TO:  Students wanting to do independent study with me
FROM:  Stephen Chilton
SUBJECT:  What I look for and expect

OUTLINE:

• Department policy
• Criteria for my [SPC's] participating
• My expectations of myself
• My expectations of you

DEPARTMENT POLICY

• Here is the Political Science Department's policy statement about independent study, along with guidelines for the student.
• [To paraphrase certain important parts of this policy:]  Note particularly that independent study is not provided:
  • to solve scheduling problems or conflicts resulting from poor planning;
  • to circumvent the core offerings of the Department or avoid taking a regularly scheduled offering which is appropriate to the student's program;
  • to solve scheduling problems or conflicts resulting from changes in majors, minors, or programs offered in other units of the University.

CRITERIA FOR MY PARTICIPATING

• Let me say right off that I am extremely reluctant to do independent study courses.  In my experience, independent study courses don't turn out well for the student.  Unless you are both interested in your work and disciplined about it, you will wind up disappointed.  And since your success is an important reason for me to participate with you, I lose too.
• Independent study courses take time for me as well as you.  Not only do I need to take the time for the meetings themselves;  I also need to take time to think and read enough about the subject to be helpful to you.  I therefore need to be interested in the topic you propose, and I must believe that I'll learn something important to me from it..
• We must be able to agree on a regular schedule to meet.  This will usually be an hour a week.  We must also be able to agree on the expectations I have of you and you have of me.  We will need to put these down in writing on a form the department provides for this.

MY EXPECTATIONS OF MYSELF

• I will be available to you at the time we agreed on.  If I am unable to meet at the agreed-upon time, I will contact you (insofar as I am able) by phone, email, or — worst — by a message left on my door.
• I will answer your questions (doing extra preparation if necessary) and guide your study as you need it. This guidance will be in the form of suggestions, not orders. Even though I do ultimately have to grade what you produce, this is still your project.
• I will grade you not on whether you agree with me but whether you have done careful research and backed up your conclusions well.  Of necessity, this will be according to my own judgment.

MY EXPECTATIONS OF YOU

• You will come to our meetings prepared:
  • having done the indicated reading/research;
  • prepared to give me an overview of what you've done;
  • prepared to ask me questions or at least tell me where you're running into difficulties.
• You will show up for our meetings at the time scheduled. If you are unable to meet, you will contact me as soon as you know by phone (both my home and office phones have voice mail), email, or a message left on my door.
• You will finish in the time allotted.
• You will read this departmental description of independent study requirements and print out and complete this form representing our agreement.
  
• The University, campus, college, and department may all have additional requirements for independent study students/courses. One of these requirements is that you formally register for the course.