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CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

UNDERGRADUATE CAPSTONE PROJECT

GUIDELINES

August 2012

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION 1

Rationale

1

Expected Student Outcomes

2

Claflin University Definition of Undergraduate Research

3

Campus Resources

4

Requirement for Mentoring

5

CHAPTER I: HONORS RESEARCH THESIS 5

General Information

6

Required Courses

6

Timeline

9

The Prospectus

9

Thesis Formatting

11

Forms

13

Thesis Model

16

CHAPTER II: SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT (non-Honors) 32

General Information

33

School of Business

34

School of Education

37

Teacher Education

37

Sport Management

39

Human Performance and Recreation

41

iii

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

43

Department of Art

43

Department of English and Foreign Languages

46

Department of History and Sociology

51

Department of Mass Communications

53

Department of Music

57

Department of Philosophy and Religion

62

School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

64

Department of Biology

64

Department of Chemistry

71

Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences

76

CHAPTER III HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH

83

General Information

84

Interpretation of Human Subjects Research for Claflin Students

91

Forms

94

1

INTRODUCTION: THE CAPSTONE

Claflin University Mission

Claflin University is a historically black university founded in 1869, and a

comprehensive institution of higher education affiliated with the United Methodist

Church. Claflin is committed to providing students with access to exemplary educational

opportunities in its undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs. The

university seeks to foster a rich community comprised of students, faculty, staff, and

administrators, who work to nurture and develop the skills and character needed for

engaged citizenship and visionary and effective leadership.

In its undergraduate programs, Claflin provides students with the essential

foundation of a liberal arts education. Emphasis is placed on critical and analytic

thinking, independent research, and oral and written communication skills. The

University invites students to use disciplined study to explore and confront the

substantive challenges facing the global society. Claflin’s graduate programs provide

opportunities for advanced students to increase their specialization in particular fields of

study oriented toward professional enhancement and academic growth. Its continuing

education programs provide students with expanded avenues for professional

development and personal fulfillment.

Rational for Student Senior Capstone Projects

A transformative learning experience can be described as one that goes beyond

simple repetition of facts learned. Instead, transformative learning provides a richer,

2

deeper education that is individual and permanent. Senior capstone projects are ideal as

transformative educational experiences, because they provide breadth and integration of

knowledge, which students gain through applying what has been learned in the course of

a degree program. Thereby, students are aided in the transition from college into the

world beyond.

The Capstone Requirement for Claflin University Undergraduate Student Degrees

Beginning with the 2000/2001 academic year, completion of either a senior thesis

or capstone project became a requirement for graduation for all Claflin University

undergraduate students (Claflin University Catalog 2000-2003, page 55). For Honors

College students the required capstone is the Honors Senior Thesis. For non-Honors

College students, each school at the University has discipline designed appropriate

capstone projects. Students should consult the applicable catalog section for their

respective major for further information. This Claflin University Capstone Guidelines

Manual is published on the Claflin University Website and is available at the Reference

Desk of the H.V. Manning Library. In addition, students may contact their academic

advisor, their Department Chair, their Dean, or the Office of Research and Undergraduate

Research for additional information.

Expected Student Outcomes for the Capstone Project

1. Claflin graduates will be able to think critically and communicate effectively;

2. Claflin graduates will be able to apply valid reasoning processes to solve

problems in all areas of life;

3. Claflin graduates will be equipped with an understanding of the concepts of their

3

specific discipline and will be able to practice it as a profession or pursue further

study or research in that area.

Undergraduate Research at Claflin University

In 2003 a decision was made to incorporate a Strategic Goal of: “establishing a

comprehensive undergraduate research program across the campus” into the

university’s five-year Long Range-Plan.

Since that time, the university faculty agreed on the following definition of

undergraduate research at the university:

The faculty of the institution understand that student training is

incomplete without active participation in the intellectual pursuits inherent

within the discipline of study and are committed to mentoring

undergraduate student researchers.

At Claflin University undergraduate research will be defined as:

faculty mentored student participation in inquiry to create intellectual

contributions for the discipline of study. This includes but is not limited

to:

• Creative work whereby a systematic process generates ideas,

images, performances or artifacts which serve to increase the

knowledge of humanity, culture and/or society and/or the use

of such knowledge in new applications to provide improved

insights

• Scholarship to include the creation, development and/or

maintenance of intellectual infrastructure, such as dictionaries,

catalogs, contributions to research databases or scholarly

edition/collections, within ones discipline

• Use of existing knowledge to design, construct and/or produce

substantially improved materials, devices, products or

processes

• Any investigative activity characterized by originality that can

be classified as pure basic research, strategic basic research,

applied research and/or experimental development with the

potential to recognizably increase the body of human

knowledge (either theoretical or practical)

4

Campus Resources

Bowen Hall Computer Lab …………………………………… Bowen Hall

Bowen Hall Curriculum Lab ……………………………………Bowen Hall

Career Counseling and Placement ………………………….… Corson Hall

Center for Leadership Development …….………… Tingley Memorial Hall

GTK Writing Center ……………………GTK 228….H.V. Manning Library

Mathematics Education Lab ……………………………………… JST 107

Office of Undergraduate Research ………………………………… JST 125

Student Development & Services …………………… Layman Hall 107

University Bookstore …….…………….………………………Layman Hall

Requirement for Mentoring

Please be informed that any student at Claflin University who conducts research

associated with the institution in any way must be supervised by a faculty research

mentor.

5

CHAPTER I:

HONORS RESEARCH THESIS

6

General Information

As their Capstone Project, Honors College students are required to produce a

substantive and original thesis under the guidance of a selected faculty advisor. Topics

must be in line with the student’s major. Intensive reading and utilization of primary

documents direct the initial preparation for the research. This process begins in the first

semester of the junior year and continues through the senior year. The student may, for

instance, write a comprehensive paper, or he or she may produce a play, perform a major

recital, give a major exhibition, produce television documentary, compose a musical,

perform scientific research, or write a novel, etc. In cases where the student chooses to

do a project instead of a comprehensive paper, a written component will be necessary to

fulfill the thesis requirement. The thesis is to be completed and approved by October 15

or March 15 of the student’s last semester* (or the last school day before these dates if

they fall on a holiday). Students must also defend his or her work before a committee of

faculty and give a public presentation of the finished product (Honors Week).

* For education majors who must student teach the deadline is: October 15th for students

whose final semester will be in the field during the Spring semester and March 15th for

students whose final semester will be in the field during the Fall semester.

Students in the Honors College must complete a research thesis in order to be eligible for

graduation.

Required Honors Thesis Courses

Each department has developed an Honors Thesis Seminar series designed to

facilitate a student’s preparation of the thesis document. Students should register for

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HNTH 391 in the first semester of their junior year, HNTH 392 in the second semester of

the junior year; and HNTH 492 in the second semester**of their senior year.

HNTH 391: Honors Thesis Seminar I

Prerequisites: Junior status in Honors College written approval of School Dean and

Honors College Director.

The first course in a two-semester sequence designed to initiate the thesis process

required for graduation from the Honors College. The first semester is an introduction to

research, research methodology, problem-solving, and research-related writing in the

student’s chosen field of study. Students will collect and review literature related to areas

of interest and select a thesis topic in addition to satisfying other course requirements

described above. The student must take the initiative in seeking a faculty member (with

approval of Department Chair and School Dean) with expertise in the area of interest who

will serve as the Thesis Advisor to help in the design and supervision of the project. In

addition, the student must select three faculty members, in consultation with Thesis

Advisor, one of whom must be the Thesis Advisor, who agree to serve as the student’s

Thesis Committee. A final grade (Pass or Fail) will be based on attendance, course

assignments, and completion of the literature review. One hour.

HNTH 392: Honors Thesis Seminar II

Prerequisites: Junior status in Honors College or written approval of School Dean and

Honors College Director.

The second course in a two-semester sequence designed to further the thesis

process required for graduation from the Honors College. During the second semester,

8

students will write a Research Prospectus outlining the goals and methodology for their

thesis project. The deadline for submission of the Prospectus to the Department will fall

on October 15th (for off-sequence students) or March 15

th. A final grade (Pass or Fail)

will be based on attendance, course assignments, and acceptance of the prospectus by the

Department and approval of the topic by the Office of Undergraduate Research. One

hour.

HNTH 491: Honors Thesis Seminar III

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status in the Honors College or written approval of

School Dean and Honors College Director.

This course is designed to facilitate the finalization of the Thesis Requirement.

Students will complete a research/technical writing project done during the senior year

under the supervision the Thesis Advisor. A final document (in adherence with the

specific format approved by the Office of Undergraduate Research) will be prepared,

along with a formal Honors College seminar presentation. Following the seminar the

student will formally defend the thesis in front of his/her thesis committee. The final

grade (Pass or Fail) for the course will be based upon the approval of the thesis by the

Thesis Committee as signified by their signatures on the final thesis document submitted

to the Claflin University Registrar. The deadline** for completion of the thesis is

October 15th (for December graduation), and March 15

th (for May graduation). Two

hours.

** For education majors who must student teach the deadline is: October 15th for students

9

whose final semester will be in the field during the Spring semester and March 15th for

students whose final semester will be in the field during the Fall semester.

Timeline

Objective Deadline

Submission and approval of thesis

prospectus (see below for

definition/explanation)

March 15th of the junior year, (October 15

th) for

out-of-sequence students

Initiation of research activities Summer of junior year

Completion of research activities November 30th of senior year

August 15th of senior year for Education majors

Submission of Thesis March 15th of the senior year, (October 15

th) for

out-of-sequence students and Education majors

Seminar on thesis topic during Honors

Week

Mid-April of the senior year including

Education Majors***, (by arrangement with

Honors College Director in November for out-

of-sequence students)

*** Education Majors must plan participation during Honor’s Week in conjunction with

their field experience requirements.

The Prospectus

A prospectus is a document that describes the major features of a proposed work,

or project, in sufficient detail to allow for its evaluation by others. In this case, the

prospectus will be evaluated by the faculty members of your department or school.

The faculty of your department or school must approve your thesis topic.

Submission of the Thesis Prospectus will allow us to do so. The deadline for submission

is during the spring of your junior year (see above).

We are aware that students will sometimes conduct extramural research during

the summer of the junior year and may wish to prepare their thesis document from that

10

research data. If such should occur after the original prospectus filed during the junior

year was approved, you may change your topic by resubmitting a revised prospectus

during the first month of the fall semester of your senior year. You must also include a

letter from your extramural research mentor indicating his/her permission for you to use

the project material for your thesis.

Procedure

Prepare a double-spaced prospectus document, typed in 12-pt Times New Roman

font, which includes the following sections:

INTRODUCTION (this should only be a paragraph or two at this point

describing the topic to be researched)

BREIF REVIEW OF LITERATURE (for the prospectus faculty will

only need to see enough background to indicate you have a

beginning understanding of your topic)

INVESTIGATIVE APPPROACH Materials (supplies and equipment you will need)

Methods (a brief description of the procedures and protocols to be

employed)

You will need to attach a completed “Thesis Topic Application and Prospectus” form

as a cover sheet (see below). Upon securing the signature of your thesis advisor, you

must distribute copies of the prospectus packet to the members of your department or

school faculty.

