Center for Faculty Development
Partnership-In-Learning
This program awards stipends to experienced, well-qualified students for work with faculty on either teaching or research projects, e.g., as research assistants, lab assistants, or discussion leaders. All full-time faculty are eligible to apply, but can apply for two consecutive awards only once. Otherwise faculty are eligible for one award every other year.
It is preferred that students eligible for work-study are chosen, though it is not necessary. Whether students are work-study eligible or not, the PIL funds will be awarded them.
Although the intent of the program is to free faculty members from routine and time-consuming tasks related to the project, the role of the student partner should have a clear educational component. Partnerships-In-Learning collaborations should involve the faculty and student partners in close and frequent interaction. Student partners should be encouraged to work independently, and they should also be supervised, encouraged and evaluated at regular intervals. Faculty members may select partners from among students whom they have had in class and whose capabilities they already know, or through recruitment from advertisement of the position . A partnership project may also originate when a student approaches a faculty member with a particular project in mind.
Note: Another source of funding for undergraduate student research conducted during the summer is UST's Undergraduate Research and Collaborative Scholarship Program. (http://www.stthomas.edu/urcs . Please consult with the Director of that program (Dr. David Steele, dfsteele@stthomas.edu ) for application procedures, eligibility, deadlines, etc.)
Deadlines. September 15 for Fall and J-Terms; February 15 for Spring Term; April 15 for Summer.
Award. Student stipend: $800 for semester, $1,600 for two semesters; the maximum rate of compensation for student collaborators is Level 3 academic, at $8.75 per hour. An additional $300 may be available for expenses related directly to the project work.
Application Process. Partnership projects can be from one term to one academic year in length, including summer. Faculty may apply for expenses to cover travel to professional meetings at which the student will be actively involved, as well as miscellaneous operating costs.
