Albion College Honors you must have a college GPA of at least 3.5, have completed all four Honors seminars, and have completed an acceptable Honors thesis and submitted it to the Honors Committee by the required deadline (for more details on the Honors thesis see section C below and appendix A.)

The Core Curriculum for all Honors students is listed below. Part II of the Albion College curriculum requires that ALL students take a course that will introduce them to each of the following five Modes of Inquiry:
A. Textual Analysis
B. Artistic Creation and Analysis
C. Scientific Analysis
D. Modeling and Analysis
E. Historical and Cultural Analysis

Since all Honors courses fulfill a Modes of Inquiry requirement of the College’s core curriculum, Honors students can satisfy as many as four of this five-course requirement with Honors classes

• Students have two distribution options for their four Honors courses. They may take courses: a. that count for four different Modes of Inquiry from at least three different divisions of the college

Or
b. from all four divisions of the college that count for at least three different Modes of Inquiry.

• All courses to meet the Honors Core must be taken for a numerical grade.

To guide Honors students in their selection of Great Issues courses, the following numbering system is used:

HSP 12xH -- Natural Science & Math HSP 1x1H -- Textual Analysis
HSP 13xH -- Humanities HSP 1x2H -- Artistic Creation and Analysis
HSP 15xH -- Social Sciences HSP 1x3H -- Scientific Analysis
HSP 17xH -- Fine Arts HSP 1x4H -- Modeling and Analysis
HSP 1x5H -- Historical and Cultural Analysis

B. The Honors (HSP) Seminars

As an Honors student, you must take four special Honors seminars, each one satisfying a different Mode of Inquiry. These seminars are designed to provide you with a broad interdisciplinary introduction to each mode. Although each Honors professor is free to create his or her own unique seminar, all seminars have some common characteristics designed to appeal to broad-based students like yourself who value independent thought and who possess academic maturity and discipline. First, all are interdisciplinary in nature. They challenge you to think beyond the normal bounds of disciplinary study and to see the interconnections between different disciplines. Second, all seminars require an extensive amount of reading, writing, and class discussion. You are encouraged to think for yourself, to formulate your own ideas about the material, and to stand ready to defend and modify your ideas as you interact with your fellow students both in class and in out-of-class computer network discussion groups. Third, your grades in HSP classes are based primarily on the quality of your class discussions and written work, not on traditional examinations.

The following is a brief description of each of the four Honors seminars.

HSP 11xH Great Issues in Science (1) Fall, Spring

A seminar for Honors Institute students in which they read and discuss classic and modern works in the history, philosophy, methodology and ethics of science and technology. All seminars fulfill one of the Modes of Inquiry requirements of the College’s core curriculum.

HSP 13xH Great Issues in Humanities (1) Fall, Spring
A seminar for Honors Institute students in which they read and discuss classic and modern works of philosophers and humanists. All seminars fulfill one of the Modes of Inquiry requirements of the College’s core curriculum.

HSP 15xH Great Issues in Social Science (1) Fall, Spring
A seminar for Honors institute students in which they read and discuss classic and modern works on methodology, philosophy and policy issues in the social sciences. All seminars fulfill one of the Modes of Inquiry requirements of the College’s core curriculum.

HSP 17xH Great Issues in Fine Arts (1) Fall, Spring
A seminar for Honors institute students in which they explore, through representative readings, exhibits, concerts, performances and lectures, major issues in the development of the fine arts: the relationship between the artist and society, the evolution of critical theory in the arts, and the nature of creativity. Individual courses may focus on the visual arts, music, theater, film or dance. All seminars fulfill one of the Modes of Inquiry requirements of the College’s core education curriculum.

C. The Honors Thesis

The following section has been freely adapted from chapter 16 of Getting What You Came For by Robert Peters. You can find a copy of the original book in the Honors Center Library.

What is an Honors Thesis? An honors thesis is a piece of original research or creative activity that adds to the general body of knowledge in a discipline or to the body of work in the creative arts. Originality may mean that the thesis tries to uncover new facts or principles, suggest relationships that were previously unrecognized, challenge existing truths or assumptions, afford new insights into little understood phenomena, or suggest new interpretations of known facts.

For many students, the word originality in conjunction with their thesis produces a kind of paralysis. How can I do anything original? Knowledge is something that I have always been trained to acquire from others, not produce on my own! But, originality does NOT mean that you must come up with a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize-winning research idea or creation. Most original work builds upon similar work done by other previous researchers or artists. For example, if a sociology student comes across an interesting study on the effects of long-term unemployment on family structure in a large city like Detroit, her original research might consist of using the same techniques to study the effects of unemployment in a small town such as Albion. Similarly, using existing artistic techniques to examine new subject matter such as the autobiographical details of a student’s own life would add an original element to the creative thesis project.

