The Honors Capstone Project

The Capstone Project allows you, working closely with an Advisor, to define and complete a line of research or creative activity appropriate to the conclusion of a serious and substantial undergraduate program of study. The Project is typically done in your major, although it may be informed by other interests and experiences. Students with multiple majors generally complete their Capstone Project in one, but often incorporate insights or expertise from their other major(s) into the final work. (You may petition to pursue an interdisciplinary project combining more than one major). The Capstone Project provides excellent preparation for graduate work or employment and also a solid credential. But its most important satisfactions are inherent: it allows you thoroughly and creatively to pursue a question, problem, or project about which you care deeply. Seniors and graduates regularly report that the completion of the Capstone Project, although demanding, was among their most gratifying and beneficial undergraduate experiences.

You produce the body of your Honors Capstone Project by working one-on-one with a faculty member. These projects can be undertaken in any discipline offered at the university, and may take a variety of forms, including screenplays, engineering projects, dramatic performances, in-depth research papers, sculptures, musical compositions, and more.

That said, Capstone Projects generally culminate in one of the following:

• a written thesis;
• a model, prototype, or computer program (as in Architecture, Engineering, or Industrial Design);
• an artistic work (e.g., poetry, a screenplay, a series of paintings or a dramatic production);
• a problem-solving project.

Written Thesis

Many Capstone Projects are envisioned and executed entirely as written work. But writing a Capstone thesis is different from simply writing another research paper. First, it is more substantial -- an Honors Capstone Project is usually about 60-70 pages, although some, particularly in the natural sciences and mathematics, may be considerably shorter, and many in the humanities and social sciences are longer. Second, it tackles a problem, or part of a problem, that others have not yet addressed adequately, or it approaches the problem from a new perspective. Research into what others have said and done is an essential first step, but the Honors Capstone Project must go beyond this to include a student’s own creative and critical thinking. What distinguishes an Honors Capstone Project from a research paper in a course, then, is your willingness to assume the responsibilities associated with commitment to genuine scholarship. An Honors Capstone Project is not, of course, a masters thesis or a Ph.D. dissertation.

Model, Prototype, or Computer Program

Another type of Honors Capstone Project is undertaken by students in majors such as engineering, architecture, or industrial design, produced in a medium appropriate for their major. An engineering student, for example, might design and build a prototype of a new airfoil, invent a new robotic control mechanism, or create a new software program. An architecture student might build a model of an amphitheater, school building, or other structure. Even though the main work of this type of Capstone Project is executed in a medium other than academic writing, it must be accompanied by a written essay that discusses issues such as the pertinent scholarly or professional literature on the subject, design and construction challenges faced and their solutions, relevant historical and social considerations, and the overall significance of the project.

Works of Art, Performances, and Other Creative Projects

Other kinds of Capstone Projects include the following: students in drama might perform a significant one-person show, or write or direct a play; art students might create paintings, sculptures or perhaps an entire exhibit; English majors might produce novels or collections of poetry; film students might produce screenplays, documentaries, or other short films. All students submitting creative projects will also submit a “Reflective Essay” which discusses their aesthetic choices and how they situate the project within their artistic traditions. (See Reflective Essay).

Problem-Solving Capstone Project

Examples of this type of project, which may be completed in any major -- with departmental approval -- include the development and (pilot) implementation of educational materials or a public awareness campaign, or an extensive study for a community client. For more information about the Problem-Solving Capstone Project in Policy Studies, see Professor Bill Coplin; for other Problem-Solving Projects, see a member of the Honors Program staff.

Students may have work completed in a departmental capstone or distinction course also serve as a major portion of their Honors Capstone Project, but only with prior written permission of their department chair and the Honors Program.

Capstone Project Advisor

Who can be a Capstone Advisor?

All Capstone Projects must be formally directed by a full-time member of the Syracuse University faculty in your major. Under special circumstances, part-time or adjunct members of the Syracuse faculty or a faculty member outside a student’s major may serve as Capstone Project Advisors with the prior written approval from the Chair of the relevant department. Occasionally, faculty members at SUNY Upstate Medical University serve as Advisors, again with the prior approval of the Chair of your major department and of the Director of the Honors Program.

