A tutorial is a course of study undertaken by an individual student or small group of students under the close supervision of a faculty member. According to arrangements specific to individual departments and interdisciplinary areas, students enrolling in tutorials explore in depth subjects of particular interest. Tutorial studies feature wide reading, individual experimentation, and oral and written reports, as well as regular conferences with the supervising faculty members. Tutorials are an important supplement to regular course offerings, especially during the junior and senior years. All tutorials must be titled.
To illustrate the variety and scope of tutorial studies, many academic departments have listed a number of recent tutorial topics at the end of their departmental listings in the "Courses of Study" section of the Lawrence University Course Catalog.
Independent study varies from discipline to discipline in its composition and in the relationship between the student and faculty member. However, certain criteria may be applied to all. At the outset, the student and faculty member should define a clear goal, one to which they both subscribe. A student is entitled to know a faculty member's expectations for independent study, and a faculty member is entitled to expect a student's diligent compliance with the procedures mutually agreed upon when the project began.
For independent study lasting more than one term, the student and faculty member should discuss and assess progress at the end of each term. If either party concludes that it would not be beneficial for the student to continue the project, the student may be assigned a grade for completed or additionally assigned work and not be required to enroll for the next term.
Independent study can designate advanced work taken for credit by a student who plans to submit an honors project.
Lawrence recognizes that a student's education can be enhanced by the combination of academic and experience-based learning. Academic internships provide students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom and to bring back to the classroom an enriched perspective on their learning. Such a work experience also may be valuable as students make career decisions.
Students enrolled in academic internships work at jobs that relate to their academic interests. Designated supervisors work closely with the students and provide evaluations of the students' activities at the end of the internships.
The academic component of the internship, carried out under the direction of a faculty supervisor, includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work.
Academic internships normally are developed by departments that find the interaction of academic pursuits and work experience both appropriate to their discipline and feasible in terms of available work experiences. These internships are listed in the catalog under departmental offerings. Where no departmental internship exists, student-proposed internships are possible if the student obtains approval from the appropriate department and from the Committee on Instruction. Proposals must be submitted to the Committee on Instruction by the end of the fifth week of the term before the start of the internship.
One form is used for tutorials, independent study, and internships.
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