11

Thesis Formatting -- General

The Thesis should be prepared as a double-spaced document typed in 12-pt Times

New Roman font. The page margins should be set as follows: Left margin 1.5 in. (to

allow for binding), right margin 1.0 in., top and bottom margins 1.0 in. The Cover Page

serves as the Title Page. The Cover page is followed by an Acknowledgements page.

Next in order come the Thesis Statement page, the Abstract page, the Keywords and

Abbreviations page, the List of Tables page (if applicable), the List of Figures page (if

applicable), and then the Table of Contents. Beginning with the Acknowledgements page

as page 2 and the last of the Table of Contents as the final page in this section, the page

numbers should be centered in a footer using small roman numerals (ii. iii. iv,…). The

next section of the thesis begins with the Introduction. Page numbering at this point

should begin again at 1. As with the first section, the placement of the page number is

the at the center of the footer, however, from this point forward Arabic numerals

(1,2,3,…) are to be used.

All major section headings (e.g., Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, etc.) should

be written in bolded capital letters and be centered between the left and right margins. The

document should be set for full justification throughout.

Style Formatting – Citations

All formatting for font, line spacing, margins, page numbers, order of content will

be as above, regardless of the major for which the student is completing the thesis.

However, the style of citations may follow disciplinary style guides as follows: students

in the Departments of Art, Music, English, and Philosophy and Religion will follow the

MLA style for citation formatting; students in the School of Business, the School of

12

Education or in the Departments of Biology, History and Sociology, or Mathematics and

Computer Science will use the APA style for citation formatting; students in the

Department of Chemistry will follow the ACS style of citation formatting. The HNTH

course series sections in some majors have selected a required citation style guide for

their students to use. You may contact the department Chair or Dean to determine

whether a textbook is required for the series or you may contact the University Bookstore

for information.

Number of Copies and Submission of for Binding

You will turn in the final thesis, with a signed cover page and your Thesis

Completion Verification form to the Office of Research and Undergraduate Research.

You will also need to submit five copies of the document, one for the Honors College,

one each for your school and department, one for your thesis advisor, and one for

yourself. The original and all copies must be printed on 100% cotton rag paper. You

must provide the address to which you want your bound copy to be mailed following

graduation.

Forms

On the following three pages you will find the forms to be used; a) as a cover

page for use in filing the Prospectus; b) a sample format for the cover page that will be

used for the Thesis; and c) a sample of the Thesis Completion Verification form that must

be on file with the registrar prior to the release of your undergraduate diploma. These

three forms may be found as fillable PDF documents on the webpage for the Office of

Research and Undergraduate Research.

** Note for students in the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College: A separate form for the Honors

College must be obtained from that office and filed in accordance with their directives.

� Approved by Department Date: ____________

Copies of Approved Prospectus forms should be Filed with the Office of Research

and Undergraduate Research

13

THESIS TOPIC APPLICATION AND PROSPECTUS

Student’s Name:

Date Submitted:

Thesis Title:

Academic Advisor

Thesis Advisor

Committee Member

Committee Member

Anticipated Graduation Date

14

Sample

Cover Page

THIS IS A DESCRIPTIVE TITLE OF AN EXHAUSTIVE INTERPRETATION

OF SOME VERY INTERESTING DATA THAT I RESEARCHED

By

IMA GOODE-STUDENT

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in the

Department of (insert your department here)

Claflin University

Orangeburg, South Carolina

March 2011

Dr. Ubi Dunne Dr. I . Hadta Readit

Thesis Advisor Committee Member

Dr. Didja Understandit Dr. Art U. Happy

Committee Member Academic Advisor

Received by: Date:

Dr. Happy Forewe, Department of insert you department here

Received by: Date:

Dr. Wilya Keepin-Touch, Dean, School of insert your school here

Received by: Date:

Dr. Seung-Yul Ghoh, Assistant Vice President for Research

15

To: Ms. Wilma B. Proud, Registrar

Subject: Approval of Thesis

Date:

We are pleased to report that the senior thesis for

_____________________________ has been approved and accepted by the Department

of ____________ faculty.

Approved

Department Chair Date

Dean Date

Office of Research and Undergraduate Research Date

16

Thesis Format Model

The following pages should serve as a model for the preparation of your thesis.

The document should be prepared in 12-pt. Times New Roman type font. It should be

double-spaced and with 1” margins on the top, bottom and right and a 1.5” margin on the

left (this will allow for binding).

On many of the pages you will find an inserted text box with a dash-lined textbox

frame. Inside that textbox are notes of explanation for that page.

17

Sample

Cover Page

THIS IS A DESCRIPTIVE TITLE OF AN EXHAUSTIVE INTERPRETATION

OF SOME VERY INTERESTING DATA THAT I RESEARCHED

By

IMA GOODE-STUDENT

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in the

Department of (insert your department here)

Claflin University


March 2011

Dr. Ubi Dunne Dr. I . Hadta Readit

Thesis Advisor Committee Member

Dr. Didja Understandit Dr. Art U. Happy

Committee Member Academic Advisor

Received by: Date:

Dr. Happy Forewe, Department of insert you department here

Received by: Date:

Dr. Wilya Keepin-Touch, Dean, School of insert your school here

Received by: Date:

Dr. Seung-Yul Ghoh, Office of Research and Undergraduate

Research

18

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank all of the little froggies who will never be born….

Use this page to thank anybody you wish. This page is yours and

no one can tell you what to put here**. Good manners and good

taste are in order.

**That being said, if your work was supported by a grant you must

acknowledge the agency and the grant number. Ask your advisor to

determine if this applies and to get the necessary information.

This should be page # “ii”

19

THESIS STATEMENT

Due to the teratogenic effects, application of malathion to the hatching medium of

frog oocytes should lead to defects in the developmental pathways controlling…..

Your thesis statement should be written on a separate

page all by its little lonesome

This is page # “iii”

20

ABSTRACT

BIOLOGY

IMA GOODE-STUDENT B.S. CLAFLIN COLLEGE, 2000

PRODUCTION OF A cDNA LIBRARY FROM MALATHION TREATED

FROG OOCYTES

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Ube Dunne

Thesis Dated: March, 20??

Malathion, although used in agriculture still, has been proposed to be a potent

teratogen…

Write a synopsis of the entire document. It should be somewhere in

the neighborhood of 250 words in length. Include a description of

the problem to be solved, the experimental approach, a summary of

results and a significance statement.

This is page # “iv” Continue to number sequentially in small roman

numerals until you reach the Introduction page.

21

KEYWORDS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Keywords: estrogenic, malathion, oocytes, teratogen

Abbreviations

cDNA copy deoxyribonucleic acid

PBS phosphate buffered saline

This is where you list any abbreviations or

acronyms which you use in your text.

22

LIST OF TABLES

PAGE

Table 1. Dosage Regimen for application of Malathion to Oocytes ….… 14

Table 2. Percent Hatch Rate for Malathion Treated Oocytes ………….. 16

23

LIST OF FIGURES

PAGE

Figure 1. Chemical Structure of Malathion ………………………………. 3

24

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

Acknowledgements ii

Thesis Statement

iii

Abstract

iv

List of Keywords and Abbreviations

v

List of Tables

vi

List of Figures

vii

Table of Contents

viii

Introduction

1

Background/Literature Review

2

Materials and Methods

Materials 12

Methods

13

Results

18

Discussion

24

References

27

Appendices

30

25

Introduction:

Malathion is a chemical pesticide often used to combat ………..

This is a paragraph or so which leads into your literature review

discussion.

This page should be numbered “1”

26

Background

Malathion , the chemical structure of which is depicted in Figure 1, is synthesized

from …

This is your literature review. Break it up into clearly related

sections. Don’t ramble. It should be several pages in length

and it must be properly referenced in the style appropriate

for your major (MLA, APA or ACS).

Your last paragraph should serve as a lead-in for the

experimental section of your proposal.

27

FIGURE 1. THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF MALATHION

A space filling depiction of the chemical structure of malathion. This structure was

obtained from http://ep.llnl.gov/msds/pdb/pdb-structures.html.

Figures should follow on a separate page immediately after the page upon which the first

mention of the figure is made. Continue to fill the text of the previous page until you reach the

bottom. The next thing the reader should see is the figure page.

Each figure gets its own page with a Figure Title at the top and a legend at the bottom of the page

that explains what the picture shows. Even though you have talked about the figure on the

preceding page, a figure should have an additional legend to explain it, even if that seems

redundant.

28

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MATERIALS

Malathion was purchased from Sigma Chemical Corporation (San Francisco, CA)

frog ooycytes were obtained from Carolina Biologicals (Raleigh, NC). Rapid Excision

cloning kits were from Promega Corporation (La Jolla, CA). …..

METHODS

Treatment of Frog Oocytes with Malathion. Frog oocytes at the 2 day stage were

incubated in a medium of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to which was added malathion

in concentrations of 1.0, 10.0, 100.0 and 1000.0 ppm…..

Isolation of Oocyte mRNA. Total mRNA was extracted from the 5, 10 and 15 day

malathion treatment groups (see above) by the use of Magnabeads according to the

instructions provided by the manufacturer. In brief, total cell homogenate was collected

at 4oC ….

Please note, this is not a bulleted list of

the glassware and reagents you used. It

is instead information about where you

purchased or obtained the special

supplies for the project.

This section is written in paragraph form. Do not use

sentence structure such as: “I placed 20 frog oocytes in a

petri dish with malathion then I incubated them for 5 days.”

Avoid the use of “I”, “we’ , etc.

Where possible, avoid starting a sentence with a number or

an abbreviation.

This section may not apply for all disciplines

or types of theses. Consult your Thesis

Advisor for instructions specific to your

paper.

29

RESULTS

Treatment of Frog Oocytes with Malathion.

Isolation of Oocyte mRNA

Discuss results here. Use tables and graphs and other figures as

needed to enhance the readers understanding of that which you

are describing. However, such figures do not supplant writing

textual explanations of results.

As you can see, if applicable, you

need to discuss your results in the

same order in which you discussed

your methods.

30

DISCUSSION

Do not confuse this section with your results section. In this

section you discuss the meaning of your previously described

results in light of what was already known about the topic, as you

covered in your background and literature review. It is also

appropriate to discuss the next logical step of expanding on your

topic of inquiry.

31

REFERENCES

Your list of cited literature should begin on a new page.

Depending on the style guide you are following (MLA,

APA, and ACS) this section may be called the

Bibliography or the Works Cited page.

32

CHAPTER II

SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT (non-Honors)

33

General Information

The Senior Capstone Project requirement for non-Honors College students varies

according to the student’s major degree program. These variations accommodate

discipline specific learning objectives in addition to the Claflin University institutional-

level learning objects associated with the Senior Capstone Project requirement itself.