Often your Advisor is a more critical choice than the subject. You should choose your Capstone Project Advisor by taking into consideration both the faculty member’s expertise and the potential for a close working relationship, because one of the most rewarding features of the Honors Capstone Project is regular consultation with your Advisor. Honors seniors and graduates confirm that the Advisor-Advisee relationship is crucial to the success of the project.

Students generally select their Advisor at the beginning of their junior year. They typically ask a faculty member whose class has been of special interest and importance to them or whose field of specialization coincides with their own interests. You should not be reluctant to approach several faculty members to discuss Capstone Project supervision. You may also consult instructors, faculty Advisors and Honors staff for suggestions about potential Capstone Project Advisors.

For students producing a significant portion of their Capstone Projects in a departmental capstone course, the instructor in that course often serves as the faculty Advisor. These students are encouraged to enroll in the course during their first semester senior year, though in some cases it may be necessary to take the course during their last semester of undergraduate study.

Responsibilities of the Capstone Advisor

Your Advisor supervises your work from start to finish, helping your refine your topic, research and develop it, and produce a polished creative work or piece of undergraduate scholarship of which both you and your Advisor will be proud. Your Advisor guides you through the research, creative or experimental process, suggesting avenues to investigate and questions to explore, pointing out relevant resources, imparting the relevant technical skills and knowledge, and commenting thoroughly on iterations of the work, from initial stages to the final product. Your project may involve you in your Advisor’s own research. Typically, a project goes through several iterations. Please be sure to give your Advisor ample time to review and comment on each one. You would not, for example, turn in a draft on Friday and expect feedback on it by the following Monday. Or Tuesday.

You and your Advisor should meet regularly (at least once per month) from the outset until the work is complete. (The last months of the project typically involve much more frequent meetings -- often weekly.) At these meetings you ask questions and seek advice and your Advisor gives direction and encouragement. Together you develop a strategy and timetable for the work’s completion. Typically, the topic is formalized during the first semester of the junior year, pursued in the second semester of the junior year and the first semester of the senior year, and completed in the second semester of the senior year. You and your Advisor should agree on an exact timetable for the completion of stages, and of course, such a schedule will vary substantially according to discipline (scientific experiments, engineering prototypes, or dramatic performances will generally each call for a unique timetable). It is crucial to get started early. This means submitting chapter drafts or design ideas during the fall semester of the senior year, and a complete first draft or iteration in the spring semester, so there is sufficient time for both substantive and detailed editorial and other revisions. In general, we recommend that your Advisor review a complete first draft or iteration by early February for spring graduates.

The Honors Reader

The Advisor and student together select the Honors Reader, who is usually in your major or a thematically related field. The Honors Reader, although not as deeply involved as your Advisor, plays three important roles. The Honors Reader reviews an early draft/iteration of the project and gives you useful comments on its strengths and on any weaknesses that need to be addressed, and communicates these to your Advisor as well. This can happen as early as the fall semester of the final year, but should take place no later than February of the final semester to assure adequate time for you to take advantage of suggestions and address significant concerns. You work with your Advisor to incorporate these suggestions into future drafts. The Reader also reviews the first draft of the Capstone Written Summary of the project (by March 28), returning it to you with comments. This summary, written for a non-expert audience, is part of the Command of Language requirement for all Honors students.

The third, equally important, role for the Honors Reader comes in April of the senior year, after you and your Advisor have together reviewed many drafts of the project, and your Advisor is satisfied with the entire work (including the Summary), and ready to give final approval to the project and the written components. You then give the project to the Reader, who carefully reviews it on behalf of Honors to assure that it meets an appro-priately high standard in the discipline (worthy of undergraduate Honors), and to assure that no grammatical, typographical, or other technical writing errors remain in the text. You make any necessary corrections to the draft; then both your Advisor and your Honors Reader approve the complete, final text and you submit the entire project to the Honors Program on Capstone Turn-in Day.

Honors may require an additional reader for any Capstone Project -- in the case of an interdisciplinary project, for example. Final approval of the project remains the responsibility of the Director of the Honors Program.

