Who may serve as a Faculty Project Advisor?

The Faculty Advisor must hold a faculty appointment at CWRU that allows that faculty member to supervise and issue a grade for an independent study-type course.

In some instances, the Project Advisor could be unaffiliated with CWRU. While that person may be able to supervise your project, you must also identify a Faculty Advisor who does have a faculty appointment at CWRU.

Can I work with more than one person?

In consultation with your faculty advisor, you may identify another person to work with you on the project, but this is unnecessary.

Can UCAP 395 be taken PASS/FAIL?

NO! UCAP 395 is part of the General Education Requirements of the university and therefore must result in a letter grade using the scale A-F.

How is the grade assigned?

Students should discuss with their Faculty Advisor how the grade will be determined, and that determination should be included in the contract.

How long may a project run?

Projects may run either one or two semesters. The number of credits in any given semester may vary from 1 – 6 (and need not be the same in two consecutive semesters) but only 6 total credits may be accumulated. The Capstone requirement is a minimum of 3 credits.

Must a two semester project run across consecutive semesters?

Projects which require more than one semester should ideally be pursued in consecutive semesters.

Can a student work on a project over the summer?

Students should be registered for UCAP 395 while they are doing significant work on their Capstone project. UCAP 395 may be taken during the summer, as long as the Faculty Project Advisor agrees and the total time commitment to the project is equivalent to that of a course pursued during the fall or spring semester with the same credit.

When should I start making arrangements for UCAP 395?

You should start making arrangements for your capstone experience weeks and preferably months before the semester in which you plan to take UCAP 395. You will likely find it takes several weeks to find your Faculty Advisor and negotiate all the parameters required in the contract for UCAP 395. The deadline for filing the contract is effectively a few days before the end of the DROP/ADD period for the semester in which you plan to take the course, and this assumes that the Associate Provost for the Curriculum will approve your contract and issue a permit for you to register for the course without requiring any changes to the contract.

Can work done previously be used for UCAP 395?

This general answer to this question is No. Credit for UCAP 395 should only be given for work done while the student is registered for the course. Many CWRU students start research or other suitable capstone experiences long before their senior year. While this may form the basis for a UCAP 395 project, it is not a substitute for the effort expended during the time the student is enrolled in UCAP 395. It is expected that certain gray areas may arise in this regard; if those who sign the Contract all agree to a particular arrangement, then it may be allowed.

Can the work done for UCAP 395 also be part of a paid position, such as work in a research lab, internship or a co-op experience for which a student is compensated?

Different academic disciplines have different cultures and different ideas about the ethics of this type of situation. The default answer is No; students should not be paid for taking a required course, particularly since most other students won’t have the same option. Work done for UCAP 395 should be in addition to any such paid work, although these efforts may be closely related to each other. If the student and Faculty Advisor feel that circumstances justify an exception, they may ask the Associate Provost of the Curriculum to allow it.