If you chose to do a research-based thesis, it may help if you think of the thesis as the answer to a research question rather than as just a written report on research. To begin the process of writing a thesis, you must therefore begin by finding a thesis question, i.e., a question that is intriguing enough that you are willing to take a year or so in answering it. Thinking of questions will help you to see the thesis as the outgrowth of an investigational process. You begin with a major question, develop subordinate questions that help you answer it, and plan, refine and carry out research to answer these questions.

When Should I Start Looking for My Thesis Topic? Although most Honors students begin the formal preparation for writing their thesis at the beginning of their junior year, the sooner you begin to search for a thesis topic, the better. So, start looking for a thesis topic right now. If you start the process of search right away, you can begin to generate thesis ideas from your classes, the books and articles you read, and your discussions with professors. You never know what stray bit of information -- such as a teacher mentioning in class that "little is known about this subject" -- may lead you to a topic. Only if you are thinking about doing research will you be receptive to thesis ideas when they are presented. Also, as you begin generating ideas about possible thesis topics, it is a good practice to start a thesis idea file.

The advantage of identifying a topic early in your academic career is that you can then take additional courses to prepare you for actually doing the thesis. You can also turn class term papers into preliminary explorations of parts of your research topic and have the option of planning your off-campus experience with your Honors thesis research in mind. Finally, you can apply to Albion’s own Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (FURSCA) for summer support so that you can stay on campus during the summer to work one-on-one with your faculty mentor on your research or creative project.

How Do I Find a Thesis Topic? Since most original research or creative activity builds upon similar work done by others, one way to come up with possible thesis topics is to study other theses, papers or other works in areas that interest you. Thus, a good way to get a perspective on writing a thesis is to go to the Honors Library and examine the theses of recent Honors graduates in the area(s) in which you are thinking of working. While investigating, it is a good idea to notice not only the themes but also the structure of the theses, their length and organization. Check to see which professors served on the thesis committees to get ideas about whom you might ask to be on yours. Note that some theses will be of better quality than others, and you can use the best as models. Finally, look to see if any of the theses have won the Edmund and Kathleen Jenkins Award, given to the best theses written in any given year.

In many fields, particularly the sciences, a professor may suggest a piece of his or her own research for your thesis. In the humanities or fine arts, where research or creation is usually an individual effort, many students still end up doing theses suggested by advisors. Therefore, instead of thinking of yourself as Einstein or Picasso, think of yourself as an apprentice, learning techniques and ways of thinking from your advisor and other professors. Use your professors. Ask for help early in the thesis development process. Tell them you want to get a head start on identifying a thesis area. Ask them what are the hot areas in their field, and what were the best theses written in the past few years. Do they have projects connected with their own research or creative activity that would make good theses?

Don't worry if, before you start actively searching for a topic, nothing seems to interest you. Interest seldom emerges from thinking about topics in a vacuum. Students have an amazing ability to become interested in almost anything once they are working on it.

Finally, several off-campus programs may be of relevance for Honors students who are looking for research projects that can then be brought back to campus and used as the basis for their Honors thesis. Two that have proven to be of particular help to Honors students are the Newberry Library Program for students in the humanities and social sciences, and the Oak Ridge Program for students in the sciences and social sciences. Descriptions of these programs may be found in Appendix C.

What is the Thesis Development Colloquy? The Thesis Development Colloquy is a ¼ unit seminar that is taught each semester and is open to Honors juniors and second semester sophomores. The purpose of the colloquy is to guide you through the process of finding and developing a thesis topic and of assembling a thesis committee. Honors sophomores and juniors who register for the Colloquy may take up to 4¾ units in the semester in which they are enrolled without additional tuition charge. Although this seminar is not required of all Honors students, it is strongly recommended for Honors students who by the first semester of their junior year have not yet come up with a thesis topic on their own.

What Should I Know about Forming and Working with a Thesis Committee? Once you have found a thesis topic, it is time to assemble your thesis committee. This committee consists of your thesis advisor, i.e., the Albion faculty member with whom you will work most closely in researching and writing your thesis, and two other Albion instructors who will serve as additional readers. Also, you are encouraged to find, with the help of your committee, an off-campus reviewer for the thesis. When such a reviewer is used, his or her comments will be for your use only and will play no role in determining the acceptability of your thesis.

After you have formed your committee, you must file a Thesis Registry form with the Honors coordinator with the signatures of each committee member. The deadline for filing this form is April 30 of your junior year (or September 15 of your senior year, if you are off campus second semester junior year). If, subsequently, you decide to make a change in your committee, a revised Thesis Registry form must be filed.