Parts of an Honors Capstone Project

The content of the written portion of the project will be structured according to your Capstone Advisor’s instruction, and will vary somewhat by discipline. Minimally, it includes a statement of the general theme or topic, the goal(s) of the research, a discussion of the scholarly context in which the work is to be understood, pertinent evidence, and conclusions. In addition, all Capstone Projects must include a citation list of bibliographic and other resources. It must also include a written summary for a non-expert audience (see below). Regardless of the medium in which the body of the Capstone Project is produced (written, videotaped, painted, performed, etc.), you must also provide an enduring record of the work (typescript, photographs, DVD’s, etc.), including an electronic version (or record) of all artifacts. The Honors Program will assist you in producing digital photos, websites, and other materials for archiving.

The Written Capstone Summary

Honors students must be able to communicate effectively about their interests and fields of study to diverse audiences unfamiliar with the topics involved. You demonstrate this ability in the Capstone Project by providing a written description of the project that explains the work to a general, educated audience outside the field. This is the Written Capstone Summary, and completing it contributes to fulfilling your Command of Language requirement. You submit a draft of the Summary to your Honors Reader by March 28. At that point the project is near enough to completion that summarizing it is possible, even if (as, for example, in some scientific projects) the final results are not complete. This due date allows your Honors Reader to critically review the Summary and alert you to any needed corrections or revisions. Your Summary should be clear and concise, with all technical terms well defined for the reader. Any educated person should be able to read it and gain a solid understanding of the project’s aims and scope. (And you’ll find the summary helpful when you prepare for Capstone Presentation Day shortly after Turn-in.) If you are completing your department’s Distinction Program and submitting that project as your Honors Capstone project, you must also turn in a Written Capstone Summary.

The final draft of the Summary must also be approved by your Capstone Advisor and included in the completed project turned in on Capstone Project Turn-in Day. It will typically be in the range of 4-6 double-spaced pages, and should include:

• a description of the project;
• a discussion of the methods used;
• a discussion of the project’s significance.

Exceptions to the Standard Process: Engineering, Architecture and Management

Those of you in Architecture or Engineering must also complete a significant, multi-semester project for Honors, supervised by a faculty member. We recognize, however, that most of you will already be completing a required senior design project for your major, and Honors allows you to use that project as the basis for your Honors Capstone Project. We don’t ask you to complete two completely different projects -- one for Engineering or Architecture, and a different one for Honors -- although some Engineering and Architecture Honors students elect to do that. Most undertake a Capstone Project that builds upon their senior design project required for the major. Honors requires that your Capstone Project be greater in scope and higher in quality than is required for the “standard” senior design project, and Engineering and the Architecture faculty serving as Honors Capstone Advisors validate that for us.

Engineering

In most cases, you will take a required course in the fall of your senior year that gets you started on the group design project in your major. At that time, you will need to select a faculty member to ask to guide you in the Honors Capstone Project, and with his or her assistance, you will identify a particular aspect of your group design project and expand that into your Honors Capstone Project. You might, for example, take an area of the design and pursue it more thoroughly or in greater detail; you might undertake additional research into the background, implications or significance of the design; you might select one aspect of the design and actually build it yourself; you might do a combination of these things, or do something else of your own devising. In all cases, your project must be approved by your Capstone Advisor, and you should meet regularly with your Advisor from start to finish as you work on the project. The chart below of LCS majors summarizes how this will go. Be sure to read the section that pertains to you.

Aerospace Engineering

Bioengineering

You should follow the standard Honors model: get started in a lab in the junior year and work over four semesters. Because the accrediting, 3-credit, team-based design course, BEN 487, will shift to spring of senior year, you should plan to complete your Honors Capstone project by Fall of the senior year.

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Computer Science

Students in all programs except Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Environmental Engineering have the support of a course to help them design a proposal; Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Environmental Engineering students will do so with the help of their academic and Honors Advisors.

Note: Any Engineering student may still elect to pursue an entirely independent lab project, under the supervision of a faculty member in the major, for their Honors Capstone Project. And if you have an alternative idea for a Capstone Project we will certainly consider that. We are generally open to original ideas. Contact an Honors Advisor and we’ll talk about it.

Architecture

All Honors students in Architecture must fulfill the “depth” requirement by completing a significant, multi-semester project, supervised by an Architecture faculty member. Honors permits such projects to be based upon one required by the major, but requires that they be greater in scope and higher in quality than what is minimally required by the major in order to qualify as an Honors Capstone Project. The following describes how Architecture students will coordinate their Honors Capstone Project with their senior project.

