For Capstone Advisors
Thank you for agreeing to serve as an advisor for the European Studies Capstone. Below you will find some basic information about being a Capstone advisor. More detailed information may be found in the Capstone Handbook and Capstone Syllabus.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Center.
Capstone Advisor FAQ
What is the European Studies Capstone?
The European Studies Capstone (EUS 375) is a one semester independent research project that is required for any European Studies undergraduate major at UT. Students undertaking the Capstone are required to complete a 20-25 page paper and present their findings at the end of the semester. EUS 375 may only be taken during the fall and spring semesters.
What topics may be covered by the student?
Topics may originate from any discipline - art, history, literature, policy, law, etc. The topic is intended to be interdisciplinary, reflect the student's overall interests, and be representative of his/her cumulative undergraduate experience as a European Studies major. Hence, a capstone project that examines a single writer, artist, or thinker must, for example, explore that single writer, artist, or thinker within a broader and distinctly European context. But since the paper is only 20-25 pages, the topic should be narrow enough that research can be covered in the allotted number of pages.
Who may be a faculty advisor?
Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors affiliated with European Studies may be a faculty advisor for the Capstone.
How do I become an advisor?
Students registering for EUS 375 are encouraged to approach faculty members the semester before they intend to take the course. They will typically search through the faculty list on the CES website to find faculty who teach, research, or have some background in the topic they are planning to pursue. A faculty member will sign the European Studies Capstone Application Form once he/she agrees to be the advisor for the student's project. This form will be submitted to the Center by the student before they can register for the course.
What is required of advisors?
The first step as an advisor is to help the student narrow his/her topic into something that is manageable in 20-25 pages. Students usually have a topic that they are interested in exploring but aren't always sure how to narrow their focus and may require some guidance in the beginning. From there the advisor may guide the student to methodologies and sources of information, but the research will be done entirely by the student. Advisors will also comment on preliminary plans and drafts and offer suggestions or guidance.
How much time is required as an advisor?
CES requires that students meet with their advisors for one hour each week. However, this schedule may be altered upon agreement between student and advisor but we must have notice in writing at the beginning of the semester. Since the advisor is vital part of the Capstone Project, we want to make sure that students are meeting with advisors on a regular basis.
Additionally, we ask that all advisors attend the Capstone Presentations scheduled during the last week of classes. We make every attempt to schedule the presentations to meet everyone's schedules.
Is there anything else I should know about being an advisor?
In order to have a record of meetings, students are asked to be a Faculty Record Form with them each time they meet with you. You will simply sign and date the form each time. They will submit the first form to CES mid-semester and the second form with their final paper. It is simply a record for us to keep as prrof that the students did indeed meet with you.
Who is the second reader?
Students are required to find a faculty member to serve as second reader. Second readers do not have to be affiliated with CES. Deadlines for students to submit the name of their second reader to CES fall in the middle of the semester. Students may ask advisors for suggestions of faculty to approach to be their second reader.
How do I grade the Capstone?
At the end of each semester, students will turn in completed papers to both their advisor and second reader. The second reader is asked to give comments to the student and to share these with the advisor. Advisors may take second reader comments into account when formulating the grade of the paper. Grades for the paper will be submitted directly to the Center. Additionally, Advisors are asked to submit a grade for the student's final presentation which is given during finals.
How do I enter grades?
Advisors will submit both the grade for the paper and the grade for the presentation to the Center. Once all grades have been turned in, CES will submit the final grade reports.
The student's final grade will be based upon the following:
- 50%: Final Paper (graded by Advisor)
- 20%: Meeting assigned deadlines as outlined in the Capstone Handbook
- 15%: Final Presentation (graded by Advisor or CES)
- 10%: Submission of second reader by deadline
- 5%: Submission of completed Faculty Record Forms and Paper to CES by deadline
