Welcome to the OSSISURB website,
your clearinghouse for information on
the Olin Self Study (OSS), Independent Study (IS), and
Undergraduate Research at Olin College.
Suggestions on where to start:
- Looking for OSSISURB forms?
- Trying to find out how to organize your OSS/R/IS activity?
- Trying to register for your OSS/R/IS activy?
On this page you will find:
Announcements:
28.08.2007: Registrtion information for OSS, R and IS
28.08.2007: Faculty have submitted research and OSS solicitations (see title bar for links)
05.12.20/06: Instructions for collecting OSS final reports are released: Archiving OSS Deliverables
Definitions:
Research is an optional activity that can earn between 1 and 4 degree credits of general credit or credit in a specific area (ENGR, MTH, SCI, AHSE). A research project consists of activities that produce new knowledge or synthesize existing knowledge in a new way. Research is usually taken Pass/No Credit but Research does not count in the 12–credit limit on P/NC that a student can take at Olin. Research can be initiated by faculty (Research-F) or students (Research-S) and is eligible for funding. Research-F projects are posted on the OSSISURB website during the first week of class of every semester.
Independent Study (IS) is an optional student-initiated activity that can earn between 1 and 4 degree
credits of general credit or credit in a specific area (ENGR, MTH, SCI, AHSE, etc.). IS is usually on a topic that is not regularly addressed in courses at the BBOW schools, however, the academic content and assessment plan of an IS must be comparable to a course. IS is usually taken Pass/No Credit but IS credits are not counted in the 12-credit limit on P/NC that a student can take at Olin.
The Olin Self Study (OSS) is a required four-credit self-study project in which students identify an area of interest or a question of interest, develop and follow a plan of study in pursuit of understanding important concepts in the proposed area or in pursuit of an answer to the proposed question, and write a report of the knowledge gained, applied, analyzed, synthesized, and/or evaluated through the investigation. The OSS serves to (1) develop students’ skills in working independently to learn challenging material and to tackle challenging problems; (2) develop students’ skills in independent writing; and (3) hone students’ skills and attitudes enabling life-long learning, a competency Olin considers vital for engineers working in an environment of rapidly changing technology.
The OSS advisor and student will decide the form of the final written deliverable. Some possible examples include: (1) a review article (e.g. in-depth report of the state of a field of research); (2) a thesis (e.g. explanation of chosen problem, background on previous work done on problem, description of student work on problem, conclusions); (3) a synthesis/analysis of the important ideas in the area of interest, which another student could theoretically use to learn the important concepts in a particular field; it may include definitions, examples, explanations, worked problems, and other commentary. The OSS advisor and student will decide whether the assessment plan will include any deliverables in addition to the independently written final report. For example, it may be decided to include additional deliverables such as interim papers/drafts, design reviews, laboratory notebooks, physical artifacts, oral presentations, and/or problem sets.
The 4-credits can be split over two semesters, however the credits must be devoted to one cohesive project. The OSS is taken for a letter grade. Seniors always have the option of doing their OSS in conjunction with their SCOPE project.
About OSSISURB:
Olin College is committed to providing students with meaningful academic experiences both inside and outside the classroom. The Olin Self Study, Independent Study and Undergraduate Research Board (OSSISURB) was created to promote and facilitate the application process for degree-earning academic experiences outside the classroom, including research experiences, independent studies, and the Olin Self Study. These options offer rewarding educational experiences and involve intense and productive collaborations between students and faculty.
Because OSSISURB activities are credit-bearing, they follow the same schedule as normal classes. Research, IS, and OSS activities must be added by the add date (by using the electronic registration system and by giving an OSSISURB application to the Registrar) or dropped by the drop date. Students may change the number of credits of an OSSISURB activity by the drop date. Students wishing to withdraw from an OSSISURB activity can do so by the withdraw date. Degree credit for research or independent study completed prior to Fall 2005 will not be retroactively awarded.
Olin College students have four years to fulfill all of their credit and course requirements for graduation. While independent study and research activities enhance students’ academic experience at Olin, it also places a higher burden on students to monitor their own progress and to ensure that they successfully complete credit-bearing activities, particularly those that are necessary to meet graduation requirements.
To apply for OSSISURB activities, students should be in at least their second semester and in good academic standing. Students wishing to pursue activities for non-degree credit may consider the Passionate Pursuits program.
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OSSISURB