In the fall of their 5th year, ARC seniors, following their standard procedure, will interview with faculty about their ARC thesis ideas, propose a topic for their ARC theses (undertaken through ARC 505 Thesis Preparation), and request a faculty supervisory team. They will submit an Honors Capstone Proposal Form to Honors by the end of September, since by then they will have a project and know their advisors (their ARC 505/508 supervisors will serve as their Honors Capstone Advisors).

Honors students, like all Architecture students, will then complete the thesis preparation that fall via ARC 505. This project, and the resultant text, will provide the basis for the spring semester design project. In the spring, they will create a fully-realized design project in ARC 508 Architectural Design IX.

But Honors students will go further. For most Architecture students, the text produced in ARC 505 provides the take-off point for the design project; once they enter the design phase, the written thesis is generally left behind. Honors students, by contrast, will return to the written text produced in ARC 505 and continue to develop it throughout the spring semester. This effort will be undertaken through ARC 499, a 3 credit-hour independent study, supervised by the student’s Honors Capstone Advisor. In ARC 499 the honors student develops his or her contention (as the term is used in the Architecture community) further, incorporating insights gained through the ongoing work done in ARC 508 and reflecting critically on the ways the design work tests the thesis. In addition to a revised written piece, ARC 499 will require graphic information produced for ARC 508 interim reviews, such as drawings and model photos that demonstrate how their design work tests the student’s contention.

The final result of ARC 508 plus ARC499 will be both a fully realized design project and a fully articulated thesis accompanying it. Along the way, Honors will ask for an update of the project -- Honors’ standard procedure -- in February. A minimum grade of “B” must be earned in ARC 508 in order to obtain an Honors Capstone designation.

Honors Architecture Students

Credit Hour Summary:

ARC505 ARC 499 ARC 508		3 3 6
TOTAL		12

Management

Management students will follow the standard process, but should plan to take EEE 457 in the fall of the senior year, so you won’t be taking that very demanding course in the same semester that you are completing your Honors Capstone Project.

Distinction Programs

All students whose major offer a “distinction” program should participate in that program for their Capstone Project. These excellent programs for advanced undergraduates involve a seminar or series of seminars that teach research methods and help students write an advanced research paper. They vary by department in format, but all provide an excellent path to success in the Capstone Project. Your Capstone Advisor can tell you if your department has a distinction program, and what the process is; the Director of Undergraduate Studies could also tell you. In most, but not all, cases -- depending upon how the distinction program is structured -- you will submit the same essay/project for both departmental distinction and for the Honors Capstone Project. (Remember to include a Written Capstone Summary.) When you complete the distinction program and meet all the Honors requirements, you graduate both with Renée Crown University Honors and distinction in your major.

The programs run in the fall and spring of the senior year, except for ETS majors. Honors ETS majors will begin the ETS distinction program in the spring of their junior year. The seminar paper you write will help you produce your Capstone Update, and will probably serve as the basis of one chapter of your project.

Below is a current list of Distinction Programs, and a summary of their requirements. All require a thesis; most have supporting courses. Others are in the development stage, so do check with your Advisor about your department. Economics students should be sure contact Mary Lovely (x-9048; melovely@syr.edu) about the details of the ECN Distinction Program.

Other Course Work to Support Your Project

Work with your Capstone Advisor carefully to select additional courses that contribute directly to your Capstone Project. We strongly recommend taking one or two graduate courses relevant to your topic. While they are demanding, they can be extremely effective aids in conducting research. In our experience, Honors students typically perform very well in these classes – and enjoy them. You need special permission to take a graduate course, because it is outside of your “undergraduate” career as defined by the PeopleSoft registration system. An electronic permission (whether general or student-specific) will not override a students’ “academic career” in the system. You request permission by filing a Petition to the Faculty, signed by the faculty member teaching the course, the chair of the department offering the course, and your college. Take the petition to the Registrar’s Office, 106 Steele Hall. They will override the restrictions and enroll you in the course. For full instructions, see sections 8.0.4 – 8.0.5 of “Academic Rules and Regulations” in the Undergraduate Course Catalog.

