Undergraduate Curriculum Workflow and Productivity
The Science and Justice Research Center aims to fuse research, curriculum and training.
Built off the success of the NSF supported Science and Justice Graduate Training Program, a campus recognized and internationally known model for interdisciplinarity that with the Working Group, guides the integration of research into graduate and undergraduate curriculum. Science and Justice undergraduate curriculum and training programs are sourced from and integrated into Center and affiliate research focusing on questions of the relationships between science, society and justice.
The Program is maintained, coordinated and managed by the Center Manager (CM), Director of Teaching (DoT), Director, and the SJRC Steering Committee in coordination with academic and college advisors. Below is a description of the components of the program and how they are administered.
The SJRC is not an academic department however is a community of faculty who teach a wide range of courses and oversee projects focused on topics of science and justice across the campus’ varied disciplines and divisions. The SJRC accepts 2-4 undergraduate students per year to collaborate on collective research papers, proposals, and projects as well as Center events and programming. Interested students are directed to review the for undergraduate participation, view S&J Community/Ways To Get Involved and complete the application. Students are encouraged to integrate research into courses, independent study and individual major units. Individual study/major units must be coordinated through the faculty advisor's home department.
Final projects for independent study courses should aim to publicly represent (poster, paper, or website) the fusion of the student’s research interests with either other students and the Center’s or its affiliates’ research.
For Each Term: peer advisors could do the following
Solicit for and oversee 2-4 undergraduate researchers: prepare call, compile applications, select, notify, enroll, mentor, final project, maintenance of project.
Peer Advisors could:
advertise affiliated faculty courses
collect syllabi from instructor: identify readings for online engagement
if integrated into the class, post instigating questions on social media based on readings in related course syllabi. Share articles that relate, tag the affiliate, author, center, etc.
work with individual departments to identify best enrollment times for undergrads and grads. get the word out about the SJTP so incoming students know ahead of time.
For a minor in Science and Justice: find existing courses (start with SJRC’s list, and GCH list)
Find out when classes have guest speakers that could double as a broader conversation talk.
When do undergrads apply? Reach out to local HS’s science teachers. Connect with WiSE and EPC. Reach out to Summer Session, booth during Orientation, etc.
Summer - below needs to be updated
By July 1
AA:
Prepare Center promotional materials about the Center and its Training Programs to AD for department and college advisors to give to incoming students during summer and fall orientations.
Sooner if needing to print.
AD:
Review, edit and approve Center promotional material.
By July 15
AA:
Send Center promotional materials to department and college advisors.
Consider setting up a booth and have current undergrads talk to other students - like the Resource Center’s do.
Week -2 (two weeks from start of fall)
AA:
Solicit Faculty Affiliates for ‘science and justice’ related courses offered in Fall to post and advertise.
Draft a flyer advertising Fall related courses to the AD
Schedule Steering/Curriculum Committee meeting for Week 0.
AD:
Draft Fall Center undergraduate researcher call to Director, once approved, send to AA.
Review, edit and approve related course promotional material.
Week -1 (one week from start of fall)
AA:
Post on website and disseminate: Fall undergraduate researcher call, and related course promotional materials to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Share on center and departmental social media accounts.
Fall
Week 0
Students:
Apply.
AA:
Compile applications and call for AD and Steering/Curriculum Committee.
Committee:
Review applications in consideration of call.
Discuss which to accept into the Undergraduate Training Program.
Suggests ways to fuse student interests with Center research projects and themes.
Determine who will advise and mentor students.
AA:
Drafts to AD, correspondences to applicants, includes Welcome to the SJRC Community, Who is Who, links to the handbook and Center website.
Adds students to website.
AD:
Reviews correspondence, adds further instruction on enrollment or project feedback from Steering/Curriculum Committee, and sends to fellows; CC’ing the AA and Director.
Week 1
Students:
Enroll.
By Oct 31
AA:
Solicit Faculty Affiliates for ‘science and justice’ related courses offered in Winter to post and advertise
Draft a flyer advertising Winter related courses to the AD
Week 10
AD:
Draft Winter undergraduate researcher call to Director, once final, send to AA.
AA:
Post on website and disseminate: Winter undergraduate researcher call, and related course promotional materials to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Share on center and departmental social media accounts.
Send Winter related course promotional material (before the first day of Advising Week) to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Schedule Steering/Curriculum Committee meeting for Week 0.
Winter
Week 0
Students:
Apply.
AA:
Compile applications and call for AD and Steering/Curriculum Committee.
Committee:
Review applications in consideration of call.
Discuss which to accept into the Undergraduate Training Program.
Suggests ways to fuse student interests with Center research projects and themes.
Determine who will advise and mentor students.
AA:
Drafts to AD, correspondences to applicants, includes Welcome to the SJRC Community, Who is Who, links to the handbook and Center website.
Adds students to website.
AD:
Reviews correspondence, adds further instruction on enrollment or project feedback from Steering/Curriculum Committee, and sends to fellows; CC’ing the AA and Director.
Week 1
Students:
Enroll.
By Feb 21
AA:
Draft Spring undergraduate researcher call to Director, once final, send to AA.
Solicit Faculty Affiliates for ‘science and justice’ related courses offered in Spring to post and advertise
Send related Spring course promotional material (before the first day of Advising Week) to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Week 10
AA:
Post on website and disseminate: Winter undergraduate researcher call, and related course promotional materials to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Share on center and departmental social media accounts.
Send Spring related course promotional material (before the first day of Advising Week) to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Schedule Steering/Curriculum Committee meeting for Week 0.
Spring
Week 0
Students:
Apply.
AA:
Compile applications and call for AD and Steering/Curriculum Committee.
Committee:
Review applications in consideration of call.
Discuss which to accept into the Undergraduate Training Program.
Suggests ways to fuse student interests with Center research projects and themes.
Determine who will advise and mentor students.
AA:
Drafts to AD, correspondences to applicants, includes Welcome to the SJRC Community, Who is Who, links to the handbook and Center website.
Adds students to website.
AD:
Reviews correspondence, adds further instruction on enrollment or project feedback from Steering/Events Committee, and sends to fellows; CC’ing the AA and Director.
Week 1
Students:
Enroll.
By May 9
AA:
Solicit Faculty Affiliates for ‘science and justice’ related courses offered in Summer to post and advertise
Draft a flyer advertising Summer related courses to the AD
Post on website and disseminate: related course promotional materials to department and college advisors to send to undergraduate list-serves, affiliates and grad students to send to networks.
Share on center and departmental social media accounts.