Projects range from juried performances, to research proposals, to portfolios, but all carry

with them a requirement for producing a technical writing paper appropriate to the

student’s program of study.

Many Schools or Departments will include an option for non-Honors College

students to complete an undergraduate level Thesis paper as the Senior Capstone. When

such is the case and a student chooses to complete a Thesis, the guidelines for the Honors

Research Thesis outlined in the previous chapter will apply. Otherwise, the descriptions,

requirements, and instructions are listed for separately each department or school in the

following sections of this handbook.

34

School of Business

Description of the Capstone Project

The purpose of the Senior Capstone Project is to provide a transformative

education experience for the student to display a breadth and integration of knowledge by

applying what has been learned in the course of their business degree program.

Depending on the major, students will have the option of completing a discipline

specific empirical research project; a business plan for a proposed entrepreneurial

venture; a marketing plan for a proposed commercial project or service; or analysis of an

integrative case study that focuses on developing strategic plans, using functional

knowledge from accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing. Specific

requirements for each major will be provided by the Major Coordinator in each area and

by the Capstone Advisor.

Courses for Senior Capstone

BADM 291-292: Professional Development Seminars I and II

Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Weekly sessions, including guest speakers, to

counsel and involve students in the areas of university and division requirements, career

planning and development, acquisition of work experience, building of leadership skills

and preparation for graduate studies. Introduction of criteria and expectations of Senior

Capstone Project. Final grades (Pass or Fail), will be based on attendance, course

assignments, and signed acknowledgement of capstone project requirements. One hour.

BADM 391-392: Professional Development Seminars III and IV

Prerequisite: BADM 291 and BADM 292. Weekly sessions, including guest

speakers, to monitor and continue student progress toward preparation for graduate

35

studies, successful career planning and development, leadership skills and development

and work experience. Students will initialize work on the Capstone Project during the

first semester. The student must take the initiative in seeking a faculty member (with

approval of Department Chair and School Dean) with expertise in the area of interest who

will serve as the Senior Capstone Advisor to help in the design and supervision of the

project. During the second semester, students will write a Project Prospectus outlining

the goals and procedures for their Senior Capstone Project. Final grades (Pass or Fail)

will be based on attendance, course assignments, and completion and approval of the

Project Prospectus by the Department. One hour.

BADM 491-492: Professional Development Seminars V and VI

Prerequisites: BADM 391 and BADM 392. Special sessions, including guest

speakers, to dialogue with students about the senior exit examination, the job search,

graduate studies and other realities of the work place. Students will complete the Senior

Capstone Project during the senior year under the supervision of the Capstone Advisor. A

final document (in adherence with the specific format approved by the Department and

School) will be prepared along with a formal Senior Seminar Presentation. The final

grade for the course will be based upon the approval of the project by the Capstone

Project Committee as signified by their signatures on the final document submitted to the

Department Chair. The deadline for completion of the project is October 15th (for

December graduation), and March 15th (for May graduation). One hour.

36

Timeline

Objective Deadline

Submission and approval of Capstone

project

March 15th of the junior year, (October

15th for out-of-sequence students)

Initiation of Capstone project activities Summer of junior year

Completion of capstone project activities November 30th of senior year

Submission of Senior Capstone Project March 15th of the senior year, (October

15th for out-of-sequence students)

Presentation of Senior Capstone Project Mid-April of the senior year, (by

arrangement in November for out-of-

sequence students)

37

School of Education

Teacher Education Majors


The senior capstone project is an electronic portfolio that is completed by all

majors as a culminating project during the Professional Clinical Practice. This

project allows all seniors to showcase a comprehensive “hiring” portfolio for

prospective employers. The electronic portfolio includes the following artifacts: (1)

short biography; (2) philosophy of education; (3) purpose; (4) transcript; (5) test

scores; (6); visual artifacts documenting expertise in the ten ADEPT Performance

Standards; (7) video lessons; (8) evaluation forms completed by university

supervisors and mentor teachers; and (9) observation forms completed by school

administrators. The electronic portfolio is presented to and evaluated by university

professors, mentor teachers and student peers. The portfolio is presented during

the week of final exams for seniors.

Course for the Senior Capstone

EDUC 450: The Professional Clinical Practice

This is the omega course for all education majors. Student teachers complete a 12-

week internship in a public school setting under the supervision of an ADEPT

trained certified teacher in the field of the candidate’s major. A grade less than a “B”

is unacceptable. Students receive 12 credit hours.

38

Timeline

Objective Deadline

Submit and gain approval of senior

project proposal

If second semester junior in:

Spring semester – February 15

Fall semester – September 15

Initiate project activities Immediately upon approval of proposal

Complete senior capstone project If first semester senior in:

Spring semester – March 15

Fall semester – November 15

Present senior capstone project If first semester senior in:

Spring semester – April

Fall semester – December

39

Sport Management Majors


The senior capstone project provides the opportunity for non-Honors College

Sport Management majors to document their participation in a large-scale group project

in collaboration with Human Performance and Recreation seniors. Examples of such

projects include planning and implementing a charity basketball tournament, health and

wellness fair, or other relevant project. Each student will be expected to maintain a

documentation manual that accounts for his/her specific roles and responsibilities. The

documentation manual will consist of an overview of the project, an organizational

hierarchy that identifies the student’s role, completed evaluation forms, and copies of all

documents used during throughout the project. At the conclusion of the project, each

student will participate in a group presentation. Students will also be required to take at

least a one hour elective course.


RECR 405- The senior capstone experience for students majoring in Human

Performance and Recreation and Sport Management is planning and implementing a

large-scale collaborative project. The senior capstone project is the documentation

manual (portfolio) that is created during this experience. In RECR 405, students will

participate in a large-scale collaborative project that constitutes the senior project for

these two majors. Examples of previous senior projects include planning and

implementing a charity basketball tournament and a health and wellness festival. Each

student will maintain a documentation manual that consists of an overview of the project,

the organizational hierarchy that identifies the student’s role, completed evaluation forms,

40

and copies of all documents used throughout the project. The manual is based on and

conforms to industry standards. The course description for this course (as listed in the

2010-2011 catalog ) is: This course is designed to provide laboratory experiences for

majors under the supervision of staff in the (1) service program, (2) the intramural

program, and (3) selected agencies. Three hours.

Free Elective- At least one credit hour.

Timeline

Objective Deadline


project proposal

If first semester senior in:




Complete senior capstone project If second semester senior in:



Present senior capstone project If second semester senior in:



41

Human Performance and Recreation Majors


The senior capstone project provides the opportunity for non-Honors College

Human Performance and Recreation majors to document their participation in a large-

scale group project in collaboration with Sport Management seniors. Examples of such

projects include planning and implementing a charity basketball tournament, health and

wellness fair, or other relevant projects. Each student will be expected to maintain a

documentation manual that accounts for his/her specific roles and responsibilities. The

documentation manual will consist of an overview of the project, an organizational

hierarchy that identifies the student’s role, completed evaluation forms, and copies of all

documents used during throughout the project. At the conclusion of the project, each

student will participate in a group presentation. Students will also be required to take at

least a one hour elective course.


RECR 405- The senior capstone experience for students majoring in Human

Performance and Recreation and Sport Management is planning and implementing a

large-scale collaborative project. The senior capstone project is the documentation

manual (portfolio) that is created during this experience. In RECR 405, students will

participate in a large-scale collaborative project that constitutes the senior project for

these two majors. Examples of previous senior projects include planning and

implementing a charity basketball tournament and a health and wellness festival. Each

student will maintain a documentation manual that consists of an overview of the project,

the organizational hierarchy that identifies the student’s role, completed evaluation forms,

42

and copies of all documents used throughout the project. The manual is based on and

conforms to industry standards. The course description for this course (as listed in the

2010-2011 catalog) is: This course is designed to provide laboratory experiences for

majors under the supervision of staff in the (1) service program, (2) the intramural

program, and (3) selected agencies. Three hours.

Free Elective- At least one credit hour.

Timeline

Objective Deadline


project proposal

If first semester senior in:




Complete senior capstone project If second semester senior in:



Present senior capstone project If second semester senior in:



43

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Art


Senior Project: Each student must select a faculty member from within the department

to serve as advisor/course instructor to this project at the beginning of the senior year.

The advisor should be someone whose area of expertise is closely aligned with the

project to be considered. This must include preliminary discussions with faculty members

in order to determine the most appropriate and effective collaboration. To be completed

in conjunction with ARTS 481 Research Methods, the student with the assistance of their

advisor will decide on the specific nature and focus of the project by the end of the first

semester of the senior year. The student must then select two additional faculty members

to serve as a committee to review the progress of this project. One member must be from

within the art department and the final member may be outside the area. The project title,

the names of the committee members, and an outline of the project must be submitted to

the Chairman of the Department of Art for approval at the beginning of the senior year.

Students must enroll in ARTS 492 Senior Project by the end of the first semester of the

senior year during pre-registration, or at the beginning of the first semester of the senior

year during the add/drop period.

Senior Project Exhibition: Each student is required to organize and install an exhibition

of their Senior Project artworks. While this exhibition is the responsibility of the student,

students are strongly encouraged to elicit input from their senior project committee and

other relevant faculty or staff, in order to present the artworks in the best way. The

44

student is responsible for cataloguing works, installing the exhibition, and coordinating

all attendant activities associated with the presentation of the artworks in a public venue.

This must be done however, in accordance with the exhibition policies and deadlines

from the Director of the Arthur Rose Museum.


ARTS 481: Research Methods

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Must be taken in the semester before

Senior Project. This course is designed to prepare the student as a researcher; it is a

precursor to Senior Project (ARTS 498). There will be an independent research project

related to an issue(s) of art, related to personal expression. The course will provide a

basic review of traditional and experimental research methods followed by an exploration

of thesis in the form of exhibition. Three hours.

ARTS 492: Senior Project (Studio Art or Digital Studio)

Prerequisites: All available courses in the specific area of concentration and

ARTS 481. This is a professional level studio course designed to use the student’s ability

to work independently while under the supervision of an advisor. (See General

requirements of the Department of Art for course details). Studio. Three hours.

Timeline

Timelines and deadlines are embedded in the ARTS 481: Research Methods and

the ARTS 492: Senior Project (Studio Art or Digital Studio) courses.

Additional Information

The form depicted on the following page must be filed as a part of the Senior

Project process.

Department of Art, Claflin University Senior Project approval form, Fall 2007

45

CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

Department of Art

Student Name: ............................. Date: ……….………………..

Specific Major: …..…………… Semester/Year: ……………….………..

ARTS 492, Senior Project

Please type and articulate on the following (attach additional pages for text and/or visuals if

necessary):

What will your Senior Project Exhibition be on and/or about?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Describe the rationale behind why you choose your Senior Project Exhibition on this particular

concept or topic or theme.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Explain how you will go about accomplishing this project.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Advisor’s Name: …………………………. Advisor’s Signature: ……………………........