If no appropriate graduate course is available, you should enroll in small, upper level seminars in which you write research papers. These will provide valuable preparation for you. You will have a much better capstone experience if you’ve written one or two serious and lengthy research papers before you begin to draft your chapters. And one of those papers may well become one of your chapters. If you are in a professional or technical program whose curriculum is more project-based and offers few research seminars (Whitman, for example), you could take a seminar in another department -- as one of your electives in Arts and Sciences.

Studying Abroad or in IR/DC?

If you are studying off campus, through SU Abroad or another such program, or enrolled in SU’s International Relations/Washington DC program, that’s great – we’re delighted you’re doing that. Many students find terrific Capstone topics while doing so and conduct tremendously useful research through these experiences, especially if the off-campus study relates directly to their major -- so be open to this possibility. In that case, stick with our schedule: Capstone Proposal handed in November 12, Update on April 4.

We recognize, however, that some students’ off-campus study may not lend itself to beginning a Capstone Project. For those students who are away in the fall, we allow you to submit a proposal when you return in the spring. We’ll have a “Getting Started” session for you early in the spring semester, and HNR 309 will be available to you as well. Be in touch with an Honors Program Advisor (x-2759) when you return to campus about the details. If you are planning to be away in the spring, be sure to get your proposal in on time in the fall; you’ll have a much smoother off-campus experience, and will be able to pick up your project right where you left off when you return, with ample time to succeed.

If you’re planning to be away for your entire junior year, you need to plan ahead, and come up with at least a tentative topic over the summer before you leave for the year. Contact Honors if this is your situation and we’ll help you get started.

Working with Human Subjects: Interviewing / Surveying

University policy requires prior review by the Institutional Review Board of all research involving the use of human subjects to assure that the rights of the subjects are protected. “Research” means “a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” This definition includes not only actual testing, but also written surveys and personal interviews. If your Capstone Project involves any use of human subjects, you must have the Review Board’s approval before conducting the research. The level of review required by the Board depends upon the nature of the project; some student projects are eligible for “expedited review.” Speak with your Advisor, and also contact the Office of Research Integrity and Protections, 443-3013 (ask for Tracy Cromp), 113 Bowne Hall, http://orip.syr.edu. The appropriate forms are available to download from the home page of the University’s Institutional Review Board .

Changing Your Capstone Topic

We understand that your project is likely to evolve as you progress, and may move in unanticipated directions. That’s fine. We don’t need to be apprised of every twist and turn.

Occasionally, however, students find the project is really transforming into a fundamentally different one than they had begun. Or perhaps your Advisor goes on leave, and you need to find another one. (Not a happy experience, but a survivable one.) In that case, you need to submit a Capstone Amendment Form – again to be sure that you, your Advisor, and Honors all have a common understanding of your project and your progress to date.

The form is available on the web: http://honors.syr.edu/see Current Students > Capstone Project > Information and Resources > Honors Capstone Project Forms

Resources For Your Project

Many resources are available to assist you in completing your Capstone Project. Honors faculty in each unit within the University act as contact persons for their disciplines. The Honors Library contains all theses written since 1966 and a searchable database with abstracts. An Honors Writing Consultant is available throughout the academic year to assist you on writing issues related to your Capstone Projects. Funding is available to support your Capstone Projects. The Honors Computer Cluster (304 Bowne) is available evenings and weekends with a key obtained in the Honors office. Capstone Project students are allowed the same check-out privileges as graduate students at Bird Library. A tape recorder and transcriber are available to check out from the Honors Office for those students who are conducting interviews for their projects. We have a digital camera and video camera available for loan, for brief periods, for work specifically on your project. And of course, the Honors advising staff are always ready to help with problems: contact Steve, Carolyn, or Eric.

Special Collections

Bird Library’s Special Collections Research Center holds one of the nation’s finest special collections of rare books, manuscripts, artifacts and ephemera. As an SU student, you have access to much of this material, and this represents an extraordinary opportunity. Among the Collections’ vast holdings are cuneiform tablets and ancient Buddhist scrolls; medieval illuminated manuscripts; private letters of writers such as Joyce Carol Oates, Rudyard Kipling, W.H. Auden and many dozens of others; a complete, original edition of John James Audubon’s famous folio; very early editions (sometimes first editions) of texts by Galileo, Martin Luther, Balzac, the Bronte family, Robert Louis Stevenson, William Blake, and many others. The Collection is also strong in graphics and illustration, classic sci-fi literature and the earliest cartoons and comics and much more. Here’s a link to the Special Collections website: http://library.syr.edu/information/spcollections/ (See “Collections and Units” at left for a list of their extraordinary holdings.)

