OSSISURB

just the form

To apply for an OSSISURB project:
Project coversheet - (with instructions)

Registration

Registrar's instructions for Fall 2007.

guidelines and application

To apply for an OSSISURB project:
1. Decide what you want to do! You may choose a faculty proposed research project (Research-F), develop your own research project (Research-S), develop your own Independent Study (IS) project, or develop an Olin Self-Study (OSS) project.
2. Find a faculty adviser who will agree to advise your project. For OSS, this may be your SCOPE adviser. Discuss the project, expected number of dedicated hours per week, the mentoring meeting schedule, the deliverables, and the modes of assessment for your deliverables.
3. In consultation with your project advisor, prepare a project coversheet according to these instructions. The project coversheet includes a Plan of Study and an Assessment Plan. Obtain the three required signatures and hand a paper copy to the Registrar by the end of the Add Period.
4.Register for the appropriate activity via the electronic registration system by the end of the Add Period.
5.(Optional) For Research-S projects requesting a budget (for small expenses such as materials and supplies), work with your project advisor to develop a detailed budget request. Submit an electronic copy of your proposal, along with your budget request, to ossisurb@lists.olin.edu by the end of the Add Period.

Note: A failure to complete steps 3) AND 4) before the end of the Add Period will result in your being dropped from the activity. Please read the instructions for more detailed information.

Tip #1: Writing a detailed Plan of Study can make the difference between getting off to a roaring start and wasting time trying to figure out what you are really going to do during the semester. You should include a description of your proposed work (what are you going to study/accomplish?) and a "plan of attack" (what books might you use? what sorts of experiments are necessary? how often will you meet with your project advisor?). Note that in the case of Research-F, the faculty member has already described the proposed work, however this portion of the Plan of Study is very important for Research-S, IS, and OSS. Take the time to really think about the scope of your project, what you hope to accomplish, and how you are going to attack the problem. Consider looking for preliminary references and making a timeline for your semester goals. You have two weeks to write your Plan of Study, and the time you spend writing counts towards the hours you should be spending on your OSSISURB activity. For example, during the first two weeks of classes, you should be spending approximately 24 hours on a 4-credit OSSISURB activity. So, you could spend all 24 hours on developing a detailed Plan of Study and Assessment Plan, if you and your project advisor thought it would be a useful way to begin the project.

Tip #2: Pay special attention to the Assessment Plan, since this will be used to determine your final grade. Include any deliverables, due dates, and other expectations. Discuss how much each deliverable will count towards your final grade. Research and IS are graded P/NC, while OSS is graded by a Letter.

Throughout the semester, it is expected for students to keep in close contact with the faculty members advising their OSSISURB projects. At the end of the semester, your project advisor will assign a grade, based on your agreed-upon Assessment Plan.