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What is a Senior Fellowship?
Senior Fellowships involve projects for which the intellectual scope and
breadth of imagination goes beyond that which can be accomplished by taking
courses offered in the existing curriculum. Senior Fellowship projects
vary widely – recent examples include the composition and performance of a
one-act opera, the production of an artistic film on eating disorders, a
clinical study with diabetic patients, and an historical analysis of Cyrus the
Great. Despite the range of topics, all Senior Fellowships have one thing
in common – they would not be possible within the constraints of departmental
major requirements.
Who is eligible to be a Senior Fellow?
Students who have a GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of the application are
eligible to apply. Students should have completed a minimum of 27 credits
before the start of the proposed fellowship.
What are the graduation requirements for Senior
Fellows?
All Dartmouth students must have 35 credits to graduate. A Senior
Fellowship earns 6 academic credits, so Senior Fellows must complete 29
additional credits. Fellows must complete all distributive and related
requirements by the end of the second term of the Fellowship.
Do Senior Fellows need to complete a major?
Senior Fellows are not required to complete a major, but can do so if they
wish. However, they do not receive any reduction in the requirements for
a major, and no part of the Senior Fellowship work may be submitted for
departmental major honors. If fellows are not completing a major, they
may count courses in what has been their major department in partial
satisfaction of the Distributive Requirements (if applicable).
How long is a Senior Fellowship?
A Senior Fellowship consists of three terms of registered enrollment.
The terms must be R- or O-terms, not L-terms; supervised independent research
away from campus will count as an R-term. Some Fellows will begin their
projects the summer before the fellowship year, and others may opt to take a
leave term during the fellowship year to extend the time frame of their
project. Regardless of the final time commitment of the Senior Fellow,
the fellowship involves three terms of enrollment and a total of 6 academic
credits.
Can Senior Fellowships be discontinued during the fellowship
year?
A Senior Fellowship appointment is provisional for the first term.
Continuation for the remaining two terms requires the Committee on Senior
Fellowship’s approval of a Fellow’s accomplishments and rate of progress during
the first term. In making its determination, the Committee evaluates a written
report from the student, a detailed analysis and recommendation of the
principal advisor, and such additional information as may be required. If
the Committee decides to discontinue a Senior Fellowship, the student must
complete a departmental or program major in order to graduate.
Can Senior Fellows enroll in classes?
It is best if Senior Fellows devote all of their time and energy to their
projects during the three terms of the Fellowship. The Committee on
Senior Fellowships must approve all academic schedules, and will generally
approve requests by Senior Fellows to take one or two classes during the
Fellowship year. Requests to take three or more classes receive approval
only under special circumstances.
Can Senior Fellows be off campus during the Fellowship
year?
The Fellowship year comprises three terms of registered enrollment, at least
one of which must be spent primarily in residence. All three terms count
as R-terms, even if the Senior Fellow is off campus. Senior Fellows who
are off campus must arrange to be in frequent contact with their primary
advisors.
Do Senior Fellows receive funding for their projects?
The Kaminsky Family fund provides funding for Senior Fellowship projects.
As part of the application process, Senior Fellows must submit an
itemized budget for their proposed project, and this budget must be approved by
the Committee for Senior Fellowships. Senior Fellows may apply for funding for
travel as well as for supplies related to their projects. In addition to
funding for the project itself, Senior Fellows are entitled to attend their
final term at Dartmouth College tuition-free. Since this provision may have
differing effects on individual students, a Senior Fellow may choose: (1)
tuition remission for the final term (for students receiving financial aid,
this will mean a reduction in the self-help package for the entire year); or
(2) a graduate fellowship equal to one term's tuition (the amount of the
fellowship is based on the tuition in the year in which the student completed
the fellowship).
What is the role of the faculty advisor(s) in a Senior
Fellowship?