Advisor’s Comments: .…………………………………………………………………..................

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

If decided on, please list committee members: 1) ……………………………………...

2) ……………………………………...

3) ……………………………………...

46

Department of English and Foreign Languages


For their Senior Capstone Project, English majors and American Studies majors have the

following options:

a. Select a paper that they have previously written for an upper-level course in

their major to revise and expand to at least 12 pages;

b. Select a topic of interest to them—related to their major—to develop into a

paper of at least 12 pages;

c. Write one or more original short stories, poems, and/or plays with pages

totaling at least 12; or

d. Write a senior thesis.

For English Education majors the portfolio that they develop, and the presentation of

it before the appropriate body/committee in the School of Education, serves as the senior

capstone project.

Courses for the Senior Capstone

Non-Thesis Capstone

ENGL 491: Senior Seminar.

The Senior Seminar is coordinated by one instructor who ensures that the final draft

of each project is guided by a faculty member with expertise on the topic selected by the student.

The creative writing projects require originality and excellence in techniques. The critical papers

require research and in-depth analysis. The overall objective is to prepare students to complete

projects that may be submitted as writing samples for admission to graduate school. These

projects are presented before a group of faculty members in the Department of English and

Foreign Languages towards the end of the semester that the students are enrolled in Senior

47

Seminar. English Education majors also enroll in Senior Seminar. This course is graded as

Pass/Fail. 1 credit hour.

Thesis Option Capstone

The senior thesis is written in conjunction with the HNTH courses t(he Senior Capstone

Project for Honors students) Students who major in English or American Studies may take this

course with permission from the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the

Director of the Honors College; the presentation of these papers occurs during a designated week

each spring.

HNTH 391: Honors Thesis Seminar I

Prerequisites: Junior status in Honors College with written approval of School Dean and Honors

College Director.

The first course in a two-semester sequence designed to initiate the thesis process

required for graduation from the Honors College. The first semester is an introduction to

research, research methodology, problem-solving, and research-related writing in the student’s

chosen field of study. Students will collect and review literature related to areas of interest and

select a thesis topic in addition to satisfying other course requirements described above. The

student must take the initiative in seeking a faculty member (with approval of Department Chair

and School Dean) with expertise in the area of interest who will serve as the Thesis Advisor to

help in the design and supervision of the project. In addition, the student must select three

faculty members, in consultation with Thesis Advisor, one of whom must be the Thesis Advisor,

who agree to serve as the student’s Thesis Committee. A final grade (Pass or Fail) will be based

on attendance, course assignments, and completion of the literature review. One hour.

48

HNTH 392: Honors Thesis Seminar II

Prerequisites: Junior status in Honors College or written approval of School Dean and Honors

College Director.

The second course in a two-semester sequence designed to further the thesis process

required for graduation from the Honors College. During the second semester, students will write

a Research Prospectus outlining the goals and methodology for their thesis project. The deadline

for submission of the Prospectus to the Department will fall on October 15th (for off-sequence

students) or March 15th. A final grade (Pass or Fail) will be based on attendance, course

assignments, and acceptance of the prospectus by the Department and approval of the topic by

the Office of Undergraduate Research. One hour.

HNTH 491: Honors Thesis Seminar III

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status in the Honors College or written approval of

School Dean and Honors College Director.

This course is designed to facilitate the finalization of the Thesis Requirement. Students

will complete a research/technical writing project done during the senior year under the

supervision the Thesis Advisor. A final document (in adherence with the specific format

approved by the Office of Undergraduate Research) will be prepared along with a formal Honors

College seminar presentation. Following the seminar the student will formally defend the thesis

in front of his/her thesis committee. The final grade (Pass or Fail) for the course will be based

upon the approval of the thesis by the Thesis Committee, as signified by their signatures on the

final thesis document submitted to the Claflin University Registrar. The deadline** for

completion of the thesis is October 15th (for December graduation) and March 15

th (for May

graduation). Two hours.

49

** For education majors who must student teach the deadline is: October 15th for students whose

final semester will be in the field during the Spring semester and March 15th for students whose

final semester will be in the field during the Fall semester.

Timeline

Objective Deadline





th for






th for


Seminar on thesis topic during Honors

Week


Education Majors***, (by arrangement with

Honors College Director in November for out-

of-sequence students)

*** Education Majors must plan participation during Honor’s Week in conjunction with their

field experience requirements.


On the following page of this guide you will find a sample of the Senior Project Rubric

that is used to score the Senior Capstone Project for ENGL 491.

Sample of Evaluation Rubric for Senior Capstone in English and American Studies Degree Program

50

Department of English and Foreign Languages Name:

Evaluation Form for Senior Projects Title of project:

Content (30 points):

Depth of analysis (15 points):

Research completed/Field observation completed/ Creativity (in the case of creative

writing projects) (15 points):

Presentation (40 points):

Delivery (10)

Poise (10)

Diction (10)

Attire (5)

Visual Aid (5)

Total Score:

…………………………………………………… ……………………………..

Signature Date

51

Department of History and Social Sciences


All students majoring in History, Politics and Criminal Justice Studies, Sociology,

and African and African American Studies are required to complete a capstone senior

project reflecting the culmination of the skills that they have acquired in their major

program of study. Students will conduct an independent research project on a topic of

their choosing within their specific major discipline. Students will present the findings of

their research in a scholarly paper and poster presentation. Poster presentations are

scheduled at the end of the spring term in a “gallery walk” format.


HSSC 490: Senior Seminar

Prerequisite. HSSC 391 or Permission of the Chair. This course represents the

first-half of the senior capstone experience. It is taken once a student has entered senior

status. The seminar conducts an interdisciplinary inquiry around a central theme.

Through assigned readings and discussions, the course is designed to expose graduating

seniors to the dynamics, environment, and expectations of the graduate seminar and the

professional boardroom. It also prepares students for completing their independent

research project during the following semester. Required for all majors. Two semester

credit hours.

HSSC 491: Senior Research

Prerequisite: HSSC 490. This course represents the culmination of the senior

capstone experience for departmental majors. It is an opportunity for students to employ

52

the disciplinary skills and abilities that they have developed during the course of their

studies at the University. Students taking this course will perform in-depth research on a

topic of their choosing in their major field to produce an extended scholarly paper.

Students will also present their research findings in a scheduled poster presentation for

graduating seniors. Required for all majors. Three semester credit hours.

Timeline

Requirement Deadline

Preliminary Thesis Statement 15 September

Research Proposal Due 1 November

IRB Permission Forms (if required) 1 November

Faculty Reviews Proposals 15 November

Final Research Proposals Due 1 December

Research Completed 28 February

Submission Draft Due in Class 15 March

Final Paper Due 15 April

Poster Presentations TBD; Last week of spring semester


Definitions:

Preliminary Thesis Statement: A two-page thesis statement that frames the research

question and explains the scope of the project.

Research Proposal: Students will write a 1000-1300 word essay outlining their research

project. It will clearly articulate a mature research question and hypothesis, discuss the

methodology of the research design, and include a one-page bibliography of significant

secondary literature on the topic.

Submission Draft: A fully-completed draft of the research paper will include an

introduction (a statement of the research question and a summary of research method), a

detailed analysis of research findings, a discussion of those findings relative to existing

literature, and a conclusion.

Final Paper: A revised version of the submission draft that should reflect improved

writing and organization.

Poster Presentation: Poster will present the research question and conclusions.

53

Department of Mass Communication


The Department of Mass Communications faculty have designed senior capstone

projects that are tailored to the students’ degree program with the purpose of best

preparing their students for careers in the following specializations:

Digital Media

Students are required to write a proposal for a radio or television program and

produce/edit a media project that adheres to time and broadcast requirements as mandated

by the instructor. The proposal must include the following items: Table of Contents,

Cover Letter, Resume, Fact Sheet, Treatment, Production Schedule, Blog Entries ,

Program Schedule, Budget, Hot Clock, Production Staff, Script, Summary, Talent

Authorization Forms, References (Sources) and Summary.

Journalism

Students are required to write a proposal and write three articles (feature,

editorial, etc.), the articles must be written using the inverted pyramid style. At least one

article must include side-bars. In addition, one article must be published in The Panther,

T&D, on-line media publication or a publication approved by the instructor. The student

must also produce a visual component with the Senior Project in either the form of a

Power Point or Website. The proposal must include the following items: Table of

Contents, Cover Letter, Resume, Fact Sheet, Objectivity Clause, Timeline, Blog Entries ,

Story Type, Research, Articles, Interview Notes, Talent Authorization Forms, References

(Sources) and Summary.

54

Public Relations

Students are required to produce a Public Relations campaign for an organization

or entity. The proposal must include the following items: Table of Contents, Cover

Letter, Resume, Fact Sheet, Situation Analysis, Staff, Timeline, Blog Entries, Budget,

Audience, SWOT Analysis, Press Release or Media Advisory, References (Sources) and

Summary. The student must also produce a visual component with the Senior Project in

either the form of a Power Point or Website.

Courses for the Senior Capstone

Prerequisite Courses

Students enrolled in MCOM 452 Senior Project should have completed the

appropriate core and concentration courses based upon the type of project proposal and

approval of proposal.

MCOM 452

Senior Project requires students to propose, write, design, produce and direct an

extended media project which demonstrates the cumulative skills, coursework, and

knowledge gained from core and concentration courses. Prerequisite: All appropriate core

and relevant concentration courses (Digital Media, Journalism or Public Relations) and

Senior Standing. Students must receive a grade of C or better to pass the Senior Project

course.

Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes

In this course students will produce a project in the respective concentration

55

(Digital Media, Journalism or Public Relations). The course will consider some of the

limitations and challenges faced by media professionals and discuss issues of ethical and

legal practice. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Develop a project proposal and media project for the designated sequence (Digital

Media, Journalism or Public Relations). Students will produce one of the

following: broadcast news package, newspaper article, public relations

campaign, radio program, CD and television program

2. Compile weekly blog entriesand adhere to timeline/production schedule

3. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of his/her project by presenting the senior

project during an oral presentation

4. Understand the value of technicalities of writing a resume and cover letter, by

submitting a cover letter and resume that profiles the student

5. Produce and submit a portfolio that will consist of a title page, table of contents,

cover page, resume and senior project proposal.

(Objectives 1) Project Proposal & Media Project (50% of Final Grade)

The project must be typed and must adhere to all guidelines as stated in the

guidelines pertaining to your concentration (Digital Media, Journalism and Public

Relations) Students should use a minimum of three sources as reference material.

Reference material should provide support for quantitative and qualitative information

listed in the Project Proposal. Students must adhere to time requirements. In addition,

students must write a resume and cover letter.

(Objectives 1, 2, 4 & 5) Assignments & Blog Entries (35% of Final Grade)

Students will submit all components of the Project Proposal as assigned.

Additionally, students must submit Blog Entries via Blackboard that is to be completed

56

on a weekly basis. A student portfolio will serve as an employment marketing tool.

