FAQ
What is the “IRP”?
“IRP” denotes “Interdisciplinary Research Project.” It has six components: Mentor Designation, Topic Statement & Bibliography, Notes on Sources, First Draft, Second Draft, Final Draft, and Oral Presentation.
Work on each of these components is graded.
About what topics may I write my Interdisciplinary Research Paper?
Your topic must be interdisciplinary. It must also be intelligible and of interest to a liberally educated person.
Who determines whether my proposed topic is acceptable?
The Scholars Director, in consultation with your Mentors.
Whom may I ask to serve as my Primary Mentor? Whom may I ask to serve as my Secondary Mentor?
Any member of the University’s faculty. Each mentor should have expertise in one of the two disciplines that your Interdisciplinary Research Paper involves. At least one of your Mentors should teach in a program outside your major.
How do I go about designating my Primary and Secondary Mentors?
Complete your “Mentor Designation Form,” submitting it to the Director of the Scholars Program by the established deadline.
Click here for further information.
What is an interdisciplinary topic?
For our purposes, an interdisciplinary topic is one that requires some application of two academic disciplines in order to be addressed well. Your topic should concern some specific question or questions that can be investigated and resolved on the basis of these disciplines.
What is an academic discipline?
At a minimum, every program offering a major or a minor at Benedictine University counts as an academic discipline.
Click here for a list of these programs.
My interdisciplinary topic must apply two academic disciplines. Are there any limits as to which academic disciplines it involves?
You are expected to design a project that applies two significantly different academic disciplines. Toward this end, it is very good to design a project that involves disciplines from two of the three most general categories that structure Benedictine University’s Liberal Arts Core Curriculum (i.e., Arts and Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science). It is also good to design a project that involves a discipline from one of these categories and a discipline offered in Benedictine’s Business, Technology, Management, or Education programs
The Scholars Director reserves the right to reject any Mentor Designation which names Mentors from disciplines that are too closely related.
What must my Interdisciplinary Research Paper do in order to “apply” two academic disciplines?
It must address its topic in a way that shows close engagement of distinguished bibliographical items from both disciplines. Its bibliography must include at least 10 items, with at least 5 from each discipline.
What is a “distinguished bibliographical item” from any discipline?
A book or article published by a major journal or academic press in that discipline. Your Primary Mentor and Secondary Mentor decide what counts as a “major journal or academic press” within their respective disciplines.
May my Interdisciplinary Research Paper concern a topic that is related to some other paper I am required to write at Benedictine University?
Yes, its topic may be related to that of some other paper. However the papers themselves should differ considerably in content. Your Interdisciplinary Research Paper should be a significant work of original scholarship.
How long must my Interdisciplinary Research Paper be?
Between 20 and 30 pages (typed, double-spaced).
Why is the evaluation of my IRP important?
The evaluation of the whole Project is important because it determines whether your Benedictine University baccalaureate diploma and transcript will bear the honorary designations “Benedictine Scholar with Distinction,” “Benedictine Scholar,” or no such honorary designation.
The evaluation of individual Items is important because it determines whether you continue to receive any Scholars financial award and have the right to register for Scholars classes (i.e., whether you remain in Good Standing within the Program).
What determines whether I pass with distinction, pass without distinction, or fail the IRP?
These designations rest on your Project Grade.
What is my Project Grade?
Your Project Grade is the average of the grades that you receive for the Second Draft, the Final Draft, and Oral Presentation.
What Project Grade do I need in order to earn the designation “Benedictine Scholar with Distinction”?
To earn the designation “Benedictine Scholar with Distinction,” you need a Project Grade of 90-100.
What Project Grade do I need in order to earn the designation “Benedictine Scholar”?
To earn the designation “Benedictine Scholar,” you need a Project Grade of 75-89. If your Project Grades is 74 or lower, you fail the Scholars Project. Your diploma and transcript will not bear the honorary designations “Benedictine Scholar with Distinction” or “Benedictine Scholar.”
How is my Project Grade calculated?
Your Project Grade equals:
- the average of the number grades (0-100 range) that you receive from your mentors on your Second Draft;
- the average of the number grades (0-100 range) that you receive from your mentors on your Final Draft;
- plus the average of the number grade (0-100 range) that you receive from the Oral Presentation Jury on your Oral Presentation;
- divided by three.
Who submits number grades for the Project?
Your Primary and Secondary Mentors submit number grades for Second and Final Drafts.
The Scholars IRP Presentation Jury submits a grade for the Oral Presentation.
What happens if I do not submit some part of the Scholars Project?
If you fail to submit any part of the Project by the published deadlines, you may be dismissed from the Scholars Program. If dismissed, you forfeit any financial award you receive as a Scholar and lose the right to register for Scholars classes.
If some gravely serious reason prevents a student from submitting an Item by the published deadline, it is the prerogative of the Scholars Director to set an alternative deadline for that student.
How are non-graded Items evaluated?
Non-graded Items are evaluated on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory basis by each mentor. The receipt of a single “unsatisfactory”-evaluation constitutes failure of the Item.
What options do I have if I fail an Item that I submit?
You may resubmit an improved version of the Item for a second evaluation. The Resubmission Deadline is set by the Primary Mentor in consultation with the Program Director; in most cases, it will be two weeks after the original Submission Deadline. The student is responsible to resubmit such items to both the Primary and Secondary Mentor.
If you choose not to resubmit any failed Item, you may be dismissed from the Scholars Program. If dismissed, you lose any financial award you receive as a Scholar and lose the right to register for Scholars classes.
Note: The same policies regarding missed deadlines apply to this Resubmission Deadline as apply to the original deadline.
What happens if I fail an item that I resubmit?
If you fail an item that you resubmit, you may be dismissed from the Scholars Program. If dismissed, you lose any financial award you receive as a Scholar and lose the right to register for Scholars classes.
When will I be notified of any honorary designations that I have earned?
For candidates graduating in May, the Scholars Director announces this decision on or before May 15th.
Should any candidate commit some gross violation of University policies, it is the prerogative of the Scholars Director, in consultation with the Scholars Council and the Dean of Students, to withhold either designation from the diploma or transcript of that candidate.
Whom may I ask for help?
The Faculty of Benedictine University are dedicated to helping you achieve the outcomes of the Scholars Program. The Scholars Director and Scholars faculty are special resources in this regard, as are all Benedictine faculty.
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