For Thesis Mentors
If you are reading this memo, then you have no doubt been approached by a JUPS senior for your advisement and mentorship. You should expect that the student has come prepared with a list of relevant courses taken in preparation for the project, a thesis proposal, a working bibliography, and confidence that you can be most helpful to his or her efforts. We have prepared this memo in the hope of clarifying for students the role of a faculty mentor and also in the desire to provide some uniformity to the experience of students in the program. The Program on Justice and Peace asks you to accept the mentor role only if you are familiar and comfortable with the proposed topic. In general, the mentor’s initial task is to provide information regarding research sources, particularly current books, articles and journals that are relevant to the project. It is not necessary for you to be an expert in this particular topic or field, only that you are able to guide and provide structure for the student's efforts.
The JUPS 303 grade will be comprised of the following:
• 2/3 of your grade is based on the final product of the thesis as determined by your thesis mentor and submitted to Professor Wisler by the second Friday of April.
• 1/3 of student’s grade is based on the student’s process through the Fall and Spring in his/her peer editing groups, class sessions, presentation, and one-on-one meetings
The final grade for JUPS 303 is awarded retroactively. A student receives an “IP” grade for the course on the Fall transcript. Upon thesis completion in the Spring, the grade is changed to a final letter grade.
The thesis traditionally tends to be approximately 50 pages, although this length depends on the methodology, topic, and format of the project. The role of the thesis mentor varies from student to student, thesis to thesis. At the very least, the thesis mentor commits to reading a full thesis turned in by the student no later than the Friday after Spring Break and then submits feedback to the student for revision and then finally a grade to the Director by no later than the second Friday of April. However, the mentor-student relationship can take various forms and is flexible. In previous cases: the mentor and student created a chapter-by-chapter feedback plan managed through email; the mentor and student met on a regular schedule to discuss drafts, concerns, and issues; the student’s thesis was complementary to the professor’s research and thus advisement was delivered through other venues (project meetings, etc.); or the student and mentor met on an “as-needed/requested” basis as determined by the student. It is the responsibility of the mentor and student to create and agree upon a plan that both parties can honor. Students have been advised to prepare themselves to address and seek your assistance in the following areas: difficulties encountered finding and incorporating relevant and useful sources; focusing, clarifying, and augmenting the specific question and thesis of the paper; assessing the logic of arguments developed as pertaining to the research and data presented; and discussing possible counter-arguments and developing ways to address and respond to those counter-arguments. The Program Director is available to support all JUPS 303 seniors, but can not replace the role of the mentor. Thesis mentors are encouraged to contact Professor Wisler if they have concerns about their advisee(s) or can no longer commit to being a mentor.
All seniors and thesis mentors are encouraged to mark their calendars now for the PJP Senior Thesis Luncheon to celebrate the year; the Luncheon takes place at 12PM on the first study day after the end of Spring semester classes.
We at the Program on Justice and Peace are grateful for your generosity towards the students and for the invaluable contribution you make to helping them undertake this project. If you have any further questions about the program or the role of the mentor, please contact Andria Wisler, Director of the Program on Justice and Peace.