(Objectives 3) Presentation of Project Proposal & Media Project (15% of Final

Grade)

Students will present the Senior Project to media professionals, faculty, staff

and/or students in the form of a Presentation.

Timeline

Objective Deadline

Proposal Pitch Students must have completed project proposal pitch and have proposal approved by the Third Week of the semester.

Proposal – Research Appropriate to Project

Proposals should have received final approval by the Sixth Week of the semester.

Project Production/Implementation

Throughout the semester.

Progress Reports Throughout the semester.

Completed Project Rough drafts of projects are due by the Thirteenth Week of the semester. Finalized projects are due the day of the Oral Presentations.

Presentation - Juried Presentations will be scheduled at the end of the semester, depending upon the availability of area professionals and faculty.


The MCOM 452 Senior Project course is a major component of assessment for

the Department of Mass Communications. Also, the course serves as preparation for

employment and professional and graduate school admissions.

57

Department of Music

Description of the Senior Recital Capstone Project

Senior Recital Capstone Project

The senior recital capstone project will be performed during the time that the

student is registered for senior level applied music, typically during the final two

semesters of enrollment at the University. The recital will consist of music selected from

various historical periods and styles. It is to be approximately thirty minutes in length.

No recital can be given unless the student is taking lessons on the instrument or voice

during the semester immediately prior as well as during the semester in which the recital

is taking place.

Approximately one month before the anticipated recital date, all recital material

must be ready to perform at the recital jury. Vocal and piano majors must perform by

memory. At the recital jury, a draft of the recital program is be submitted which is to

include translations and program notes on the performance literature. Permission to

perform the recital will be granted by the attending faculty following the: (1) satisfactory

performance of the recital music requested by the faculty, and (2) a suitable draft of the

recital program. The student will receive either a pass or fail for the jury.

Compositions must be performed at a level demonstrating a satisfactory level of

mastery suitable for public performance, as decided by the panel of faculty hearing the

recital jury. Prior to performing the recital, the student must obtain a written

confirmation of passing the recital jury. If a student fails his/her recital jury, and the time

left on the semester calendar allows it, he/she may retake the jury one more time two

weeks prior to the recital. If it is failed a second time, the student will receive the grade

58

of “F” for the semester, repeat the course next semester as well as repeat the jury process.

A senior recital jury will count as the end of the semester applied jury.

Recital Programs

All student recital programs will use the template adopted by the Department of

Music (an example is given toward the back of this handbook) for all printed programs.

Students will be provided 75 copies of programs without charge. Additional programs

may be purchased at the expense of the student.

Scheduling/Location

Dates, times, and facilities for student recitals must be scheduled with the music

department administrative assistant and University Plant Operations at the beginning

(first four weeks of classes starting) of the semester of the anticipated senior recital.

Ushers and stage assistants are the responsibility of the student performer. At least two

ushers and one stage assistant should be available to distribute programs and assist the

audience and/or accompanist.

All recitals will be recorded by the Department of Music. Additional recordings must be

approved by the applied instructor and/or department chair.

Encore Selections

An encore selection must be submitted and approved by the faculty who are

present during the jury. The selection should reflect the same quality, appropriateness and

preparation as the main body of the recital program. ONE encore is permitted, not to

exceed three (3) minutes.

59

Attire

Attire for recitals is as follows: Women: formal attire; Men: Black tuxedo and tie.

Corsages and boutonnieres are inappropriate and cannot be worn. Floral displays are not

permitted on stage.

Publicity

It is the student’s responsibility to promote their recital. NO posters shall be

placed on bare walls or doors in the Claflin University Music Center or the WVM Fine

Arts Center. Please see music administrative assistant for proper posting locations.

Approval from the Student Affairs office is required for all postings.


MUSC 411-412: Applied Voice Recital

Prerequisites: MUSC 311-312. Preparation for senior recital. MUSC 412 is NOT

required of Music Education majors; senior recital for Music Education majors will be

performed in MUSC 411. Proficiency in performing standard literature, scales, arpeggios,

and sight-reading are stressed. One hour each semester. Two hours.

MUSC 431-432: Applied Woodwind Recital

Prerequisites: MUSC 331-332. Preparation for senior recital and further

development of knowledge and performance ability on the student’s major instrument in

the woodwind family. Proficiency in performing standard literature, scales, arpeggios,

and sight-reading are stressed. Required of all majors with Instrumental Concentration

(Woodwind). MUSC 432 is NOT required of Music Education majors; senior recital for

60

Music Education majors will be performed in MUSC 431. One hour per semester. Two

hours.

MUSC 451-452: Applied Brass Recital


development of correct breathing, tone production, posture, embouchure, and articulation

as applicable. Proficiency in performing standard literature, scales, arpeggios, and sight-

reading are stressed. Required of all majors with Instrumental Concentration (Brasswind).

MUSC 452 is NOT required of Music Education majors; recital for Music Education

Majors will be performed in MUSC 451. One hour per semester. Two hours.

MUSC 461-462: Applied Percussion Recital


development of knowledge and performance skills on all major instruments of the

percussion family. Proficiency in performing standard literature, scales, arpeggios, and

sight-reading are stressed. Required of all majors with Instrumental Concentration

(Percussion). MUSC 462 is NOT required of Music Education majors; senior recital for

Music Education Majors will be performed in MUSC 461. One hour per semester. Two

hours.

MUSC 421-422: Applied Piano Recital

Prerequisites: MUSC 321-322. Preparation for senior recital. Senior recital for

Music Education majors will be performed in MUSC 421. MUSC 422 is not required of

Music Education Majors. Proficiency in performing standard literature, scales, arpeggios,

and sight-reading are stressed. One hour each semester. Two hours.

61

Timeline

Objective Deadline

Submission and approval of Senior

Recital

Fall semester September 15

Spring semester January 31

Schedule recital jury Approximately One (1) month before

anticipated recital date

Recital Performance Date scheduled and approved

Submission of grade for Applied Area When final grades are due for the

University


Note: The Recital Jury is a Pass or Fail Grade. The senior recital performance

will be given an actual letter grade based on the quality of the performance.

62

Department of Philosophy and Religion


Students enrolled in the Department of Philosophy and Religion are required to

complete the senior capstone project by the end of their senior year. The required

capstone project is a research paper presented in the Philosophy or Religion Senior

Thesis Course. This is preceded by the Senior Seminar in which students are required to

enroll in the previous semester. These courses are designed and developed to strengthen

the research, oratorical and writing skills of philosophy and religion students.

Students will be required to research and write a paper in a selected area related to

the study of philosophy or religion. The completed project will be presented to both the

students and faculty of the department of philosophy and religion and will be evaluated

on research, originality, creativity and oral presentation. Students will have an

opportunity to answer project related questions poised by either faculty or students.

Students will then have one month from the presentation of the project to revise and

correct the paper.


Senior Seminar 490

This course is designed to explore subject matter related to the fields of either

philosophy or religion. For example, the senior seminar in religion explores subjects

relative to religious and theological thought. Students are expected to demonstrate

competency in Biblical Literature, Theology, World Religions, Ethics, Church History,

and the African American Religious Experience.

63

Senior Thesis 491

This is a research guided course in which students are required to research, write

and present a graduate level paper to the Department of Philosophy and Religion (faculty

and students) during the second semester of their senior year. Students will be guided by

a member of the philosophy and religion faculty on an approved research topic.

Timeline

Students enrolled in the thesis course are required to have completed and

presented their projects by the last week of March of the spring semester in which they

have enrolled for the course. This will allow time for the department of philosophy and

religion to evaluate and grade the projects and for the students to make revisions and

corrections. The date for final submission will be the third week of April.

64

School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Department of Biology


Non-Honors College students have the option to either complete an undergraduate

level Thesis paper as the Senior Capstone or to fulfill the requirement through production

of a Research Proposal. When a student chooses to complete a thesis, the guidelines for

the Honors Research Thesis outlined in the previous chapter will apply, however, the

student will enroll in the courses described below rather than in the HNTH 391-491

series.

The Research Proposal is a fully described plan for scientific research complete

with a research hypothesis to be validated, a statement of the significance associated with

answering the scientific question (intellectual merits), a detailed list of specific research

objectives, a complete review of relevant scientific literature on the topic, a detailed

proposal of experiments to be performed in the validation of the hypothesis and a review

of the challenges and pitfalls of the research being proposed. An integral part of the

Capstone project is presentation of the proposed research to a body of peers (as part of

Senior Seminar class) and a committee composed of three previously identified faculty

members two of whom must be members of the biology department faculty. The capstone

project committee will judge the intellectual merit of your project and the quality of the

final written proposal. The final proposal must include a research hypothesis that is

clearly defined, that addresses a significant biological problem, and clearly articulates the

means by which that hypothesis will be tested. A successful capstone project will also

65

have a well written, detailed review of peer-reviewed scientific journal articles relevant to

the topic that serves to document what is known about the topic, establishes the rationale

behind the hypothesis to be tested, introduces relevant background on the experimental

approaches to be used, and discusses all prior related research in a comprehensive and

clearly articulated manner. It must also include a list of all citations used in the name,

date format as described in Scientific Style and format The CBE Manual for Authors,

Editors, and Publishers. Seventh Edition. Cambridge University press.


BIOL 191: Freshman Seminar I (Not required for incoming freshman students

matriculating in the Fall 2012 academic year)

Weekly sessions designed to introduce freshman students in the School of Natural

Sciences and Mathematics students to the world of science and mathematics, including

“How to Study Science” study habits, test-taking strategies, time management skills,

library searches and critical thinking skills. Discussion and study groups will be formed

among students and faculty. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and

completion of course requirements. One-half hour credit.

BIOL 192: Freshman Seminar II (Not required for incoming freshman students


Weekly sessions designed to introduce students to career options, curricula

options, departmental requirements, University requirements, graduate and professional

school requirements and meet professionals in various science careers. Students will

place the first entry in a Student Portfolio/Capstone. This entry will include their career

66

goals and their plan for reaching their goal. The entry will be evaluated by the teacher of

the course. The Student is to keep a copy of the plan and a copy is to remain in the

students file and passed on to the Advisor to whom the student is assigned upon

acceptance into the major. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and


BIOL 291: Sophomore Seminar I

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in Freshman Seminar I and Freshman Seminar II, a

grade of “C” or better in BIOL 121, BIOL 122, BIOL 211 and 212, CHEM 121, CHEM

122 and acceptance into the major. The sophomore seminar series is designed to

introduce sophomore students to the scientific method, scientific writing and problem

solving. Assignments and discussions will concentrate on basic science skills, including

scientific experimentation and analyses, reading comprehension for scientific literature

and writing and problem-solving skills. Successful completion of this Portfolio/Capstone

segment will be indicated by a passing grade for the course. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will

be based on attendance and completion of course requirements. One-half hour credit.