In forming your committee, you would do well to consider the following advice. When possible, pick faculty members with whom you believe you can establish a comfortable working relation and would be supportive of your efforts -- professors you already know through classroom or other contacts. Also, talk to Honors seniors who are writing in your area for advice in forming a committee. Finally, go to the Honors library to see which faculty have directed successful theses in your area before.

When writing your thesis, it is your responsibility to keep in contact with all members of your committee, not just your thesis advisor. All committee members will want to make sure that the final product meets their own standards for quality before they approve the final draft even though they may never have insisted that you communicate with them during the writing process. It is up to you to hand them drafts of thesis sections as you produce them and to solicit their suggestions for improvement. If you do so, you will not only end up with a higher quality final thesis product, but you will also insure that there are no unpleasant surprises at the end. If you do not keep contact with your committee and instead surprise them with a final draft of your thesis two weeks before the deadline, they may in turn surprise you with demands for substantial revisions that may be difficult or even impossible to complete in the time that remains.

What is the Time Frame and the Credit for Writing a Thesis? You will normally begin serious research or creation for your thesis by the second semester of your junior year by enrolling for ½ units of Honors Thesis credit (HSP 422H) under the supervision of your thesis advisor. The research and writing process then continues during your senior year when you will normally enroll for an additional ½ to 1 unit of thesis writing credit each semester. In the semesters that you register for thesis writing credit, you may take up to 5 total units of classes without additional tuition charge. The deadline for thesis completion is April 1 for May graduates and December 1 for December graduates.

What Forums are there for Presenting Thesis Results? Each year in the middle of April, the Elkin Isaac Student Research Symposium is held in which students have the opportunity to report the results of their research or creation to the College community. While there is no formal requirement that you present the results of your thesis at this symposium, you are strongly encouraged to do so. Also, some departments may ask their thesis writers to present their results at a department meeting or at a regional meeting of one of their discipline-related societies. FURSCA funds are available to support off-campus research presentations.

Is There Any Special Recognition that Comes from Writing an Honors Thesis? Each year the Honors Committee selects one or more Honors theses of particular merit and recognizes their authors by awarding them the Edmund L. and Kathleen M. Jenkins Award. If you are selected for this award, you will have your name inscribed on a permanent plaque in the Honors Center and also receive a substantial monetary award. Also, all students who successfully complete a thesis and the other requirements of the Honors Institute, are recognized at commencement and on their diploma with the special designation: graduation "with Albion College Honors."

**Special Instructions for Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects

Albion College is committed to the ethical treatment of all human research participants who take part in research conducted by its faculty, staff and students. All research that involves the use of human research participants (e.g., interviews, experiments, questionnaires) MUST receive prior approval from the college's Institutional Review Board (IRB). Additional information, including an IRB protocol review form, can be found at: http://www.albion.edu/research/research_board.asp.

Additionally, Albion College is committed to the humane and proper care of all animals used in teaching and research. The College endorses the guidelines of the Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare as specified in the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Additional information, including Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) applications for animal use can be found at: http://www.albion.edu/psychology/iacuc/IACUC.htm.

Part II. Other Institute Information

A. The Prentiss M. Brown Honors Center and its Use

The Honors Center is located on the first and second floors of the Observatory. However, the telescope room on the third floor is not part of the Honors Center. The first floor of the Observatory is known as the Werner Library. During the day this room serves as an Honors classroom while after hours it is used for Honors events such as Coffees Hours and guest speakers and also as a study lounge for Honors students. The second floor contains an Honors thesis library, a student computer room, and the offices for the Director/Associate Director and for the Honors coordinator. The Honors Coordinator’s office is normally open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Honors Center is for the exclusive use of Honors Institute students, their guests, and the Honors faculty. Non-honors students may use this facility only when invited by a member of the Honors Institute or when given explicit permission by the Honors Coordinator.

As an Honors student, your Albion ID card will open the doors to the first floor classroom and the second floor library thus giving 24 hours a day, seven days a week access to the Honors Center. Your ID will continue to afford you access to the Center as long as you remain a member of the Institute.

The exterior doors of the Honors Center are unlocked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday during the academic year, except during college holidays. Your ID card will provide you with access to the Honors Center after hours and on weekends. The card unlocks the east-facing exterior door as well as the interior doors to the thesis library on the second floor. If you are working late at night, Campus Safety will provide escort service to and from the Center if you wish. You can request this service by dialing extension 1234.

Other rules for the use of the Honors Center:

1. The water and other beverages in the Honors classroom are supplied for use only in the Honors Center. Please do not use the water cooler fill your water bottle or remove the beverage packets from the Center.

2. No alcoholic beverages may be stored or consumed in the Honors Center.

3. Each time you use the Honors Center you are responsible for maintaining its cleanliness and security, and its usefulness to other students.

