Resources for Faculty

Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers | Workshops | Preparation for Field Work | Writing the Literature Review | Writing the Honors Thesis | Statistical Support | Individual Editorial Consultation for Students | PWR 193 | Honors Enhancements Allocations| VPUE Faculty Grants for Undergraduate Research |

Many faculty have found the resources below helpful in supporting their individual work with honors students or their department's honors program. This list is not exhaustive, but captures some of the most commonly used programs and resources. Faculty may contact the URP office if a need arises that is not addressed by one of the listings on this page.

Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers TOP
CLICK HERE to read about best practices for mentoring undergraduate researchers in our "Information for Faculty" section.

Workshops TOP
URP offers a number of workshops to help faculty prepare honors students. Faculty may also request a special session of these workshops for the honors students in particular departments or programs by contacting Hilton Obenzinger.

Preparation for Field Work TOP
An annual conference is organized by URP to prepare students for doing field work during the summer. Workshops are organized after the conference around a variety of concerns that supplement regular coursework in the students’ honors programs. These workshops focus on designing questionnaires and interview questions, preparing human subjects protocols, and seeking and processing statistical data. Experts in each of these areas speak on these issues. CLICK HERE for a description of recent conferences and workshops.

Writing the Literature Review TOP
Hilton Obenzinger, Associate Director for Honors Writing, presents workshops on the nature of literature reviews, techniques on how to research them, and a variety of approaches to writing them. CLICK HERE to view the literature review workshop handout.

Writing the Honors Thesis TOP
Hilton Obenzinger presents a number of workshops tailored to fit the needs of different honors programs on how to write the honors thesis. The main one, “Honors Thesis Pre-Writing Problems (OR, An Interior Monologue of a Panic Attack),” introduces the major concerns students and faculty raise doing research and how to address them. CLICK HERE to view the workshop handout.

Statistical Support TOP
URP co-sponsors workshops with the Social Science Statistical Support Group in the Bing Wing of Green Library. These workshops orient students to the resources available in obtaining data as well as processing data. Individual consultation is also available.

Individual Editorial Consultation for Students TOP
Hilton Obenzinger or his associate meets with individual honors students to discuss writing concerns. Below is a sample message sent out in the fall quarter that explains the scope of support:

As Associate Director of Honors Writing for Undergraduate Research Programs I am available to work with you concerning any questions pertaining to writing your honors thesis. Such help varies according to your needs. For example, I can assist you deal with simple questions of documentation style as well as complex issues of structure and organization. I can provide basic copy editing, corrections of mechanical and grammatical problems, and suggestions on how to enhance clarity, coherence, and stylistic vigor. I can also offer techniques for overcoming writer’s block or for increasing your creative output. Often, a “naïve” reader unfamiliar with your topic can present valuable insights on how to more clearly articulate complex arguments or difficult concepts. Certainly, editorial consultation is not a “remedial” function but an aspect of all advanced writing. In previous years, many students who won medals for their honors theses made it a special point to receive editorial consultation.

PWR 193 “Honors Thesis Writing” TOP
Hilton Obenzinger offers the course PWR 193 “Honors Thesis Writing” in the Winter and Spring quarters. Below is the course description and syllabus:
This course is specifically designed for students writing honors theses and other advanced writing projects in ALL undergraduate departments and programs. This course does NOT replace the honors seminar in your honors program; rather, it is a supplement that focuses on concerns pertaining to the writing aspect of a major research-based project. Work for this course is primarily designed according to the individual needs of each student, and credit consequently ranges between one and five units. No letter grade is given, but only credit/no credit.

This class sets a systematic editorial relationship between the instructor and the student on a formal basis. For 1-2 units, the student arranges regular individual editorial consultations with the instructor to review their thesis, meets periodically with the entire class to discuss broad questions regarding writing, and at the end of the quarter writes a memo reflecting upon the research and writing process.

For 3-5 units, the student, in addition to participating in the activities above, engages in more broad-ranging stylistic exercises that prepare the student for anticipated graduate studies or professional experience. Such stylistic work can include a guided self-study of Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams (or, if the student is already familiar with this text, another book), examination and dissection of texts in the student’s field, exercises in intellectual articulation, and even research on different aspects of writing. Each student negotiates the appropriate level of engagement with the instructor, and consequently the appropriate level of units.

I want to underscore that, as Associate Director for Honors Writing, Undergraduate Research Programs, our office is committed to providing editorial consultation with every honors student, whether or not a student enrolls in this course. So, if you do not need the credits or do not want to have editorial consultation put on a regular, weekly basis, you do not need to enroll in this course. The advantage of this course is that you do make a commitment to editorial consultation, you can more easily structure your work, and you have the opportunity to expand your writing skills for a higher level of research or professional development. Also, when students start clamoring for editorial consultation when deadlines approach, I will meet with students from this class on a priority basis.

Honors Enhancement Allocations TOP
Undergraduate Research Programs administers supplemental funds made available by VPUE for honors enhancement. Proposals are accepted late in spring quarter, and funds are allocated at the beginning of the following academic year. Some funds may be available throughout the year; check with Hilton Obenzinger for details. The amount of the allocation takes into consideration the number of students earning honors degrees in the department or program. Honors enhancement activities include support for graduate students to advise honors students on writing, thesis design, disciplinary content, or data analysis, funds to organize events to develop intellectual atmosphere and social cohesion, including means and end-of-year celebrations, and funds to sponsor workshops on oral presentations skills, and related expenses.

VPUE Faculty Grants for Undergraduate Research TOP
Many undergraduate honors theses develop out of student/faculty research partnerships during the freshman, sophomore, and junior years. VPUE Faculty Grants for Undergraduate Research, administered by the URP office, provide funds to faculty to support pre-honors undergraduate research assistants. Grants typically range from $500 to $5000 and usually fund student stipends for summer or term-time research assistantships or to support student travel with a faculty member to an archive or other off-campus research site. CLICK HERE for more information.