In addition to housing these treasures, SCRC strives to be more than a static repository of cultural wonders. It is really more a “humanities laboratory” where librarians and scholars -- undergraduate, graduate and faculty -- collaborate with the artifacts of history in an ongoing and vital learning process. Contact Mary Beth Hinton at 443-9763 for information about gaining access to materials appropriate to your project.

Registration for the Honors Capstone Project

You will devote considerable time and energy to your project, and you will want to get academic credit for your work. The XXX 499 (where XXX is your major prefex) registration is how you do that. It allows you to register for three credit hours for the Capstone Project in the semester in which it will be completed, usually in the final semester. (The Honors Program does not allow Capstone Projects of more than three credit hours.) Credit for completion recognizes the time commitment involved in Capstone work and provides your Advisor with a mechanism for evaluating and grading the work itself.

How to Register for 499

To register for 499, you obtain a Proposal for Independent Study form in the Honors Office, designating Honors Capstone work in your major (XXX 499). This form must also be signed by your Capstone Project Advisor, regular Advisor, department Chair, your Dean’s office, and finally the Honors Director. You should keep a copy for your records, then take the completed form directly to 106 Steele Hall, where the Registrar will add the Capstone Project to your schedule. You cannot register for it “pass/fail.” Note that you do not register for Capstone credit via web registration.

Students producing a significant portion of their Honors Capstone Project through a departmental thesis, capstone, or departmental distinction course do not register for Capstone credit via 499. They typically earn credit through their departmental course. Below is a list of courses that currently qualify. If you have a question about whether a required senior course in your major that is not on the list should qualify, see an Honors Advisor.

Arts and Science: All A&S Distinction Courses qualify.

Engineering:

AEE 472 (Spring semester)
BIO 498 (Spring semester)
CEN 499 (Fall Semester)
CIE 499 (Spring semester)
CIE 475 (for Environ. Engineering)
CSE 497 (Fall and Spring semesters)
ELE 497 (Fall and Spring semesters)
MEE 472 (Spring semester)
CIS 499 (Spring semester)

Management

Although management students occasionally expand the work they performed in EEE 457 into an Honors Capstone Project, EEE 457 is generally not a substitute for 499.

Public Communications

Television, Radio & Film: TRF 556, 557, 558, 559

Visual and Performing Arts

IND 574
VID 412

Grading Policies

A single letter grade is assigned to the Capstone Project by your Advisor following submission and presentation; the Capstone Project may not be taken pass/fail. Although the Honors presentation on Presentation Day (see below) is required, it is not graded or taken into account in determining the grade for the Capstone Project. The Capstone Project is included on your final semester transcript. If you do not complete the Capstone Project, the registration is changed to a non-Capstone Project independent study.

Capstone Project Funding

Perhaps you need a little money to purchase something to complete your project. Or maybe you can envision a really extraordinary project, but realize you would need significant funding to make it happen. Here’s how Honors can help.

• Any Capstone student may obtain up to $200 from Honors to defray appropriate project costs. You must submit a brief written description of how much money is needed and for what, and a line-item budget, to the Deputy Director. Requests may be emailed at any time to eholzwar@syr.edu. Once the proposal is approved, you submit receipts for expenditures and are then reimbursed. The process takes a few weeks to complete. Sorry, but these funds can not be used to pay for the printed copies you submit on Turn-In Day – unless your project is a “creative” one that demands unusual printing treatment.
• You may apply for a Crown or Wise-Marcus 50-Year Friendship Award, which offer up to $5,000 to support Capstone Project work.
• You should discuss financial needs with your Capstone Advisor. He or she will frequently know of funding sources unique to the discipline.
• Other sources of money may include one’s Dean’s Office (Arts and Sciences students should see Associate Dean Kandice Salomone) and major department. You should also check with the Office of Sponsored Programs, which has several databases on the web where undergraduates can search for appropriate funding sources: COS -- Community of Science; IRIS -- Illinois Research Information Service and others.