4. For security reasons, please do not leave the outer door to the Observatory open once it has been locked after 4 p.m.

5. Non-Honors groups may use the Honors Center only with special permission. Such permission must be obtained in advance from the Honors Coordinator.
6. Before entering the first floor classroom, please make sure that you are not interrupting a class or a meeting in progress. A schedule of classroom use is posted on the classroom doorway and also appears on the Honors website.

B. Student Honors Council

The duties of the Honors Council include planning all social activities and providing student input and advice to the Honors Director and the Honors Committee on any proposed changes in courses, instructors, policies, or activities for the Honors Institute.

Meetings are held weekly. Check the Honors website for time and location. All meetings are open and you are invited to attend whenever you wish.

Membership on the Council is currently open to any Honors student who wishes to serve. If there is not enough representation from any Honors class, the Honors Director will try to recruit new Council members from that class. The Honors Director and Associate Director are also members of the Council and the Director serves as its chair.

The Council designates a secretary to take minutes at each meeting. These minutes are available on the Honors website for your inspection.

C. Faculty Honors Committee

The duties of the Honors Committee include participation in the selection of new students for the Honors Institute, reviewing the academic standing of students already in the Honors Institute, formally approving all Honors theses, meeting when necessary with the Honors Council to hear student ideas concerning the direction of the Institute, serving as academic advisors for first-year Honors students, and reviewing and recommending to the Educational Policy Committee any necessary changes in the Honors Institute curriculum, program and policies.

Members of the Committee consist of four faculty members, one from each of the four curricular divisions, who have had some current or past experience with the Honors Institute; the Associate Director; the Director who serves as chair; and an ex officio representative from the Academic Dean’s Office. Meetings are called at the discretion of the Honors Director and are held in the Werner Library.

D. Student Mentor Program

The Honors Institute runs a program each year which pairs each first-year Honors student with an upper-class Honors mentor. Mentors are recruited each April for the following year and are matched with an incoming student in early summer. Mentors are expected to contact their students before they arrive on campus in the fall to answer any questions they may have about the Honors Institute and about College life in general. Also, in the fall, mentors are responsible for introducing their peers to other upper-class Honors students during social events such as the welcoming Honors picnic and for acquainting them with the customs and culture of the Honors Institute.

E. Other Institute Activities

Honors Coffee Hours These events are scheduled in late afternoon, in the Werner Library on the first floor of the Observatory. The Coffees serve several functions. First, they are a social gathering in which you can interact informally with your fellow students and with your Honors instructors. Second, during many of these Hours, faculty members or outside visitors are invited to chat informally about their research interests and how these interests developed. These sessions are designed to get you to think about your own research interests and what a career as a scholar might look like. Finally, Coffee Hours provide a space for informal fun where, for example, you can challenge the Honors instructors to a game of Trivial Pursuit.

The Midnight Dessert This traditional Honors event is held at the end of each semester on the Thursday evening after the last day of classes. It offers Honors students an opportunity to defuse some of the stress surrounding final examinations by taking a study break with other students, feasting on elegant desserts and playing games or watching some lighthearted videos.

Welcome Back Dinner Early in the spring semester a dinner is held where our newly-admitted Honors students are introduced and students returning from their off-campus experiences have a chance to share their adventures with other Honors students.

Field Trips Each semester, all Honors students are invited to participate in an Honors field trip. These trips are usually sponsored by one of the HSP Fine Arts seminars and take students on exciting off-campus cultural outings. In recent semesters, Honors students and instructors have enjoyed field trips to see Kiss Me Kate, and to Chicago to visit museums and art galleries.

Lectures From time to time in cooperation with other campus groups, the Institute brings to Albion important outside speakers. In addition to attending the evening lectures given by these speakers, you will often have access to these distinguished visitors in your HSP seminar, during special receptions or over lunch or dinner.

The Prentiss M. Brown Common Reading Experience Each semester, the Honors Institute offers a Common Reading Experience for its students and for interested faculty. The experience not only gives students a chance to read and discuss important and controversial books, but also to meet their authors, whom we invite to campus so that Honors students can sit down with them and exchange ideas.

First-Year Retreat In order to orient new students to the traditions and culture of Honors and to give them the chance to bond with other members of their class, we hold an overnight retreat at the beginning of each new academic year.

Honors Formal For the last four years the Honors students decided to hold an Honors Formal. In 2001, A riverboat was rented and 50 Honors students and dates spent four hours in March rocking to the music of a great deejay while cruising up and down the Grand River. The last two years it was held at Bella Notte Restaurant, they offered delicious food and dancing. The Honors Council is responsible for planning social events like the formal.