BIOL 292: Sophomore Seminar II

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in Sophomore Seminar I. This is a continuation

course in the sophomore seminar series designed to continue to expose sophomore

students to the scientific method, scientific writing and problem solving. Assignments

and discussions will concentrate on basic science skills, including scientific

experimentation and analyses, reading comprehension for scientific literature and writing,

scientific ethics and integrity and problem-solving skills. Reviews in preparation for

departmental and standardized exams may also be conducted. Portfolio entries will

67

include personal statements and C.V.s developed for internship applications as well as

information on program acceptances or a self-assessment of reasons for non-successful

applications. Successful completion of this portfolio/capstone segment will be indicated

by a passing grade for the course. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and

completion of course requirements. One-half hour credit

BIOL 391-392: Junior Seminar I

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” Sophomore Seminar II. The first course in a two-

semester sequence designed to initiate the thesis/proposal process required for

graduation. This course is an introduction to research, research methodology, problem-

solving, and research-related writing in the student’s chosen field of study. Students will

collect and review literature related to areas of interest and select a thesis/proposal topic

in addition to satisfying other course requirements described above. The student must

take the initiative in seeking a faculty member (with approval of Department Chair and

School Dean) with expertise in the area of interest who will serve as the Thesis/Proposal

Advisor to help in the design and supervision of the project. In addition, the student must

select three faculty members, in consultation with Thesis/Proposal Advisor, one of whom

must be the Thesis/Proposal Advisor, who agree to serve as the student’s Thesis/Proposal

Committee. A final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance, course assignments,

and completion of the literature review. One-half hour credit.

BIOL 392: Junior Seminar II

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” Junior Seminar I. The second course in a two-

semester sequence designed to further the thesis/proposal process required for graduation.

This course is designed to write a Research Prospectus outlining the goals and

68

methodology for the thesis/proposal project. The deadline for submission of the

Prospectus to the Department will fall on October 15th (for off-sequence students) or

March 15th. A final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance, course assignments,

and acceptance of the prospectus by the Department and approval of the topic by the

Office of Undergraduate Research. One-half hour credit.

BIOL 491: Senior Seminar I

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status and a grade of “P” Junior Seminar II.

Seniors will work toward the completion of a proposal/thesis draft for their

thesis/proposal adviser in adherence with the specific format approved for their major.

(Students opting for the thesis may also conduct the necessary research during this time

and may be concurrently enrolled in BIOL/CHEM 420, 421, 422 or 423, Senior

Research.). Final grades (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and the successful and

timely submission of first draft of the thesis/proposal. One-half hour credit.

BIOL 492: Senior Seminar II

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status and a grade of “P” Senior Seminar I.

Seniors will present a proposal/thesis seminar to the department. Students opting for the

research thesis will also be required to formally defend their thesis before their thesis

committee. The final grade (Pass/Fail) for the course will be based upon approval by the

Thesis/Proposal Committee as signified by their signatures on the final thesis/proposal

document. Thesis will be submitted to the Claflin University Registrar. The final

Capstone document thesis/proposal will be archived in the students’ respective

departments. The deadline* for completion of the thesis/proposal is October 15th (for

December graduation) and March 15th (for May graduation). One-half hour credit.

69

Timeline

Students Preparing Research Proposal

Objective Relevant

Course

Deadline

Identification of career goals and

development of plan to realize goals

BIOL 192 Second Friday of April in

Freshman year

Development of scientific writing and test

taking skills *1

BIOL 291 First Semester of

Sophomore year *1

Development of personal statements and

C.V.s for internship applications *2

BIOL 292 Second Semester of

Sophomore year *2

Submission and approval of Capstone

project topic

BIOL 391 First semester of junior

year; See syllabus for

specific date *3

Initiation of journal research activities.

Juniors will collect and review scientific

literature related to their topic,

BIOL 391 First semester of junior

year; See syllabus for

specific date *3

Agreement of 3 Faculty to serve as

committee members for capstone project

First Semester of Junior

Year See syllabus for

specific date

Students will also present in-class

seminars from the literature review of

their topics.


Junior year

Submission of Capstone Project

prospectus

BIOL 392 March 15th *4

Continuation of journal research activities BIOL 491 First Semester of Senior

year

Meeting with Research Advisor a

minimum of three times to discuss

prospectus topic progress; must collect

signatures from research advisor

BIOL 491 First Semester of Senior

year See syllabus for

specific date

Completion of research activities BIOL 491 End of First Semester of

senior year

Draft of full Capstone Project due BIOL 491 End of First Semester of

Senior year, see syllabus

Submission and approval of full Capstone

Project

BIOL 492 March 15th, Senior year

*5

Seminar presentation of Capstone project

and collection of signatures from all

committee members on final copy of

thesis


Senior year, See syllabus

for specific date *6

70

*1 Successful completion of this capstone segment will be indicated by a passing grade

for BIOL 291


for BIOL 292


for BIOL 391


for BIOL 392


for BIOL 492


for BIOL 492

For Non- Honors Students Preparing Theses

Objective Deadline





th for





th for


Seminar on thesis topic during

assigned sessions for Annual Research

Day (by arrangement in November for

out-of-sequence students)

Mid-April of the senior year (by arrangement

in November for out-of-sequence students)

71

Department of Chemistry

Description of Senior Capstone

All students in the Department of Chemistry must complete a Senior Research

Thesis regardless of whether or not they are members of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors

College. The guidelines for the Honors Research Thesis outlined in the previous chapter

will apply, however, the student will enroll in the courses described below rather than in

the HNTH 391-491 series.

As their Capstone Project, students are required to produce a substantive and

original thesis under the guidance of a selected faculty advisor. Intensive reading and

utilization of primary documents directs the initial preparation for the research. This

process begins in the first semester of the junior year and continues through the senior

year. The student must perform scientific research as the basis of the Thesis. The thesis

is to be completed and approved by October 15 or March 15 of the student’s last

semester* (or the last school day before these dates if they fall on a holiday). Prior to

these dates, the students must defend his or her work before a committee of faculty and

then give a public presentation of the finished product.

Courses for the Senior Capstone for Non-Honors Students

CHEM 191: Freshman Seminar I (Not required for incoming freshman students





72




CHEM 192: Freshman Seminar II (Not required for incoming freshman students











CHEM 291: Sophomore Seminar I

Prerequisites: “C” or better in Chemistry 121 and 122 and acceptance into the major. The

sophomore seminar series is designed to introduce sophomore students to the scientific

method, scientific writing and problem solving. Assignments and discussions will

concentrate on basic science skills, including scientific experimentation and analyses,

reading comprehension for scientific literature and writing and problem-solving skills.

Successful completion of this Portfolio/Capstone segment will be indicated by a passing

grade for the course. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and completion

73

of course requirements. One-half hour credit.

CHEM 292: Sophomore Seminar II

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in Sophomore Seminar I. This is a continuation

course in the sophomore seminar series designed to continue to expose sophomore



experimentation and analyses, reading comprehension for scientific literature and writing,

scientific ethics and integrity and problem-solving skills. Reviews in preparation for

departmental and standardized exams may also be conducted. Portfolio entries will

include personal statements and C.V.s developed for internship applications as well as

information on program acceptances or a self-assessment of reasons for non-successful

applications. Successful completion of this portfolio/capstone segment will be indicated

by a passing grade for the course. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and

completion of course requirements. One-half hour credit

CHEM 391-392: Junior Seminar I

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in Sophomore Seminar II. The first course in a

two-semester sequence designed to initiate the thesis/proposal process required for






74







CHEM 392: Junior Seminar II

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in, Junior Seminar I. The second course in a two-








CHEM 491: Senior Seminar I

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status and a grade of “P” Junior Seminar I.




and may be concurrently enrolled in BIOL/CHEM 420, 421, 422 or 423, Senior

Research.). Final grades (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and the successful and

75

timely submission of first draft of the thesis/proposal. One-half hour credit.

BIOL 492: Senior Seminar II

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status and a grade of “P” in Junior Seminar II,

Senior Seminar I. Seniors will present a proposal/thesis seminar to the department.

Students opting for the research thesis will also be required to formally defend their thesis

before their thesis committee. The final grade (Pass/Fail) for the course will be based

upon approval by the Thesis/Proposal Committee as signified by their signatures on the

final thesis/proposal document. Thesis will be submitted to the Claflin University

Registrar. The final Capstone document thesis/proposal will be archived in the students’

respective departments. The deadline* for completion of the thesis/proposal is October

15th (for December graduation) and March 15th (for May graduation). One-half hour

credit.

Timeline

Objective Deadline





th for





th for


Seminar on thesis topic at the assigned

session on the Annual Research Day

Mid-April of the senior year (by arrangement

in November for out-of-sequence students)

76

Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences


Students, under the advisement of a faculty member, are required to complete

either a Thesis or a Research Proposal that permits a student to demonstrate that they are

able to:

1. Think critically and communicate effectively;

2. Apply valid reasoning processes to solve problems;

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of their specific discipline as

represented in the requisite coursework for acceptance into the major. And will

also be able to practice that understanding as a profession or pursue further study

or research in that area.

Non-Honors College students have the option to either complete an undergraduate level

Thesis paper as the Senior Capstone or to fulfill the requirement through production of a

Research Proposal. When a student chooses to complete a thesis, the guidelines for the

Honors Research Thesis outlined in the previous chapter will apply, however, the student

will enroll in the courses described below rather than in the HNTH 391-491 series.

The Research Proposal is a fully described plan for scientific research complete

with a research hypothesis to be validated, a statement of the significance associated with

answering the scientific question (intellectual merits), a detailed list of specific research

objectives, a complete review of relevant scientific literature on the topic, a detailed

proposal of experiments to be performed in the validation of the hypothesis and a review

of the challenges and pitfalls of the research being proposed. An integral part of the

Capstone project is presentation of the proposed research to a body of peers (as part of

Senior Seminar class) and a committee composed of three previously identified faculty

77

members two of whom must be members of the mathematics and computer sciences

department faculty. The capstone project committee will judge the intellectual merit of

your project and the quality of the final written proposal. The final proposal must include

a research hypothesis that is clearly defined, that addresses a significant problem, and

clearly articulates the means by which that hypothesis will be tested. A successful

capstone project will also have a well written, detailed review of peer-reviewed scientific

journal articles relevant to the topic that serves to document what is known about the

topic, establishes the rationale behind the hypothesis to be tested, introduces relevant

background on the experimental approaches to be used, and discusses all prior related

research in a comprehensive and clearly articulated manner. It must also include a list of

all citations used in the appropriate format for the discipline. For Computer Science and

Computer Engineering this is the IEEE style, for Mathematics and Statistics it is the

AMS style and for Applied Mathematics either AMS or AIP would be appropriate.


