Directed Activities include credit-bearing independent study opportunities, such as directed study, directed readings, and directed research courses. These learning opportunities provide students with meaningful opportunities to work individually with a Responsible Faculty (RF) and to earn credit for individually designed content.
University policy requires all credit-bearing independent study opportunities to have a mutually agreed upon contract between the faculty and the student that is centrally archived. The instructor must set the number of credits for these courses in accordance with University policy so that the academic workload requirements are adhered to (generally, 3 hours of work per week per credit for undergraduate students and more than that for graduate and professional students).
Undergraduate Directed Activities Registration Process and Information
Instructors should share the Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR) website with students interested in developing a Directed Activity Contract. OUR has prepared a discussion guide to prompt the student/faculty conversation in preparation for completing the contract.
Registration Process: Undergraduate students wishing to register for directed studies or readings are required to initiate the Directed Activity Contract following a conversation with a Responsible Faculty. The Directed Activity Contract is an interactive online document that will establish the terms of the project for one semester. Once the student and the Responsible Faculty have come to an agreement, the contract will be forwarded to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) as the Department Approver, who will review the contract and approve it once it is determined that:
- the work proposed is at the appropriate level for the course, academic in nature, and the student will be involved intellectually in the project;
- the project scope is reasonable for one semester and the number of credits specified;
- the faculty mentor is qualified to serve in this role;
- assessment of student learning and grading criteria are clear and appropriate; and
- the student will be working in a respectful, inclusive environment.
The contract is forwarded to the Curriculum and Scheduling Administrator (CSA) for final review. With their approval, the student will be issued a permission number for the specific section. The CSA will also archive the contract on behalf of the Responsible Faculty. For a single project that spans multiple semesters, the student/RF will need to submit a new contract each semester in order to renew and continue the agreement.
The practice of having a centrally archived contract and having all permission numbers allocated through the Curriculum and Scheduling Administrator is a new Best Practices mandate from the Provost's Office. This is a shift in process from previous semesters, so please review the above information carefully, even if you have instructed a directed activity in the past.
Graduate Directed Activities Registration Process and Information
School of Kinesiology teaching faculty should use the School of Kinesiology Independent Study Contract Template. Any independent study contract is required to be archived with the School of Kinesiology via the School of Kinesiology Independent Study Uploading Tool.
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