2001 Formal Participants

Prentiss M. Brown Honors Institute Travel Policy
Travel is a normal part of active participation in the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Institute. Honors seminars often include a field trip activity to augment the educational mission of the course. Participation in our cultural field trips and other co-curricular activities often requires travel from campus. As such, it is expected that all students who participate in such experiences will abide by the Expectations for Behavior of Individuals and Groups defined in the Albion College Student Handbook.
The Honors Director and the Coordinator for the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Institute must be given sufficient notice of intended travel for educational or co-curricular needs. The office must have a list of students who are traveling and a copy of our emergency contact information form for each participant. This form can be obtained from the Honors Coordinator. A copy of this form will be kept in the office and a second copy will travel with the instructor or leader.

Leader Responsibilities
Professional behavior is expected of all persons leading travel from Albion College’s campus. Leaders have the responsibility to:

1. work with the Honors Office to make sure the paperwork, including all required forms, are completed prior to travel. Copies of the emergency contact information forms for each participant should be carried by the leader on this trip.
2. provide each student with explicit information about departure times and meeting places, if the group will be separated during travel. Included in that information should be maps, cell phone numbers and any other pertinent data that students might need. This information should be in writing and a copy should be given to each participant.
3. remain at the destination until all students have gathered to return to Albion College.

Student Responsibilities
In addition to those included in the Albion College Student Handbook, students are expected to:
1. complete the emergency contact information sheet with current and accurate information. Students must provide a cell phone number where they can be reached in case of separation or emergency. If a student does not possess a cell phone, they are required to travel with a colleague who is carrying one. It is recommended that you add the leader’s cell phone number to your cell’s electronic phonebook.
2. be street smart. Be aware of your surroundings. Do not do anything that will draw unnecessary attention to you or open you up to possible injury.
3. be punctual. The entire group who is traveling with you is inconvenienced by your tardiness.
4. ask questions. Pay attention to the directions issued by the leader. It is your responsibility to seek clarification about the materials provided.

Expenses (fines, additional travel expenses, etc.) that accrue as a result of irresponsible behavior will become the responsibility of the student.

Appendix A
Directions for Preparation and Submission of an Honors Thesis

In order to complete the Honors Institute program and graduate with "Albion College Honors," all Honors students must write an Honors thesis. The Honors Committee, with the approval of the Educational Policy Committee, has established the following guidelines for an Honors Institute thesis.

A. Getting Started

1. You must submit a Thesis Registry Form (see page 24) to the Honors Coordinator no later than April 30 of your junior year if you plan to graduate either in May or August of the following year. For December graduation the corresponding deadline is February 28. On the form, you will indicate the tentative title of your thesis and obtain the signatures of each of your thesis committee members.

2. Each thesis committee must consist of at least three Albion College faculty members: a primary thesis advisor and at least two additional readers. Ideally, your committee should include at least one faculty member whose expertise is in an area different from your major or thesis topic. The Honors Director will review your thesis committee and must approve any subsequent changes to the committee.

3. Although April 30 (February 28) is the deadline for submission of the Registry Form, you are strongly encouraged to pick a thesis topic and committee, submit your Registry Form, and begin work on your thesis long before this deadline.

B. Student and Thesis Committee Responsibilities

1. Your thesis must be reviewed in progress and in final form by your entire thesis committee. It is your responsibility to work with all members of your thesis committee, not just your thesis advisor, and to keep all committee members informed of your progress by meeting with and regularly submitting to them written drafts of your work for comments and suggestions.

2. The bibliographic form and specific thesis format will be determined by your thesis committee.

3. The primary responsibility for the evaluation of the Honors Thesis rests with your thesis committee. For spring semester graduation, their recommendation in unanimous or majority form must be forwarded for final approval to the Honors Committee by April 12. If you have a disagreement with your thesis committee's evaluation, this must be put in writing and submitted to the Honors Director no later than April 12.

4. If credit is given for work on your thesis during your graduation semester, the grade will represent an evaluation of the final product. A minimum grade of 3.3 is required for your thesis to be acceptable as an Honors Institute Thesis. If the grade is 3.0, you can still graduate with Departmental Honors but not Albion College Honors. If the grade is lower than 3.0, the units involved will be treated simply as units toward graduation and you will not receive any Honors designation upon graduation.

5. Your thesis committee members will indicate their approval of your thesis for Albion College Honors by signing an Honors Thesis Approval form (see page 20) by the April 1 deadline.2. If your committee members approve your thesis only for Departmental Honors they will indicate this by signing a Departmental Honors Thesis approval form (a copy of which is available from the Honors Director.) If your committee members believe that your work does not merit Honors, they will not sign either form.

6. If thesis credit is given prior to the graduation semester, evaluation may be in the form of either a numerical grade for the work accomplished during that semester or a grade of P (work in progress) if it is not possible to evaluate the research project until its completion.

7. Each committee is encouraged to find an off-campus reviewer for the thesis. When this is done, the reviewer's comments will be only for your personal benefit and will not be part of the "acceptance" aspect of the thesis.

