Any one foundation course is the prerequisite to most advanced courses in sociology. With the advisor s permission, upper-level courses in anthropology may be used to fulfill up to 1 unit of this requirement. Each student submits a paper proposal in September, to which all faculty members participating in the exercise respond in writing. The student then prepares the paper, in consultation with faculty members, to be submitted in January. All participating students read each paper, posting comments in a VAXNotes conference prior to the paper s scheduled presentation.
Faculty members provide written comments on the paper to each student.
All Senior Exercise participants meet in February for student presentations and discussion of their work. Following these sessions, each student revises the paper in light of faculty and student comments, submitting a final paper by March 1st. Written notification of the results of the evaluation is provided by March 25, noting whether or not the student has passed and earned distinction. Students who fail the Senior Exercise are instructed as to what additional work is required, which may include further rewriting or an oral defense of the paper.