Department of Anthropology & Sociology
Guidelines for Winter Study Program Independent Projects (WSP 99)
Each year, the Department of Anthropology & Sociology appoints one of its faculty members as the coordinator of all WSP 99 applications. The same faculty member then directs those projects that the department decides to sponsor and that are eventually approved by the WSP Committee. For WSP 2009, Professor Antonio Foias (antonia.foias@williams.edu, x2264) will be the coordinator and director of all WSP 99s in the department. Students interested in applying to the department for sponsorship of a WSP 99 should adhere closely to the following procedures.
- The Registrar will send general information about 99s to upperclass students at the beginning of the semester.
- Students must submit a typed copy (one or two pages, double-spaced) of their independent project proposals to the department coordinator no later than Monday, September 15th. Please note that this date is earlier than generally required for submission of WSP proposals to advisers. It is, however, necessary because of the department's assignment of one faculty member to coordinate several student projects. The proposal should clearly articulate the essence of the project and should include an educational rationale for the project. If the project is to be sponsored by Anthropology & Sociology, the proposal must demonstrate its relevance to major themes in one of those disciplines. The proposal should include a concise but appropriate bibliography. If the project is an internship, students should describe in some detail the activities to be undertaken during the month. Prospective interns must demonstrate organizational approval for their projects (see #6 below). These written proposals are the basis for the department's decision on whether or not to sponsor a student's project.
- If the department gives initial approval to a written proposal, the coordinator may request revisions to strengthen the proposal. The turnaround time here is short and students must adhere to the deadlines the coordinator sets. All revisions must be completed and re-submitted to the coordinator no later than Thursday, September 25.
- If the revised proposals are satisfactory, the coordinator forwards them to the department chair for final approval. The WSP Committee must receive all proposals from department chairs by October 3rd. Once students receive word that they have departmental approval for their projects, they should register for WSP on line, making sure to send a completed electronic copy to the department coordinator.
- Note that College rules mandate a ten-page paper or its equivalent to fulfill requirements for WSP. The final deadline for this paper is the last day of WSP. For this academic year, that is Thursday, January 25th. There are no extensions for WSP work. In submitting proposals through the department, students are committing themselves to finishing work on time.
- Each proposal for an internship must include a written statement from a person in authority where a student proposes to work. This statement can be very brief, indicating simply that a student does indeed have organizational approval for his or her project.
- The WSP Committee will inform students directly about the status of their proposals.
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