C. Final Deadlines and Requirements

1. There are two deadlines that students must observe in submitting a finished Honors thesis for spring graduation.

a. First, by 5 p.m. on April 11 or the first working day thereafter, you must submit to the Honors Coordinator a copy of your Thesis Approval Form (see page 20 below) with the signatures of your committee members. The Coordinator’s office is located on the second floor of the Observatory.

b. Second, by 5 p.m. on April 7 or the first working day thereafter, you must submit at least two final copies of the thesis to the Honors Coordinator.

Failure to meet these deadlines will result in the thesis not being accepted for Honors for the
impending commencement. It is your responsibility to see that these deadlines are met.
2. The thesis submitted to the Honors Committee for final approval must be in final form, free of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors. Any thesis that does not meet these standards will be returned, and, if the April 7 deadline has passed, will be rejected.

3. You are strongly encouraged to present the results of your thesis at Albion's annual Elkin Isaac Research Symposium.

D. Postponing Graduation to Complete a Thesis

If you have enough units to graduate in May (December) but are unable to meet the April 1 (December 1) deadline for completion of your Honors Thesis, you may elect to postpone your graduation for one semester in order to complete your thesis, provided that you:

1. obtain the written permission of your thesis committee and submit it to the Honors Director in a timely manner. A form for this purpose is available from the Honors Coordinator.

2. complete your thesis no later than the following August (April), if you complete all your other graduation requirements in May (December). You will then graduate with Albion College Honors after the Summer (Spring) semester.

3. enroll for ½ units of thesis writing credit for this final semester.

E. Thesis Writing Mechanics

Beyond the general guidelines above, you must follow these additional instructions in preparing two copies of your final draft for submission to the Honors Committee.

1. Word Processing. The thesis must be typed on a personal computer using word processing software so that the final draft can be printed on a laser printer. Personal computers and software that are adequate for this purpose are available in all computer laboratories on campus. The Instructional Technology office, in the basement of Ferguson Building, provides instruction for both beginners and advanced users on special word processing features that are particularly useful for writing a thesis.

2. Typeface. The text of the thesis must be printed in a clearly readable 12-point typeface. Exotic forms of type, such as “script,” are not acceptable.

3. Paper and Printing. The first two copies of the thesis submitted to the Honors Committee must be laser printed on the paper that the Honors Institute will supply to you. You may obtain this paper from the Honors Coordinator whose office is located on the second floor of the Observatory. Any of the high-speed laser printers located in the computer labs or department offices on campus is of sufficient quality for printing your final thesis copies.

4. Color Printing. The Instructional Technology (IT) office has a color laser printer available in the new 24-hour Computer Lab located in the basement of the Ferguson Building. However, we strongly recommend that if you intend to include color pages in your thesis that you allow the IT office to assist you in printing these pages. (Remember that each color page you print will use up 6 units of your print quota.) To get the assistance you need,
a. contact the IT office well ahead of time to set up an appointment by sending an email message to reservations@albion.edu).
b. work with an Instructional Technologist to do the actual printing (you can't just drop off your thesis and leave--you will need to monitor the printing yourself).
c. obtain the acid-free paper you will need from the Honors Coordinator before your printing appointment.

5. Figures and Graphs. Figures, graphs, and illustrations may be created using computer drawing software and laser printed along with the rest of the thesis or may be drawn directly by hand on the same acid-free paper used in the rest of the thesis. If figures are hand drawn, photocopies of the original illustrations may be used for the second thesis copy submitted to the Honors Committee but the originals of all figures, graphs and illustrations must be included with the first copy. This original will be bound at library expense and will become a permanent part of the Albion College Library's Collection. The second copy will be bound at the expense of the Honors Institute and permanently housed in the Honors Center Library.

6. Binding Personal Thesis Copies. You may have as many additional copies of your thesis bound for your personal use as you like. Additional copies will be bound at cost (as of this writing $4.00 for comb binding and $10 for hardcover binding). All binding costs must be paid in advance. If you graduate in May and your personal thesis copies are submitted by the April 7 deadline, they will be back from the bindery and distributed to you before graduation. If you submit your personal copies for binding later than April 7 or for December or August graduation, they will be returned to you by mail.

7. Title and Thesis Approval Pages. You must follow the required form for the title page and for the two approval sheets. Samples of these pages are provided on pages 7-8-9.

8. Margins. Carefully observe all margins: 1½ inches at the left, 1 inch on the top, bottom and right. A top margin of 1½ inches must be used for the first page of the text, and for pages beginning new sections or chapters. Make sure all graphs and figures are drawn or reduced by a photocopier so they fall within these same text margins.

