Senior Seminars and Mentorships provide wonderful opportunities for students to explore areas of personal interest and complete their senior research requirement.
Whether participating in a seminar or a mentorship, students engage in field-based research, create a product, write a research paper, and present at Senior Showcase. Students earn two VCU credits (pass/fail) in Research Methods upon successful completion of all requirements of the Senior Seminar/Mentorship Program.
School-based research seminars are guided by an MLWGS faculty facilitator or a professional community facilitator and are structured around a broad organizing theme of mutual interest. Seminar students undertake a research project and write a paper on a topic of interest related to the seminar theme and that is approved by the seminar instructor. Each seminar group also works together as a class to create a professional presentation for Showcase.
The 2019-2020 Seminars are:
Students desiring a more individual study of a field of interest may pursue a mentorship off of the MLWGS campus, meeting each Friday with the MLWGS Mentorship Coordinator to discuss their progress. Students electing this approach must complete a minimum of 115 hours of field experience with all documentation and assessments required for a passing mark in the Mentorship Program, complete a minimum of 25 hours meeting with the Mentorship Coordinator on Fridays to ensure all activities and assessments are completed, and complete a research project consisting of the research process, a product, research paper and professional presentation at Showcase.
In recent years, mentorships have taken place at:
For additional program information contact Mr. Les Cook, Coordinator of Mentorship and Seminar Programs.
