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Independent Study Contracts
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who wish to engage in independent study for Exploration Term may do so through an
independent study contract. Any student wishing to pursue independent study should formulate a contract, working in
close consultation with a faculty sponsor. Once the contract is approved by the project sponsor, the student’s advisor,
and the department chair, the student submits the contract to the Office of Exploration Term and Contract Learning.
After contracts are reviewed, the Exploration Term and Contract Learning Committee notifies the student of any changes
required for the contract to receive approval and be registered. If the contract is not approved, the student should
register for an Exploration Term project published in the Bulletin.
Independent study contracts should meet the academic standards of all Exploration Term projects. e student is expected
to engage in 150 clock hours of focused academic activity and to meet the terms of the study contract: follow the project’s
methodology as stated in the study contract, attend all required meetings with the faculty sponsor, and submit the final
academic product as indicated in the contract.
Contracts for independent study and internships are due to Office of Exploration Term and Contract Learning by Friday,
October 21, 2016.
e contract form may be found online at
http://www.bsc.edu/academics/krulak/exp-con/contract.cfm.All contracts
that include activities off-campus require a release form as well. ese may be obtained at the Office of Exploration
Term and Contract Learning (Norton 262) or at
http://www.bsc.edu/academics/krulak/exp-con/release.cfm.Students
engaged in contracts for Exploration Term 2017 will be registered automatically by the Office of Exploration Term and
Contract Learning; students pursuing Exploration Term contracts do not register on eSIS, nor do they need to attend an
orientation meeting on November 17. Examples of completed individualized study contracts may be reviewed at the above
contract website.
Note: Students who wish to complete internships which fall under the purview of established faculty-directed projects
(e.g. Student Teaching Internship, Pre-Health, or Pre-Law) simply register for the project and do not complete an
independent study contract.
Senior Exploration TermProjects
Many academic disciplines require students to complete a Senior Exploration Term Project in their major. is project is
usually carried out in the senior year, but occasionally students are given permission to complete the senior project in their
junior year. To fulfill this requirement, a student may either register for an Exploration Term senior project offered in her or
his major or contract an independent project with a faculty member in that major.
Requirements for O -Campus Study and Travel
Any student traveling off-campus during Exploration Term, whether for a BSC study-travel project, an independent study
project, or an internship, must complete and sign a release form. For students under 19 years of age, a parent or guardian
must sign the release. Release forms are located on the Exploration Term/Contract Learning section of the BSC website,
under “Release Forms”
(http://www.bsc.edu/academics/exp-con/release.cfm).
Students traveling internationally will be required to read the State Department’s Consular Information Sheets and Travel
Advisories at
http://travel.state.gov/.Students are required to purchase BSC’s travel health insurance plan (approximately
$18 per week of travel), which will be automatically billed to each student. Students should be aware that, given the
international safety and health concerns, there is always the possibility that certain study-travel projects may be modified,
canceled, or postponed.