Crown Scholars and the Wise-Marcus 50-Year Friendship Award

Significant funding is available for eligible students to support research and creative work on Honors Capstone Projects. Eligible students must have an Advisor and an approved project. (Occasionally, sophomores who are planning Capstone Projects will also be considered.)

From ten to twenty projects will be funded annually up to a maximum of $5,000 per project and can include:

• reimbursement for project materials, supplies and expenses;
• travel reimbursement;
• other necessary and reasonable expenses;
• a combination of the above items;
• in unusual cases, students may be awarded summer wages to work on the project.

Eligible items for reimbursement may be those projected in the future or those already incurred. The application for these awards is available on the Honors website at: http://honors.syr.edu/Funding/ScholarshipApplication.htm.

The deadline for application is typically the last week in January for funding for the following year, although we may also consider a small number of proposals from seniors in September of the final year. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of Honors Program faculty and staff, and applicants whose projects will be funded will be promptly notified. Criteria for selection include:

• originality of the project
• articulated need for funding
• overall strength and clarity of the proposal, including a detailed and
  well-justified budget
• endorsement by Capstone Advisor

Capstone Project Timeline

You will construct an individual timeline with your Advisor; timelines vary depending on the type of project you are completing. But the due dates for Proposal, Update, Turn-in Day and Presentation Day apply to everyone. We will accept Proposals before the due date, if you want to get started early.

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

Timeline for May graduates

You should begin drafting chapters/creating iterations of your project and reviewing them with your Advisor in the fall of your senior year.

Timeline for December graduates

You should begin drafting chapters/creating iteraions of your project and reviewing them with your Advisor in the spring of your junior year, and continue over the summer.

Deadlines for students completing the Problem-Solving Capstone Project are earlier; students completing this type of Capstone Project should see Professor Bill Coplin or a member of the Honors staff for their timetable. December completers may participate in Honors Convocation the following May, and wear their Capstone Project medal to graduation.

Prizes for Outstanding Capstone Projects

Capstone Projects submitted to the Honors Program by Capstone Project Turn-in Day will be considered for a Prize. Judging takes place in five categories: creative, sciences and engineering, humanities, social sciences, and professional programs. Winners receive a $500 prize, and an additional award is given for the best Project of the year: the David Orlin Prize for Outstanding Capstone Project, which also carries a $500 prize. In addition, up to five honorable mentions may be awarded. The Prize awards are made possible through the generosity of Mr. David Orlin and Mr. William Sauers, graduates of Syracuse University, and by contributions from Honors graduates. Copies of the award-winning Capstone Projects are sent to sponsors of named awards.

Submitting Your Capstone Project

It’s useful to check the updated information for seniors about Capstone Project completion on the Honors website: http://honors.syr.edu/.

You must provide two printed, unbound copies of the written portion of the Capstone Project in its final form to the Honors Program on Capstone Project Turn-in Day, with a cover sheet signed by your Advisor and Honors Reader (see Capstone Project Style Manual) You must also submit any accompanying artifacts (models, works of art, software programs, etc.) on that day.

In addition, you must submit an electronic version, in Microsoft Word, of the complete written text (including the abstract), AND an electronic reproduction, on CD or DVD, of any artifacts, models, works, of art, etc., for review by Prize Committees and for the
Honors Archive.

For still photos: we prefer jpg files

For video: we prefer DVD or CD (no VHS)

For audio only: please submit a CD (MP3 files preferred)

Honors can assist you if you need help; contact Steve Wright (x-2759).

In those rare occasions in which a Project cannot be physically submitted, you should submit the written portion of the Project and indicate where the Project can be viewed.

Capstone Project Presentation Day

Because an important part of engaging in scholarly or creative work is communicating it to the wider world and discussing it, seniors are required to present their Capstone Projects to faculty, students, and staff of the University on Capstone Presentation Day in early May. These public presentations have several benefits: (1) students have the opportunity for valuable experience in public speaking; (2) the wider campus community can learn of their accomplishments; and (3) Honors students will be able to see the outcomes of their colleagues’ work.

