Invitation to Participate

I am pleased to announce that La Salle will once again be providing opportunities for undergraduate student research in all fields. If you are looking for an experience that will provide something distinctive in your undergraduate program, something for your resume that will set you apart in applications for employment or further study, I urge you to consider "Independent Research" under the direction of a faculty mentor of your choosing. (Ordinarily, junior or senior status at the time of the project, and a GPA of 3.00 is required; a 3.4 GPA is preferred.) More information, an application form, and sample projects appear on this website:
http://www.lasalle.edu/academ/undergradresearch/
Also on the website is a listing of faculty research interests and suggestions for projects; I can E-Mail that material to you, if you wish. I want to explain how you can take advantage of "Independent Research" opportunities:

1. The program is for independent student research as a separate (usually--but not always--one-person) three-credit course, and it is thus not part of research projects within the regular class context. For some projects, it might be appropriate for two or more students to suggest collaborative research. Similar in administrative procedures to "independent study courses," the program emphasizes "research" more than "study." The various disciplines, of course, define "research" in very different ways. Nevertheless, the "Independent Research" course should aim at producing a research project worthy of the discipline and of dissemination to a wider group of La Salle faculty and students or to the community at large. A student satisfactorily completing the "Independent Research" course will receive three credits.

2. This new program supplements (and does not replace) the various research courses within disciplines and the Honors 499 research course. Ideally, La Salle wants to make the opportunity for "Independent Research" available to new people, but students who have completed those other research experiences are also eligible. La Salle's "Institutional Review Board" must approve any project involving human subject research; please contact me for further information.

3. You should apply on an "Independent Undergraduate Research Form" available on the Undergraduate Student Research web page or from the English Office--Olney 141). A prospectus of your research is required. Course projects must be approved and the sheet signed by the faculty mentor, by the chair, and then by me; I will forward your application to the appropriate dean. Applications should reach me as soon as possible but no later than November 15 for Spring projects and April 15 for Summer or Fall possibilities; order of application will be considered if there are too many worthy projects for us to pay faculty members to supervise them all. At this time, we do not have funds to pay students for research. If you will have unusual expenses, check with me.

4. After you submit the form to me, wait for my approval to register under the discipline name and the number "444." Have a back-up course in case your project is not approved--most are approved.

I would be happy to talk to you about these opportunities. Call me at my La Salle voice mail (215-951-1146). My E-Mail address is butler@lasalle.edu.
Sincerely yours,

James A. Butler, Ph.D.
Director, Undergraduate Research Program