Caribbean, Latin American and Latino Studies Senior Year Experience (SYE)

The main goals of a senior project experience class are to provide a culminating academic experience where students synthesize and apply knowledge gained throughout their degree program to solve real-world problems or create original works. These courses bridge academic learning with professional practice and career readiness. 

The main objectives of a SYE are:

To integrate the theories, skills, and concepts learned in their coursework and apply them to a complex, real-life project.

• To develop essential professional and life skills, such as:
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving
  • Written and oral communication
  • Research and information literacy
  • Project management, time management, and planning
  • Teamwork and collaboration, often in a group setting
  • Professionalism and ethical responsibility

• How does the project work?

Students who are interested in carrying out an SYE should identify an advisor who knows students work well.  Supervising a SYE requires substantial commitment from full-time faculty of the program. So, please contact them as soon as you plan to carry out a SYE to check for availability.  Students should propose their project at least four weeks before the semester starts. Students and their advisors must agree that the project is something students can reasonably accomplish.

The project must include original work.

It must be an appropriate exercise in an academic discipline.

The project must be worth the amount of credit received.

This experience requires substantial sense of agency from the students because it is based on independent and self-Directed learning: Students typically work with a faculty mentor but are expected to take ownership of their projects, demonstrating the ability to be self-directed and independent learners capable of managing their own progress.

Students should present the final draft at least two weeks before the Oral presentation of their work. 

Public Presentation and Documentation: students will present their project, explain the research process, and findings to the committee.

Personal Growth and Reflection: The process encourages personal growth, self-discovery, and reflection on how their values and passions inform their future goals and contribution to society. 

Honors CLAS Senior Year Experience

Students should have at least a 3.5 and in the CLAS program to pursue a SYE in CLAS with honors.  Honors SYE require a committee made up of the main advisor from the CLAS program and two external faculty members. A Senior Year Experience requires having two external reviewers to enhance objectivity by providing a second, unbiased perspective, ensures comprehensive and diverse feedback by including experts from different angles, and gives students a greater sense of validation and experience in the professional academic world. Two external reviewers provide a more objective and unbiased assessment of the project, ensures a more thorough critique of the project's strengths and weaknesses. Having multiple reviewers exposes the student to a more realistic academic evaluation process, akin to the peer-review process for publications. It helps students build skills in communicating their research to different experts. If the two reviewers come from slightly different but related fields, they can provide insights from various methodological approaches, which is especially valuable for projects that cross disciplines. Students are responsible for identifying the two external members of his/her SYE honors committee, approach them to work with them. It is crucial that students meet the deadlines to submit the drafts and final version to the external advisors on the agreed dates. 

Forming the committee and confirming their commitment. 

• Meet with each external faculty member to confirm they are willing to serve on the committee, understand the time commitment, and agree on their role and expectations (e.g., reading drafts, attending the defense, timeline for feedback).
• Enroll in the honors course: Register for the appropriate honors project or independent study courses (499) which require faculty approval for enrollment.
• Work with your primary advisor and the external faculty to assemble the complete honors committee, which often includes a primary advisor from your home department and one or two additional members.
• Submit the project proposal: In consultation with the entire committee, finalize a detailed project proposal, timeline, and initial bibliography for review and approval by the relevant honors program or department.
• Establish working agreements: Discuss logistics, such as how often the student should meet with them, how communication will be handled, and key project milestones and deadlines.
• Maintain regular communication: It is the student's responsibility to keep all committee members, including the external faculty, informed of progress and to share drafts of work in a timely fashion for feedback. 

Normally students submit the first draft at the end of the first semester. If the committee agrees that the student should continue with the honors project, the second draft should be submitted not later than the 10^th week of classes. If the honors SYE experience was decided at the end of the first semester, students can talk to their advisor to pursue this plan and find faculty who agrees to work with them.  During the final exams’ week, students will give an oral defense of the thesis (a 10–15-minute presentation, followed by a question-and-answer period). After the defense, the committee will meet to assess the project. 

Under normal circumstances, the committee will notify the students in writing one of three determinations: 

• Honors granted and submission draft accepted as the final draft without revisions
• Honors granted, conditional on specified revisions being incorporated into the final draft due no later than the Monday following the end of the final exam week
• Honors not granted but a grade awarded for the work completed under the Independent Study SYE designation (CLAS 490)

If an honors SYE has been completed, two copies and the original are sent to Owen D. Young Library for binding.