9. Page Numbering.
a. Begin separate sections or chapters on a new page, unless your thesis committee's
directions are based on a system, such as for submission for a particular journal,
where this is not done.
b. Assign a number to each page, even though a number might not appear on that
page, (e.g., in the case of a title page or a page beginning a new chapter or section.)
c. Use lowercase roman numerals (e.g., ii or iv) for all pages preceding the main text. Pages preceding the main text are normally such items as "Prefaces," "Tables of Content," "Acknowledgments," and the Title Page. However, the two Thesis Approval sheets are not considered a part of the thesis and therefore are not given a number.
d. Use Arabic numbers for the main text.

10. Line Spacing. Double space the text throughout except for long quotations, or in the case of tables and figures where a discipline's customary writing style so allows.

11. Other Questions. Any other technical questions concerning the acceptability of the production of the two final thesis copies submitted to the Honors Committee should be discussed in advance with the Honors Director.

12. Writing Guides. Finally, remember that a high standard of accuracy and clarity in written expression is expected. When in doubt about style or form, consult with your thesis advisor and/or a standard manual of style such as A Manual for Writers, Turabian; Harbrace's College Handbook, or The MLA Style Sheet.

F. Final Thesis Submission Procedures

1. Each of the thesis copies that you submit for binding must be enclosed in a separate manila envelope. These envelopes may be picked up from the Honors Coordinator.

2. On each thesis envelope, write your name, copy number (#1, # 2, # 3, etc.), and binding instructions (hardcover or comb bound). Copy #1 is required. It goes to the Library and must be on the provided paper. Copy #2 is required. It goes to the Honors Thesis library and must be on provided paper. Copies #1 and #2 will be hard bounded at the college's own expense. Copies #3 and beyond are optional and are for your own purposes. They may be on any kind of paper you wish. We will bind them for you and, when they are ready, return them to you or to whomever you designate on each envelope.

3. Print one extra copy of your cover page. Place it on the outside of your copies of the Library/Honors copy. (Note that your title page must contain your first, middle and last names.) The original cover pages should be placed inside the envelopes.

4. The copies of your thesis for the Library and for the Honors Institute must contain the two Thesis Approval forms.
a. Make sure that your committee members have signed the first Thesis Approval forms. Place these sheets under the title page inside each envelope.
b. The Coordinator will get the signatures of the Academic Dean & the Honors
Director on the second Thesis Approval forms. Instead, just place the unsigned
forms on top of the appropriate envelopes.

5. You must pick up a Thesis Release Form from the Honors Coordinator, fill it out, and include it on top of the Library packet under the extra cover page. This form gives or denies the Library permission to make copies, in part or in whole, of your thesis for scholarly purposes.

6. Be sure to double check each thesis to make sure that all pages, including title, approval, diagram and text pages are in the correct order.

7. Remember to bring a check or exact cash to pay for your personal thesis binding costs at the time you turn your thesis in to the Honors Coordinator.

[SAMPLE TITLE PAGE. The margins for the title page must be as follows: left margin 1½ inches, right margin 1 inch, top margin 2½ inches. For the bottom margin, the words “Albion College” must appear 3 inches from the bottom of the page.]

CENTER TITLE IN CAPS
(If title has more than one line, double space between lines.)
(4 spaces)

A Thesis submitted for Albion College Honors
(4 spaces)

Your Complete Name

April 1, 2007
(2 spaces)

Albion College

[SAMPLE APPROVAL SHEET NUMBER ONE. The margins for this approval sheet must be as follows: left margin 1½ inches, right margin 1 inch, top margin 2½ inches.]

Doe, John. Thin-layered chromatographic analysis of amino-acid derivatives.
(2 spaces)

This certifies that the thesis here submitted to the Honors Committee has been supervised and read critically by the undersigned who recommend that the thesis be accepted as fulfilling the requirements of the Albion College Honors Institute.
(3 spaces)

___________________________________
Dr. Jane Smith, Thesis Advisor
Professor of XXXX
(3 spaces)

______________________________
Dr. Robert Jones, Committee Member
Professor of XXXX
(3 spaces)

___________________________________
Dr. Richard Roe, Committee Member
Associate Professor of XXXX
(3 spaces)

___________________________________
Dr. Margaret Reno, Committee Member
Assistant Professor of XXXX
(3 spaces)

___________________________________
Dr. Samuel Johnson, Outside Reader
Professor of XXXX
University of XXXXX

[SAMPLE APPROVAL SHEET NUMBER TWO. The margins for this approval sheet must be as follows: left margin 1½ inches, right margin 1 inch, top margin 2½ inches.]