CSCI or MATH 191: Freshman Seminar I (Not required for incoming freshman

students matriculating in the Fall 2012 academic year)







78

CSCI or MATH 192: Freshman Seminar II (Not required for incoming freshman

students matriculating in the Fall 2012 academic year)










CSCI or MATH 291: Sophomore Seminar I

Prerequisites:. The sophomore seminar series is designed to introduce sophomore



experimentation and analyses, reading comprehension for scientific literature and writing

and problem-solving skills. Successful completion of this Portfolio/Capstone segment

will be indicated by a passing grade for the course. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based

on attendance and completion of course requirements. One-half hour credit.

CSCI or MATH 292: Sophomore Seminar II

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” Sophomore Seminar I. This is a continuation course

in the sophomore seminar series designed to continue to expose sophomore students to

the scientific method, scientific writing and problem solving. Assignments and

79

discussions will concentrate on basic science skills, including scientific experimentation

and analyses, reading comprehension for scientific literature and writing, scientific ethics

and integrity and problem-solving skills. Reviews in preparation for departmental and

standardized exams may also be conducted. Portfolio entries will include personal

statements and C.V.s developed for internship applications as well as information on

program acceptances or a self-assessment of reasons for non-successful applications.

Successful completion of this portfolio/capstone segment will be indicated by a passing

grade for the course. Final grade (Pass/Fail) will be based on attendance and completion

of course requirements. One-half hour credit

CSCI or MATH 391-392: Junior Seminar I

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in Sophomore Seminar II. The first course in a two-

semester sequence designed to initiate the thesis/proposal process required for












80

CSCI or MATH 392: Junior Seminar II

Prerequisites: A grade of “P” in Junior Seminar I. The second course in a two-








CSCI or MATH 491: Senior Seminar I

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status and a grade of “P” in Junior Seminar I.




and may be concurrently enrolled in Senior Research courses.). Final grades (Pass/Fail)

will be based on attendance and the successful and timely submission of first draft of the

thesis/proposal. One-half hour credit.

CSCI or MATH 492: Senior Seminar II

Prerequisites: Graduating senior status and a grade of “P” in Senior Seminar I.

Seniors will present a proposal/thesis seminar to the department. Students opting for the

research thesis will also be required to formally defend their thesis before their thesis

committee. The final grade (Pass/Fail) for the course will be based upon approval by the

81

Thesis/Proposal Committee as signified by their signatures on the final thesis/proposal

document. Thesis will be submitted to the Claflin University Registrar. The final

Capstone document thesis/proposal will be archived in the students’ respective

departments. The deadline* for completion of the thesis/proposal is October 15th (for

December graduation) and March 15th (for May graduation). One-half hour credit.

Timeline

Students Preparing Research Proposal

Objective Deadline

Identification of career goals and development of

plan to realize goals

Second Friday of April in

Freshman year

Development of scientific writing and test taking

skills

First Semester of Sophomore year

Development of personal statements and C.V.s for

internship applications

Second Semester of Sophomore

year

Submission and approval of Capstone project topic First semester of junior year; See

syllabus for specific date

Initiation of journal research activities. Juniors will

collect and review scientific literature related to

their topic,

First semester of junior year; See


Agreement of 3 Faculty to serve as committee

members for capstone project

First Semester of Junior Year See


Students will also present in-class seminars from

the literature review of their topics.

Second Semester of Junior year

Submission of Capstone Project prospectus March 15th

Continuation of journal research activities First Semester of Senior year

Meeting with Research Advisor a minimum of

three times to discuss prospectus topic progress;

must collect signatures from research advisor

First Semester of Senior year See


Completion of research activities End of First Semester of senior

year

Draft of full Capstone Project due End of First Semester of Senior

year, see syllabus

Submission and approval of full Capstone Project March 15th, Senior year

Seminar presentation of Capstone project and

collection of signatures from all committee

members on final copy of thesis

Second Semester of Senior year,

See syllabus for specific date

82

For Non- Honors Students Preparing Theses

Objective Deadline





th for






th for


Seminar on thesis topic during the

assigned session at the Annual

Research Date (by arrangement in

November for out-of-sequence

students)


Education Majors***, (by arrangement in

November for out-of-sequence students)

83

CHAPTER III:

HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH

84

Human Subject Research

General Information

Arising from recognition of ethical issues that surround the use of human subjects

for the purpose of research, the United States government has put regulations in place to

protect individuals from harm. These protections are codified in the Code of Federal

Regulations, Title 45, Public Welfare, Department of Health and Human Services, Part

46, Protection of Human Subjects. This document can be found at the following URL

(http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html). Pertinent sections are

reprinted below. A practical guide for student compliance with these guidelines will

follow this section (page 11).

Definitions

§46.102 Definitions.

(a) Department or agency head means the head of any federal department or

agency and any other officer or employee of any department or agency to

whom authority has been delegated.

(b) Institution means any public or private entity or agency (including

federal, state, and other agencies).

(c) Legally authorized representative means an individual or judicial or other

body authorized under applicable law to consent on behalf of a prospective

subject to the subject's participation in the procedure(s) involved in the

research.

(d) Research means a systematic investigation, including research

development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute

to generalizable knowledge. Activities which meet this definition

constitute research for purposes of this policy, whether or not they are

conducted or supported under a program which is considered research

for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service

programs may include research activities.

(e) Research subject to regulation, and similar terms are intended to

encompass those research activities for which a federal department or agency

has specific responsibility for regulating as a research activity, (for example,

Investigational New Drug requirements administered by the Food and Drug

Administration). It does not include research activities which are incidentally

regulated by a federal department or agency solely as part of the department's

85

or agency's broader responsibility to regulate certain types of activities whether

research or non-research in nature (for example, Wage and Hour requirements

administered by the Department of Labor).

(f) Human subject means a living individual about whom an

investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research

obtains

(1) Data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or

(2) Identifiable private information.

§46.101 To what does this policy apply?

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this policy applies to

all research involving human subjects conducted, supported or otherwise

subject to regulation by any federal department or agency which takes

appropriate administrative action to make the policy applicable to such

research. This includes research conducted by federal civilian employees or

military personnel, except that each department or agency head may adopt

such procedural modifications as may be appropriate from an administrative

standpoint. It also includes research conducted, supported, or otherwise subject to regulation by the federal government outside the United States.

(1) Research that is conducted or supported by a federal department or

agency, whether or not it is regulated as defined in §46.102, must comply with all sections of this policy.

(2) Research that is neither conducted nor supported by a federal

department or agency but is subject to regulation as defined in §46.102(e)

must be reviewed and approved, in compliance with §46.101, §46.102, and

§46.107 through §46.117 of this policy, by an institutional review board (IRB) that operates in accordance with the pertinent requirements of this policy.

(b) Unless otherwise required by department or agency heads, research

activities in which the only involvement of human subjects will be in one or

more of the following categories are exempt from this policy:

(1) Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational

settings, involving normal educational practices, such as (i) research on

regular and special education instructional strategies, or (ii) research on the

effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.

(2) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic,

aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or

observation of public behavior, unless:

(i) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects

can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (ii)

any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research could

reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing, employability, or reputation.

(3) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic,

aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or

observation of public behavior that is not exempt under paragraph (b)(2) of

this section, if:

86

(i) the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates

for public office; or (ii) federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that

the confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.

(4) Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents,

records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are

publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such

a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

(5) Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject

to the approval of department or agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine:

(i) Public benefit or service programs; (ii) procedures for obtaining benefits or

services under those programs; (iii) possible changes in or alternatives to

those programs or procedures; or (iv) possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.

(6) Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, (i) if

wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (ii) if a food is consumed

that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be

safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the

level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by

the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(c) Department or agency heads retain final judgment as to whether a particular activity is covered by this policy.

(d) Department or agency heads may require that specific research activities

or classes of research activities conducted, supported, or otherwise subject to

regulation by the department or agency but not otherwise covered by this policy, comply with some or all of the requirements of this policy.

(e) Compliance with this policy requires compliance with pertinent federal laws or regulations which provide additional protections for human subjects.

(f) This policy does not affect any state or local laws or regulations which

may otherwise be applicable and which provide additional protections for human subjects.

(g) This policy does not affect any foreign laws or regulations which may

otherwise be applicable and which provide additional protections to human subjects of research.

(h) When research covered by this policy takes place in foreign countries,

procedures normally followed in the foreign countries to protect human

subjects may differ from those set forth in this policy. [An example is a

foreign institution which complies with guidelines consistent with the World

Medical Assembly Declaration (Declaration of Helsinki amended 1989) issued

either by sovereign states or by an organization whose function for the

protection of human research subjects is internationally recognized.] In these

circumstances, if a department or agency head determines that the

87

procedures prescribed by the institution afford protections that are at least

equivalent to those provided in this policy, the department or agency head

may approve the substitution of the foreign procedures in lieu of the

procedural requirements provided in this policy. Except when otherwise

required by statute, Executive Order, or the department or agency head,

notices of these actions as they occur will be published in the FEDERAL

REGISTER or will be otherwise published as provided in department or agency procedures.

(i) Unless otherwise required by law, department or agency heads may waive

the applicability of some or all of the provisions of this policy to specific

research activities or classes or research activities otherwise covered by this

policy. Except when otherwise required by statute or Executive Order, the

department or agency head shall forward advance notices of these actions to

the Office for Human Research Protections, Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS), or any successor office, and shall also publish them in the

FEDERAL REGISTER or in such other manner as provided in department or agency procedures.1

1 Institutions with HHS-approved assurances on file will abide by provisions of

Title 45 CFR part 46 subparts A-D. Some of the other departments and

agencies have incorporated all provisions of Title 45 CFR part 46 into their

policies and procedures as well. However, the exemptions at 45 CFR

46.101(b) do not apply to research involving prisoners, subpart C. The

exemption at 45 CFR 46.101(b)(2), for research involving survey or interview

procedures or observation of public behavior, does not apply to research with

children, subpart D, except for research involving observations of public

behavior when the investigator(s) do not participate in the activities being observed.

The Role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)

§46.108 IRB functions and operations.

In order to fulfill the requirements of this policy each IRB shall:

(a) Follow written procedures in the same detail as described in §46.103(b)(4) and, to the extent required by, §46.103(b)(5).

(b) Except when an expedited review procedure is used (see §46.110),

review proposed research at convened meetings at which a majority of the

members of the IRB are present, including at least one member whose

primary concerns are in nonscientific areas. In order for the research to be

approved, it shall receive the approval of a majority of those members present at the meeting.

§46.109 IRB review of research.

(a) An IRB shall review and have authority to approve, require modifications

in (to secure approval), or disapprove all research activities covered by this policy.

(b) An IRB shall require that information given to subjects as part of

informed consent is in accordance with §46.116. The IRB may require that

88

information, in addition to that specifically mentioned in §46.116, be given to

the subjects when in the IRB's judgment the information would meaningfully add to the protection of the rights and welfare of subjects.

(c) An IRB shall require documentation of informed consent or may waive documentation in accordance with §46.117.

(d) An IRB shall notify investigators and the institution in writing of its

decision to approve or disapprove the proposed research activity, or of

modifications required to secure IRB approval of the research activity. If the

IRB decides to disapprove a research activity, it shall include in its written

notification a statement of the reasons for its decision and give the investigator an opportunity to respond in person or in writing.