Each Senior Fellow must have a primary advisor. If the primary advisor
is not a tenure-track member of the Dartmouth faculty, a secondary advisor must
meet that criterion. Being the primary advisor for a Senior Fellowship is
a major commitment, and faculty should carefully consider whether they will be
able to devote the necessary time and resources to a Senior Fellow.
During the application process, the primary advisor consults with the candidate
to hone the project and put together the written proposal. If the
candidate is selected as a Senior Fellow, the primary advisor works closely
with the Fellow throughout the Fellowship year. Senior Fellows must be in
contact with their primary advisor at least once every two weeks. If both
the Fellow and the advisor are on campus, they are expected to meet in
person. If one or both is off campus, then contact can be via phone or
email. Depending on the nature of the project, Senior Fellows may also
choose to have one or more secondary advisors. Prior to applying,
candidates for a Senior Fellowship must be certain that their primary advisor
understands and agrees to the level of involvement required. If the
faculty member is unable to commit the time and resources to the Senior Fellow
or has serious doubts about the project or the Fellow’s ability to complete the
project, the faculty member should tell the applicant early in the process and
not agree to be primary advisor. Some departments on campus take the view
that they are so committed to their regular program and to directing
departmental (or program) honors projects that they cannot allow their faculty
to devote extensive time to Senior Fellows.
How is a Senior Fellowship evaluated?
Senior Fellows are enrolled in two SRFL credits in each of the three
terms. These “courses” are graded on a credit/no credit basis. When
the Senior Fellowship is complete, the final project is evaluated by an
Examining Committee. The Examining Committee consists of the Senior
Fellow’s primary advisor and at least two additional members. When a
student is awarded a Senior Fellowship, the primary advisor will recommend two
or more examiners (the other examiners should not also be advisors to the
project). The Committee on Senior Fellowships must approve the list of
examiners. Except in special circumstances, at least one of the members
of the Examining Committee is expected to be from outside the college.
The Examining Committee judges whether the student has completed the Senior
Fellowship or has completed the Fellowship “with Honors” or “with High
Honors”. Upon the recommendation of the Examining Committee, the
Committee on Senior Fellowships will make the final determination and report to
the registrar.
What is the application process for a Senior
Fellowship?
Students must apply for a Senior Fellowships no later than the end of the
fourth week of the term, two terms before the Senior Fellowship is to
begin. Applicants must submit an application form, budget form, official
transcript, 3 letters of recommendation (one must be from the primary advisor),
and a written proposal. The written proposal should clearly state what
the project is, why it is important and how the candidate’s background in
academics and/or other areas has prepared him or her for the fellowship.
The project should be described in detail, including relevant literature,
methodology and timeline. The candidate also must justify why he or she
is applying for a Senior Fellowship rather than completing a traditional
major.
How are Senior Fellows selected?
The Committee on Senior Fellowships reviews all applications and selects
candidates to advance to the interview phase. Selected candidates and
their advisors are required to attend an interview with the Senior Fellowship
Committee. Interviews last approximately 45 minutes. First, the
candidate is asked to give a 10-minute presentation on the proposed Senior
Fellowship project. The Committee on Senior Fellowships then asks the
candidate questions about the proposal for 15-20 minutes. At this point,
the candidate is excused, and the Committee on Senior Fellowships meets with
the primary advisor for approximately 15 minutes. The Committee bases its
final decisions on such factors as the quality of the written proposal, the
feasibility of the project within the time constraints of the fellowship, the
preparation of the fellow for the project, and the commitment of the primary
advisor to the project. The Committee also carefully weighs the question
of whether a Senior Fellowship is justified. That is, will the student
get more out of a Senior Fellowship year than out of taking classes in the
traditional curriculum and completing a departmental major. A maximum of
10 (but in exceptional circumstances 12) Senior Fellows are selected each
year. The actual number of Fellows selected as well as the number of
applicants varies widely from year to year. The selection process is very
rigorous so you should have alternate academic plans for your senior year if
you are not awarded a Senior Fellowship.
Senior Fellowship
Application Packet (112K PDF file)
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