Juniors in pilot face research

Cruising over unchartered territory, the experimental pilot curriculum may have encountered a bit of turbulence in the form of the program's research component.

In addition to completing the mandatory requirements for the curriculum -- including four pilot core courses -- students must complete a research requirement before graduation. That is where this year's juniors come in.

"With respect to the research requirement, this group of pilot students who have just become juniors are the first group of students who have really had to think about this issue," College of Arts and Sciences Dean Richard Beeman wrote in an e-mail. "In talking to at least a few of them, I can sense that they have some anxiety about 'what is it I have to do to satisfy the research requirement?'"

And the answer, Beeman said, is hardly cut and dry.

"The exact character of the research that each student will carry out will vary considerably depending on their major," he wrote. "One cannot simply say, 'students must write a research paper of XX number of pages.'"

College junior Bret Hovell, a student in the pilot curriculum, said he feels that these murky guidelines may pose some problems.

"I think [the research project] will depend on the type of person... some projects are a tremendous amount of work and time commitment for the person involved, and some will slip under the radar," Hovel said. "Because there is no guideline right now, I think people will end up doing projects at both ends of the spectrum -- both very complicated and very simple."

The malleability of the requirement, Hovel said, leaves a potential slacker a potential out.

"I think a lot of people are going to get away with not doing a whole lot of stuff because there are not a whole lot of set boundaries," he said. "All we've been told so far is that, you need to do some sort of research requirement."

Still, Hovel said he does not think that every student will opt for the shortcut, especially because the pilot program recruits motivated and independent workers.

"I see that I have the capability to let it take over and really consume my life," he said. "But if I find something that will be fun and interesting and it will get the job done from the College's perspective and will be easy and take two weeks... who's to say I won't jump at it? Who's to say anyone wouldn't jump at it?"

For this reason, Beeman said that pilot students must fill out an academic plan outlining their general intellectual path by the end of sophomore year, and they have a slew of helpful administrators at their disposal.

"Pilot students will most likely work with a variety of people -- their pilot curriculum advisor, their advisor within their major... a faculty member with whom they have had a course -- to develop their research project," Beeman said. "We are also making a special effort within the College office to help students who are having a difficult time finding the direction for their research."

But research opportunities abound at an institution like Penn. Kent Peterman, the director of academic affairs in the College, said that he encourages pilot students not only to formulate their own innovative projects, but to take advantage of already existing opportunities.

"Most majors have honors tracts which provide the opportunity for the most ambitious students to do research, and so I would hope that a higher percentage of pilot students avail themselves to these types of opportunities that already exist," Peterman said. "Another type of activity they might do is independent study."

Hovell admits that he does not have any concrete ideas yet -- not yet ready to embark upon senior year but having completed his pilot requirements, he has a bit of time.

"Junior year does seem to be a little bit of dead time," he said. "Every year I've seemed to have at least some pilot connection, but this year I don't."

But, albeit the details, Hovell said he does have some preliminary plans.

"I certainly have an academic plan and have an idea of where I want my research to take place, but I don't know what form it will take," Hovell said. "I plan on having it kind of act as a fifth class for me [senior year], but I want to have it all lined up by the end of this school year so I can jump right in as a senior."

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