Tutorial Experience

General rules applicable to all individual research and tutorial experiences:

a. If the supervising faculty member is an adjunct professor, the project must receive the prior approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

b. A student may register for no more than a total of two projects under this rule (whether individual research or tutorial experience) in a single semester.

c. Unless the Dean otherwise approves, a student may not count towards meeting the requirements for graduation more than eight hours of credit for a combination of individual research and tutorial experience. The Dean’s approval will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.

Tutorial Experience

Subject to the advance approval of the Curriculum Committee as set out below, a student may obtain credit for an individualized learning project undertaken by arrangement with a faculty member.

Qualifying Projects: The learning experiences covered by this category have the common characteristic of being tailored to meet the educational goals of an individual student. The different projects covered by this rule are likely to be varied, and the precise form and structure of each will be determined by the student in consultation with the supervising faculty member. Because the Individual Tutorial offering is relatively new to the curriculum, the Curriculum Committee is still working out the precise parameters. However, some broad guidelines can be stated:

a. An individual tutorial will typically involve one faculty member supervising a single student. (If a group of students are to be involved, it is more appropriate to have the project approved by the Curriculum Committee as a class or seminar.)

b. The individual tutorial is not meant as a vehicle for earning law-school credit for working as a research or teaching assistant to a faculty member.

c. Individual Tutorial Projects are meant to be unique learning experiences growing from the creativity of a specific student. Thus, it is unlikely that a faculty member will repeat the same tutorial project in later semesters with different students. (If the project is capable of repetition by other students or faculty supervisors, it may be more appropriate to present it to the Curriculum Committee as a class or seminar.)

d. The project must involve some written or other tangible product that is capable of evaluation by the faculty supervisor.

e. Credit may not be granted for a project for which the student has been or will be paid, or that is completed in paid employment.

f. Except in extraordinary circumstances, the Committee is unlikely to approve a project for more than two credits or to approve more than one Individual Tutorial Experience project per student for a single semester.

Application Process

The following steps must be taken to register for an individual tutorial experience:

a. Consult with and obtain the approval of the prospective faculty supervisor in advance of the semester in which the student is to register for credit.

b. Under the guidance of the supervising faculty member, submit an application to the Curriculum Committee, not later than 4 weeks prior to the last day of classes in the semester preceding that for which registration is sought.

c. The application must be accompanied by the written approval of the proposed faculty member.

d. The application must describe the project with particularity and must set out a clearly defined academic objective. It must, in addition, describe the process of evaluation to be used, indicate the number of credits to be awarded, and specify whether they are to be graded or ungraded.

The Curriculum Committee may ask for additional information from the applicant, the faculty supervisor, or both, and may suggest changes or conditions before approving a project. If the Committee approves a project, it will notify the Registrar of that fact, specifying the number of credits allowed and whether those credits are to be graded or ungraded.

With professor permission, meets WIE and/or Capstone writing requirement