Request for Proposals: Faculty Mentors, Fall 08–Spring 09
The Faculty-Student Mentoring Program invites proposals from faculty to serve as mentors for the Fall 2008 and the Spring 2009 semesters. Faculty mentors will lead seven to nine students in completing undergraduate research, scholarship, performance or creative projects. In exchange for their mentoring services, faculty members will receive a 3 unit class release and a $500 –per semester budget for supplies and resources.
Mission:
The mission of the Faculty-Student Mentoring Program (F-SMP) is to support student engagement and developmentthrough undergraduate research, scholarship and creative initiatives .
Students (protégés):
The F-SMP program serves SDSU juniors, seniors and transfer students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. A list of eligible students is established for each college by the F-SMP office, in collaboration with Enrollment Services and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Students who meet F-SMP participation criteria are then recruited by the faculty mentor, who holds orientation meetings and distributes applications. Selected students must make a one-year commitment to the program, and when appropriate, they may be asked to enroll in course work as part of their participation in the program. Protégés are expected to achieve all F-SMP undergraduate research learning outcomes during the project period.
Faculty Mentor Requirements and Guidelines:
Tenure and Tenure-track faculty may submit proposals to serve as faculty mentors on an annual basis. The proposals must include a two semester plan, designed to support students in meeting program learning outcomes. In particular, each proposal should address the following project elements:
- A recruitment plan designed to attract eligible students, which might include an application, orientation meetings, interviews, web-based communications, and other pertinent strategies. The F-SMP office provides clerical support.
- A training plan designed to instruct protégés in all relevant research methodologies of a discipline, including those pertinent to related sub-fields. This fundamental training may be achieved through workshops or seminars, and students may earn Special Study units with permission from undergraduate advisors and requisite departmental approval.
- A culminating project plan designed to ensure that protégés can complete a research, scholarship, performance or creative project within a 2 semester time-frame. (Note: Summer sessions may not be included as part of this two semester requirement). Whenever possible, F-SMP protégés should be encouraged to meet participation guidelines for SDSU and CSU undergraduate research competitions.
- Faculty mentors must submit a final report that offers a narrative summary of the research mentoring experience for the faculty member and student protégés. This final report must provide evidence that learning outcomes were achieved by each protégé, and the report is due on the final day of the second semester for each project.
Additional guidelines for faculty mentors include the following:
- Plan for 30 to 45 contact hours per semester with their protégés.
- Sponsor each student’s research, scholarship or creative project, to include submittal of any relevant applications to campus regulatory committees; monitor compliance of all protocols prescribed by these university committees, if any.
- Support student participation in campus and regional research forums and competitions; refer extraordinary student projects to the FSMP director for additional funding, to support publication or professional presentations.
Although protégés will usually be mentored by faculty in their majors, faculty members may invite students from other departments within their college or from other colleges. Interdisciplinarity is valued and supported within F-SMP.
F-SMP Undergraduate Research Student Learning Outcomes
Protégés will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of research practices in their discipline and related sub-fields.
- Utilize research practices and tools to carryout their research, scholarship or creative projects.
- Bring appropriate skills to bear with an awareness of how one portion of a design or project will affect other aspects of their project.
- Continuously monitor their own learning and seek guidance to advance their own knowledge and their project.
- Work constructively with faculty mentor.
- When appropriate, protégés will establish a common vision for group projects or within interdisciplinary teams
- Gather information relevant to their research, either from published sources or direct observations.
- Evaluate the quality of the information obtained for their projects.
- Present orally and in writing their work, vision, and/or conclusions.
- Articulate and defend their work, vision, and/or conclusions to peers and superiors at campus or regional undergraduate research competitions.
Please submit a letter of introduction detailing your experiences in working with undergraduate students along with a 3 to 5 page proposal by April 17, 2008 to Jose Preciado, F-SMP Director via email at preciado@mail.sdsu.edu or to MC 1603. In addition, please include an endorsement letter from your department chair acknowledging that you can be released for 3 units for the academic year with your application materials (Fall 08 and Spring 09 semesters).
The Division of Undergraduate Studies funds the course release for each faculty member with California Lottery Funds. All expenditures for the $ 500.00 per semester supply and resources budgets are subject to approval by the director and must conform with CSU and SDSU expenditure guidelines. No funds may be used for student stipends or payroll without prior written consent.