Nicholas School of the Environment Group Master’s Project, AdvisorHandbook

I. Overview

The Nicholas School is expanding the range of integrative experiences that NS students can choose to culminate their masters programs, including more group Masters Projects. Group Masters Projects will involve 3-5 students from one or more program areas and will be supervised by one, or possibly two, NS faculty. This handbook describes one type of Group Masters Project – those that are completed in conjunction with a “real-world” client.

Client-centered group MPs closely mirror the work environment students will encounter after graduation, as most work is done in teams. The goal of group master’s projects is to provide students with experience in interdisciplinary problem solving related to environmental issues in preparation for professional careers. Master’s projects serve as a means for students to develop and hone teamwork, management and leadership skills. Our focus on client-centered MPs comes from our desire to prepare students for career advancement and to provide them with opportunities to build the skills for which employers are looking when hiring.

II. General Information

Faculty Advisor Role

  • Each group project is assigned one or two faculty advisors who monitor progress, provide assistance, expertise, and advice, and evaluate and grade group projects. Faculty advisors play an important advisory role in the group MP. They do not serve as project managers; this responsibility belongs to student group members.
  • Advisorsacknowledge that groups of between 3 and 5 master’s students will spend approximately a quarter of their time during a 9-month period (Academic year) working on the project.
  • Advisors should be aware that clients can not significantly change project goals, objectives, or tasks for groups after the final project proposal isapproved early in the second year. Some changes to the project may occur over the summer between draft and final project proposal. However, these changes shall not compromise the students’ ability to produce a Masters Project for academic credit within the time frame below.
  • Advisors agree to the calendar of dates and deadlines in the chart for written work and agree to provide feedback and guidance to students where indicated on the calendar.
  • Advisors agree to a level of interaction that intends to provide guidance and resources to student groups. This level will vary from team to team, but early conversation between team and advisor can set expectations as to communication pathway (preference for email, phone, etc), and frequency. This will include some time in the late spring of the year when teams are assigned, but the majority of the interaction will occur in the subsequent academic year (year 2 of the student’s Masters Program).

Academic Units

Students will register for their MP through ACES, just like a class; all students in a particular group register with their primary advisor. Students must register for four to six units with his or her MP advisor. The number of units and timing of registration for master’s project credits should be arranged between the student and the master’s project advisor.

The Seminar: ENV 398.10

The MP seminar is a course that includes various MP-related activities over the two-year period. The student registers for the course each semester, and receives one credit after the last semester. The student gets credit for this course based on participation in various activities, including but not limited to the presentation practices.

Because the master’s project should integrate experiences extending over several semesters, the grade of Z is assigned for 399 registrations at the end of each semester, except for the semester in which the project is completed and the final report is submitted. At that time all registration credit under 399 will be converted to a Pass/Fail grade by the faculty advisor.

Registration for master’s projects work should not be under a section of ENVIRON 299 (Independent Study Projects). This course designation should be used for independent work that can be completed within the semester of registration and is not related to the master’s project.

Expected Time Commitment

Students should expect to devote at least ten hours a week to their group MP during their second year, although more hours can be expected. In the semester of the Masters Symposium, this includes time to prepare the final document and the MP Symposium presentation.

Summer Work and Internships

Depending on the client, some students will participate in a summer internship associated with their group MP. Work during the summer does not substitute for time spent during the academic year, but can broaden or deepen the project. Students not involved in a group MP-related internship may elect to work on their projects during the summer without compensation.

Confidentiality

Clients providing data and/or information to groups do so with the understanding that students are required to post their final papers on the Duke Library website, which is publically accessible. At times, portions of the team’s work may be proprietary, and the client should clearly communicate this to the team. However, because the final Masters Project is in the public domain, the majority of work accomplished by the team, and a proportion that is adequate for a group Masters Project, must not be confidential.

Intellectual Property

Each member of the group is an equal owner of the intellectual property of the project and deliverables. Every paper, poster, presentation, etc. that results from group MP work must list each member of the group as an author, even if materials are adapted and used long after the project has ended.

Publishing

When appropriate, groups are encouraged to publish their MPs in appropriate outlets, and/or to publicize them through organizations that have sponsored their work, after their MP advisors have signed off on the final written MP. It is critical that groups discuss plans to publish their work with the faculty advisor and client; we want to make sure the publication of MPs occurs in a way that reflects well on you, the client, the student, and the school in general.

Use of Human Subjects

If the MPinvolves interviewing people or administering surveys to them (by phone, mail, email, or in person), this may be considered research on human subjects. Such research must conform to federal and university standards for protection of human subjects of non-medical research. In this case, both the faculty advisor and group must be "certified" for research on human subjects and must obtain approval of the research protocol from Duke’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before beginning any human subject recruitment or data collection from human subjects. IRB policies and procedures must be understood and abided by prior to the collection of data. Additional information on human subjects research can be found on the Nicholas School website.

Failure to follow the procedures required by federal and Duke policies on human subjects when collecting data for the MP, will lead to that data not being permissible for use in the MP.

III. Group Project Structure

Group MP Committee

The Group MP Committee will have faculty, staff, and student representation from the Nicholas School of the Environment. The Group MP Coordinator (currently Charlotte Clark) solicits proposals from companies, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and individuals with real-world, current environmental problems. Advisor input in this developmental process is welcomed and will be solicited. Committee members review these proposals and select projects for students to consider in early spring.