Doe, John. Thin-layered chromatographic analysis of amino-acid derivatives.
(2 spaces)

This thesis, submitted by John Doe for Albion College Honors, has been approved by the Honors Committee.
(3 spaces)

___________________________________________
Dr. Gene Cline, Honors Director
(3 spaces)

___________________________________________
Dr. Royal Ward, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Appendix B
Off-Campus Programs of Particular Relevance for Doing Thesis Research

1. The Newberry Library Program in the Humanities -- Humanities and Social Science
Chicago, Illinois
Fall Semester

The Newberry Library Program in the Humanities offers Albion College Honors students a unique opportunity to conduct original research, commence or complete their Honors theses, and live for a semester in one of the nation's great cities. Located in the near north of Chicago, the Newberry Library is one of the nation's greatest independent research libraries, providing students in the humanities and social sciences an educational experience unavailable on their home campuses. As "student fellows," students participate in an intensive team taught seminar and conduct their own research using the Newberry Library's rich collections. They work alongside 14-18 peers from the 27 ACM GLCA college consortia, and they are guided by the Newberry's first rate staff of reference librarians.

Newberry Program participants receive a full four units of academic credit for their work. In consultation with their academic advisers and their Newberry professors, students can distribute these units in one or more departments, depending on the specific project they undertake. For instance, a student writing a thesis on some aspect of the Federal Reserve Bank could conceivably receive credits in economics, history, and political science for their thesis as long as the thesis makes use of the methodologies and bodies of knowledge of these three disciplines. Similarly, a student interested in contemporary American women poets could seek credits in English, psychology, and women's studies.

For those students who enjoy intellectual challenges, who want to explore a topic in depth, who want to explore the rich cultural life of Chicago, the Newberry Program in the Humanities is worth a serious look. For more information, contact Professor Jim Diedrick, in the English department.

2. The Oak Ridge Science Semester -- Science, Social Science
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Fall Semester

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a large, multidisciplinary research and development center whose primary mission is basic research in the physical and life sciences, and applied research and engineering development in energy technologies and conservation. The Oak Ridge Semester enables students to join ongoing investigations at ORNL and to use the sophisticated resources available at the Laboratory, including supercomputers and state-of-the-art analytical instruments. The applications of accepted students are sent to one or more research groups whose interests are similar to those of the student. Students are expected to devote at least 35 hours per week to research on a specific project, with a scientist from the ORNL serving as a mentor. In addition, students are required to participate in an interdisciplinary seminar and choose an advance academic course from among a variety of options. The academic program is enriched in informal ways by guest speakers, department colloquia, and the special interests and expertise of the ORNL staff.

Current research fields supported at Oak Ridge include:
Biology Research on the genetic, cytological, biochemical, biophysical, pathological and physiological effects of radiation and chemicals. Also, extensive environmental research.
Chemistry Research in all major branches of chemistry including nuclear, organic and inorganic.
Physics Research in nearly all phases of physics with particular emphasis on nuclear, solid state and plasma physics.
Interdisciplinary Science Studies Research includes studies in geology, materials science, health physics, biochemical and biophysics activities, energy use and development studies, and the environmental sciences.
Social Sciences Research and projects include urban development, the sitting of power plants, environmental impact statements, attitudinal studies, and energy resource supply-and-demand analyses.

For more information on science research at Oak Ridge, contact Dr. Dan Steffenson, Chemistry. For social science research, contact Dr. Dan Christiansen, Economics.

THESIS REGISTRY FORM: HONORS INSTITUTE

Name___________________________________Anticipated Graduation Semester_____________

Campus Address___________________________________________Campus Phone___________

Department Thesis will be written under

Primary Major___________________________Secondary Major___________________________

First Minor______________________________Second Minor______________________________

Concentration(s)__________________________________________________________________

Tentative Title of Thesis (Please Print):________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Principal Advisor______________________ _________________________ __ _ _____ _
(Signature) (Please Print Name) Department

Committee Member_____________________ _________________________ ___ ___ __ _ __
(Signature) (Please Print Name) Department

Committee Member_____________________ _________________________ __ ___ __ ____
(Signature) (Please Print Name) Department

I understand that if my research involves human or animal participants that my research protocol must be reviewed and approved by the IRB or the IACUC, respectively. Details can be found in the Guidelines for Preparation and Submission of (Departmental) Honors Theses.
______________ Initials here

List by semester the number of units you have taken already or expect to take for work on the thesis.

Fall 20____ Units____; Spr 20____ Units____; Fall 20____ Units____; Spr 20____ Units____

Note: In each semester that you sign up for HSP 422H thesis writing credit, you must complete a separate, lilac-colored Honor Thesis form for the Registrar.

List below the Great Issues Courses you have taken or are currently taking. Semester/Year/Instructor

Humanities _______________________________ Science__________________________________

Social Sciences____________________________ Fine Arts____ ____________________________

Return this form to the Honors Coordinator, Observatory 2nd floor, Extension 0614. Revised 6/06