Interest remains low in senior thesis program

Despite attempts by the University to increase the popularity of undergraduate research, overall interest in the honors thesis program has remained low.

While a growing number of students choose to double major, administrators lament that the overwhelming majority of students pass up the opportunity to do independent research and collaborate with professors in a self-designed program their senior year.

"[Theses are] a marvelous experience for some students," said James Glaser, Dean of the Colleges for Undergraduate Education. "It can give a taste of research experience which can be very valuable."

Only 7.6 percent of the class of 2003 wrote theses and were awarded honors for their work. In 2000, 8.6 percent of the graduating class wrote honors theses. In contrast, 34 percent of the class of 2003 completed multiple majors, a rise from 25 percent in the class of 2000.

"Students don't understand the value of depth, and don't understand the relationship between who they are and what they are studying," former Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye said. Inouye, a professor of Japanese, has long argued the value of senior theses.

After a year of research and writing, students must defend their thesis in front of a committee, which awards one of three honors classifications.

Many seniors say it is difficult to manage the workload associated with a thesis and other schoolwork while applying for jobs or for graduate school.

Bethany Arrand, a senior majoring in international relations and economics who is writing a thesis on new World Trade Organization agreements and their effects on African countries, said the hardest part of writing a thesis has been time management.

But she said the "chance to learn about something that specifically interests me, and really dive into a topic" has made the struggle worthwhile.

English and music double-major Pamela Feo chose not to write a senior thesis. "At first [a thesis] sounded like a good idea, and I thought I should do it, but now I don't regret it because I am already so busy that I don't want the added pressure," she said. "Not many people are writing theses, so there isn't much pressure to do one."

Other students, such as economics and international relations double-major Paul Kresser, decided not to undertake a thesis and opted to add a second major instead. "I figured I needed one or the other," he said. "I saw more flexibility with a double-major in economics than an IR thesis paper."

Some seniors also mentioned that professors in different departments are sometimes unwilling to join an advisory committee, which is necessary for any thesis and can be especially problematic for double-majors who attempt to combine their interests for a thesis.

Glaser said that the University and departments could do a better job of nurturing theses.

To encourage more students to write theses, some departments are introducing greater support for thesis-writers. According to political science department chair Vickie Sullivan, next year the department's thesis writers will meet weekly as a group with a professor to discuss research and writing problems.

According to Sullivan, the department is "trying to make thesis writing more gratifying, and give more support while students are writing."

In addition, for the first time this semester, the economics department is offering a half-credit class targeted toward support of the department's thesis students.

Glaser believes that more students are capable of doing senior theses than currently are, yet he does not believe that it should be required of all students.

"It is not in the average student's interest, and there is not enough of a faculty infrastructure," he said.

Glaser was a member of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience, whose final report recommended that an honors thesis be required for students to graduate with summa cum laude honors. But he said that not all administrators support the idea.

Political science professor Robert Devigne said the University should encourage only the strongest students to write theses.

Devigne said he "has found that the students mainly writing theses are not the best students."

"They too often want to write not because it's a topic they really want to understand, but to attain some kind of honors at graduation," he said. "About one in five [theses] are excellent, and are based on people really having a yearning to understand, and for them it's a wonderful experience."