(e) An IRB shall conduct continuing review of research covered by this policy

at intervals appropriate to the degree of risk, but not less than once per year,

and shall have authority to observe or have a third party observe the consent

process and the research.

Informed Consent

§46.116 General requirements for informed consent.

Except as provided elsewhere in this policy, no investigator may involve a

human being as a subject in research covered by this policy unless the

investigator has obtained the legally effective informed consent of the subject

or the subject's legally authorized representative. An investigator shall seek

such consent only under circumstances that provide the prospective subject

or the representative sufficient opportunity to consider whether or not to

participate and that minimize the possibility of coercion or undue influence.

The information that is given to the subject or the representative shall be in

language understandable to the subject or the representative. No informed

consent, whether oral or written, may include any exculpatory language

through which the subject or the representative is made to waive or appear

to waive any of the subject's legal rights, or releases or appears to release

the investigator, the sponsor, the institution or its agents from liability for negligence.

(a) Basic elements of informed consent. Except as provided in paragraph (c)

or (d) of this section, in seeking informed consent the following information

shall be provided to each subject:

(1) A statement that the study involves research, an explanation of the

purposes of the research and the expected duration of the subject's

participation, a description of the procedures to be followed, and identification of any procedures which are experimental;

(2) A description of any reasonably foreseeable risks or discomforts to the subject;

(3) A description of any benefits to the subject or to others which may reasonably be expected from the research;

(4) A disclosure of appropriate alternative procedures or courses of

89

treatment, if any, that might be advantageous to the subject;

(5) A statement describing the extent, if any, to which confidentiality of records identifying the subject will be maintained;

(6) For research involving more than minimal risk, an explanation as to

whether any compensation and an explanation as to whether any medical

treatments are available if injury occurs and, if so, what they consist of, or where further information may be obtained;

(7) An explanation of whom to contact for answers to pertinent questions

about the research and research subjects' rights, and whom to contact in the event of a research-related injury to the subject; and

(8) A statement that participation is voluntary, refusal to participate will

involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise

entitled and the subject may discontinue participation at any time without

penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise entitled.

(b) Additional elements of informed consent. When appropriate, one or more

of the following elements of information shall also be provided to each subject:

(1) A statement that the particular treatment or procedure may involve risks

to the subject (or to the embryo or fetus, if the subject is or may become pregnant) which are currently unforeseeable;

(2) Anticipated circumstances under which the subject's participation may be terminated by the investigator without regard to the subject's consent;

(3) Any additional costs to the subject that may result from participation in the research;

(4) The consequences of a subject's decision to withdraw from the research and procedures for orderly termination of participation by the subject;

(5) A statement that significant new findings developed during the course of

the research which may relate to the subject's willingness to continue participation will be provided to the subject; and

(6) The approximate number of subjects involved in the study.

(c) An IRB may approve a consent procedure which does not include, or

which alters, some or all of the elements of informed consent set forth above,

or waive the requirement to obtain informed consent provided the IRB finds and documents that:

(1) The research or demonstration project is to be conducted by or subject

to the approval of state or local government officials and is designed to study,

evaluate, or otherwise examine: (i) public benefit or service programs; (ii)

procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs; (iii)

possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or (iv)

possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services

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under those programs; and

(2) The research could not practicably be carried out without the waiver or alteration.

(d) An IRB may approve a consent procedure which does not include, or

which alters, some or all of the elements of informed consent set forth in this

section, or waive the requirements to obtain informed consent provided the IRB finds and documents that:

(1) The research involves no more than minimal risk to the subjects;

(2) The waiver or alteration will not adversely affect the rights and welfare of the subjects;

(3) The research could not practicably be carried out without the waiver or alteration; and

(4) Whenever appropriate, the subjects will be provided with additional pertinent information after participation.

(e) The informed consent requirements in this policy are not intended to

preempt any applicable federal, state, or local laws which require additional

information to be disclosed in order for informed consent to be legally effective.

(f) Nothing in this policy is intended to limit the authority of a physician to

provide emergency medical care, to the extent the physician is permitted to

do so under applicable federal, state, or local law.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number 0990-0260.)

[56 FR 28012, 28022, June 18, 1991, as amended at 70 FR 36328, June 23, 2005]

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Interpretation of Applicable Human Subjects Research Regulations for Claflin

Students

Please be reminded that any student at Claflin University who conducts research

associated with the institution in any way must be supervised by a faculty research

mentor.

Types of Projects which must be reviewed

All human subjects research will require IRB approval. Human subjects research

is defined as research which involves studies conducted whether in the laboratory or in

the field. Included activities would be surveys, interviews, focus groups and certain

observational studies* of the type often associated with social or biomedical sciences.

This includes research that is part of a class assignment or a research project such as

those conducted for the purpose of completing the Claflin University Senior Capstone.

*Note: Natural observations of human behaviors in public places where the

subjects are in no way interacted with are not included.

Reviews can fall into three categories. They may be exempted from further

review if they fall into one of the exemption categories listed in 46.101.b. of the Federal

Code 45 above. They may be eligible for expedited review or they may require full

review by the full IRB. This is determined by the level of risk, the type of intervention,

and/or the subject population.

Examples:

o Interview study of persons affected by gang violence

o Oral history of the Orangeburg Massacre

o Videotaping of athletes to determine indicators of concussions

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o Study of eating and nutritional attitudes of third graders (this would be

considered a vulnerable population and includes additional protective

measures)

o A survey of attitudes toward protected sexual activity among college

students

o Investigating how economic decisions are made by small business

entrepreneurs

o Determine circulation of serum antibodies of hepatitis C among retirees in

the Pee Dee region of South Carolina

Process for IRB Review Application

Determining Type of Review

First, determine which IRB application form applies to your project. This is

decided in the following way:

1) If your research is part of a project that belongs to your research mentors’

research program or laboratory, and is funded by a sponsoring agency (National Institutes

of Health, Department of Justice, National Science Foundation, or some other agency or

foundation) your mentor will file for IRB approval through the Claflin University

Sponsored Programs Office. Ask you mentor to see if this applies to you.

2) If your research is part of a class assignment wherein all students are

conducting the exact same assignment with a common research design, your instructor

will submit the IRB for the overall class project. This type of application is submitted

directly to the Office of Research and Undergraduate Research.

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3) In all other cases wherein you are an individual student conducting a research

projected that you and your mentor have designed, you will use the Student IRB

Application form. Those forms are included in this document and available on the

webpage for the Office of Research and Undergraduate Research. This type of

application is submitted directly to the Office of Research and Undergraduate Research.

Requirement of Certificate for Human Subjects Research Training

All students whose research involves human subjects must undergo and provide

certification of training in human subjects research. The National Institutes of Health

hosts a website that allow for such training. That site can be found at the following URL:

http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php. A copy of the certification must accompany

the Student Application for IRB Review form when that form is submitted to the Office

of Research and Undergraduate Research.

Timeline

Once filed, please allow 7 – 10 days for Exempt or Expedited Reviews. Allow up

to one month for Full Board Reviews.

Research may not begin until the review is complete and you have received the

written response from the IRB.

APPLICATION FOR STUDENT RESEARCHERS

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD

CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

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Directions:

Claflin students who intend to conduct research involving human subjects must

follow the instructions listed below:

1) Complete this form with your faculty supervisor (class professor, thesis director,

or research advisor). Consult with them on all of your research methods (e.g.

written or online survey, elicitation images, or words, etc.) that need approval by

the Claflin Institutional Review Board (IRB). Your supervisor must approve all

final forms and research methods before you submit your request to the IRB. If

you are required to revise your proposal, or need to amend your methodology,

those changes need to be approved by your supervisor as well before you

resubmit them to the IRB.

2) Once your supervisor has approved your IRB proposal, email this form and any

other pertinent forms as attachments to the Chair of the IRB.



CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

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Student Investigator

Name:

Campus Address:

Phone #:

Email:

Supervisor’s Name:

Supervisor’s Phone #:

Supervisor’s Email:

I have discussed this form, and all attached surveys and research methods that will

be part of my project, with my supervisor. My supervisor has approved the project

and all forms. Note: your proposal will not be reviewed by the IRB until this box

is checked.

Project

Title:

Anticipated Starting Date:

Anticipated Completion Date:

State the purpose/objective/aims of your research

Describe the methods of data collection and record-keeping. List all attached copies of

surveys, interview schedules and questions, or other pertinent documents.

Participants (double click on the appropriate boxes and choose “checked” as the default

value)

Children/minors (under 18 yrs. old)

Adults

Pregnant Women, Fetuses or Neonates

Institutionalized persons (e.g. prisoners)



CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

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Cognitively impaired persons (e.g. with cognitive, psychiatric, or developmental

disorders, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs).

Other:

• Institutional affiliation of participants

• Anticipated number of participants

• How will participants be recruited?

• Describe participant incentives, if any.

• Describe possible emotional, physical, or other risks to participants, if any. “Risk”

is defined as the probability of physical, psychological, social or economic harm

or injury as a result of participation in a research study. “Minimal risk” is when

the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort in the research are not

greater, in and of themselves, than those ordinarily experienced in daily life or

during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

• Describe benefits for participants, if any.

• Describe deception with participants, if any. Withholding details about the

specifics of one’s hypothesis does not constitute deception. However, misleading

participants about the nature of the research question or about the nature of the

task they will be completing does constitute deception.

• If your project study includes deception, please describe the process you will use,

why the deception is necessary, and a full description of your debriefing

procedures.

Voluntary Participation & Protection of Identity

(Note: this section does NOT apply to unobtrusive observation of public behavior)

• For research involving participants who are minors (under the age of 18), will

permission be obtained from the parents/guardians?

N/A Participants will not be minors

Yes Please attach parental consent form.

No Please explain why not

• How will you document informed consent? Check all that will apply.

Signed consent form. Include consent form with this application as a

separate attachment.



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‘Click’ consent for an on-line survey. Include the on-line survey with this

application as a separate attachment.

Consent statement to accompany anonymous paper survey. Include your

survey with this application as a separate attachment.

Oral consent (please explain the reason below)

I will not be documenting consent (please explain why below)

• Will information be collected that allows you or others to identify the human

subjects?

No All information will be collected anonymously.

Yes Explain how you will protect the confidentiality of the individual

participants.

• What do you intend to do with your data or results? Who will have access to your

data? Do you plan to present, publish, or otherwise distribute information about

your research findings? Explain.

For IRB use only:

_____Approved ____Approved with revisions _______Not Approved

________________________ ________________ __________

Print Chair’s Name Chair’s Signature Date

Proposal #: A__________________

Prepared by the Office of Research

and Undergraduate Research

Division of Academic Affairs

Claflin University


2012

The University reserves the right to make changes to this Guidebook as needed upon

approval of the University Faculty

claflin university undergraduate capstone project … · the capstone requirement for claflin...

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