Your presentation, which may be made in any form appropriate to your discipline, will last 15 minutes, plus 5 minutes for questions and discussion. Additional presentation time -- up to 45 minutes total -- is allotted to creative, performance arts, and other special Projects, as needed.

(Please note: Be sure that your oral presentation does not exceed fifteen minutes! For planning purposes, seven pages of Arial 12-point font, double-spaced with 1-inch margins, provides text for about fifteen minutes. Also: it’s fine to use PowerPoint, but if you do, don’t simply read your slides out loud. Your audience can read just fine – provided your text is legible. Instead, talk to them about what you did and why it matters to you. And remember that PowerPoint is best used for images, not text.)

You need to email all the audio/visual materials you will use for your presentation to Steve Wright (x-2759) at least two days before Presentation Day, so he can load them on the classroom computers in advance. This is crucial for having the day go smoothly, so please be conscientious about getting your materials to Steve on time.

Presentations will take place all day, ending around 5:00. There will be concurrent sessions, organized by Capstone Prize categories:

• Creative
• Humanities
• Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• Social Sciences
• Professional Programs

Location/Time: Wednesday, May 30, will be the first of the “reading days” prior to exam week. You will be notified of your time slot when you turn in your project on Turn-in Day. A schedule will be posted on the Honors website (http://honors.syr.edu) with individual presentation times and locations.

Audience: Students will of course be the audience for each other. Many faculty also attend. We encourage you to invite friends, families, and anyone else you wish. The rooms are large so there is space for everyone; the rooms all have entries well away from the podium, so people can come and go with minimal disruption. Honors urges Capstone Advisors and Honors Readers to attend.

Equipment: Each of these rooms has the latest in audio/visual equipment and you are free to use any of it. The equipment in each of the three rooms is the same: a DVD player, an audio player (cassette), video (VHS), a document camera (which displays the actual object on a screen), and computer (with Windows, including Power Point software).

Rehearsals: Several optional rehearsals will be held following Capstone Turn-In Day. Date and Time will be announced in the spring. If you haven’t had much experience making presentations, we recommend you take advantage of this opportunity.

Final Approval of Your Project

Every Capstone Project must be approved by both your Advisor and Honors reader before final submission to the Honors Program. To facilitate this process, you, your Advisor, and the Honors reader should have a common understanding about plans for and progress on the Capstone Project. The Capstone Advisor and Honors Reader indicate their approval of your project by signing the title page before you submit the final copy on Turn-in Day. Photographs, DVD’s, and other documentation of the work must be submitted before you can be certified for graduation with Honors. Final approval of the project is the responsibility of the Director of the Honors Program. Capstone Projects and all accompanying materials are kept in the Honors Office and are publicly available for reading/viewing.

Recognition of Honors Work

When you have successfully completed your Honors Capstone Project, essay, and presentation, and earned a cumulative cum laude grade point average (3.4 in all schools except Architecture; where it is 3.2) upon graduation you will receive a diploma designating graduation “with Renée Crown University Honors.” You are also recognized at the annual Honors Convocation preceding graduation, where you receive a medal to wear (and to keep!) to school and college convocations and to University Commencement.

Honors Capstone Project Style Manual

The Honors Capstone Porject Style Manual provides important information about the formatting and submission of the written portion of the Capstone Project.

It is located at http://honors.syr.edu/CapstoneProject/StyleManual.htm

Renée Crown University Honors Program
Suite 306, Bowne Hall
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York 13244-1200
(315) 443-2759
Copyright (c) 2005
Syracuse University Honors Program

Topics:

The Honors Capstone Project Getting Started on Your Capstone Project Capstone Project Advisor The Honors Reader Parts of an Honors Capstone Project The Written Capstone Summary Exceptions to the Standard Process Engineering Architecture Management Distinction Programs Course Work Study Abroad or in IR/DC Human Subjects Review Changing Your Capstone Topic Resources Available Special Collections Registration for the Honors Capstone Project Grading Policies Capstone Project Funding Capstone Project Timeline Prizes for Outstanding Capstone Projects Submission of the Capstone Project to the Honors Program Capstone Project Public Presentation Final Approval Recognition of Honors Work

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A Style Manual for the Honors Capstone Project

Capstone Project Information & Resources Page