Group MP Coordinator

The Group MP Coordinator is responsible for corresponding with individuals, groups, and organizations that are interested in becoming clients and for working with faculty, staff, students and the Group MP Committee to facilitate this process.

IV. Group Policies and Dynamics

Meetings

Groups are expected to meet at least once a week during the second year. Faculty advisors are not required to attend weekly meetings but students should check in with faculty advisors either via e-mail or during in-person meetings frequently over the course of the semester.

Conflict Resolution

Groups assume primary responsibility for resolving intra-group conflicts. Faculty advisors should be consulted to help resolve any issues that cannot be addressed by group members. If after faculty assistance group conflict remains unresolved, the group should contact the Group MP Coordinator, who may consult with the Group MP Committee.

If students are having difficulties with one member of their group, they must keep written documentation of the problem, including specific incidents and examples that support their allegation. Then, faculty and staff can intervene to resolve the conflict.

Group Commitment

A student cannot leave a group MP once he or she is assigned to a given group by the Group MP Committee.

V. Deliverables, Presentations and Evaluations

Deliverables

Advisors acknowledge student groups will submit to them the following written work. Where noted, advisors will provide comments and feedback within 10 days. Advisors may ask for additional progress reports with sufficient notice and within reason.

Summary of Activities in the First Year:

Students will select which projects are of interest to them in early spring. Next the Group MP Committee will assign the student to a group MP and faculty advisor bymid-spring.

Once group MP assignments are made, groups and their faculty advisors should meet. Over the last month or six weeks of the spring semester, groups should work on drafting an MP proposal, which is due to the client and faculty advisor approximately one month after students have been assigned to group MPs. Guidelines for the MP Proposal are available on the Nicholas School website. Both advisor and client must approve this draft proposal

Note that Group Masters Project proposals vary from those for solo projects in the following ways:

  1. One proposal is submitted for the team (proposals are not submitted by each individual)
  2. The proposal must be approved by the advisoras well asby the client
  3. The proposal will likely describe roles of team members
  4. Team members will be asked to complete a peer and self-evaluation on the work of their team for each semester their second year. They will also submit a faculty and client evaluation to the Group MP coordinator.
  5. Teams will produce a website showcasing their work

Summary of Activities in the Second Year

In the second year, the proposal is revised (if appropriate), the project is implemented and completed, a final report is written, and a team presentation follows.

a)MP Proposal:Guidelines for the MP Proposal are available on the Nicholas School website. These paragraphs discuss aspects that are particular to group MPs and that might be different from similar aspects of solo MPs.

Immediately upon returning for the second year, the team should meet with client and advisor to determine if revisions to the draft proposal are warranted. The hard copy of the final (revised if necessary) project proposal must be approved and signed by both faculty advisor and client, but the schedule is the same as that for solo MPs. As with solo Masters Projects, students will consult with their MP advisors to prepare brief presentations on their proposals for other faculty and students in the program within three weeks after the meeting with the advisor. However, Group MPs should consider whether the client might want to see/listen to the presentation. The client may be invited to participate in these presentations as desired; if the client or advisor is located remotely, the team is responsible for arranging for teleconferencing or Skyping ; NSOE OIT is available to help with this.

b)MP Report: Guidelines for the MP Report are available on the Nicholas School website. These paragraphs discuss aspects that are particular to group MPs and that might be different from similar aspects of solo MPs.

The final Master’s Project report must be consistent with the approved proposal. As the research develops, minor changes are likely and only require informal approval by the advisor and client. A major change in the project subject matter, however, requires submission of a new proposal, which must be approved by the advisor and client. Furthermore, at least one semester of study is normally required after submission of a new proposal before the student is eligible for graduation.

c)MP Presentation: Group MP team members have the responsibility to invite their client to attend the MP Symposium and hear their presentation.

A timetable for Masters Projects is found on the Nicholas School website.

Calendar of Group MP Process

Year 1

Description / Date / Advisor Action
Advisor Assignment to potential MP / December / Discussion with Group MP coordinator (Charlotte Clark)
Students select MP preferences / February / None
Committee works to pair students and projects / February/March / None
Groups Announced / March / Receive email from Charlotte
Initial team meetings / March / Advisor meets to discuss proposal ideas
Proposal Draft Due / April / Advisor provides comments and feedback to team within 10 days
Proposal Approval (from Advisor and Client) / April / Signature of approval on proposal

Year 2

RevisedDraft Project Proposal (if necessary) / September / Advisor provides suggestions for any necessary changes to the draft proposal from the spring of 2011.
Proposal Presentation / September / Optional attendance at presentation in person or via video conferencing
Project Proposal approved by advisor and client / October / Approve and sign final proposal
Progress Report Due to Advisor and Client
Self/Peer Evaluation #1 Due / November / Advisorsmust provide feedback on progress report to student groups
Written Draft Master's Project Document Due / February / Review and comments provided within 2 weeks
Revised Draft Due / March / Additional comments within 2 weeks
Practice MP Symposium presentations / Dates TBD / Optional attendance
Project Defense – MP Symposium / April / Advisors are requested to be present for project defense; remote audio-video technology can be used with advance notice.
Final Masters Project Due / April / None
Draft Summary Brief Due
Draft PPT Due
Draft Website produced / April / Review materials and provide comments within 2 weeks
Final MP and Ancillary materials due
Self/Peer Evaluation #2 Due
Faculty Advisor Evaluation Due
Client Evaluation Due / April / Students submit final version of MP to NS and clients