Special Studies Courses for Undergraduates
Numbered 97, 98, and 99

OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE CHANCELLOR
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

October 21, 2003

CAMPUS DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
SCRIPPS GRADUATE DEPARTMENT CHAIR
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
COLLEGE PROVOSTS
DEANS OF ACADEMIC ADVISING

SUBJECT: Special Studies Courses for Undergraduates -- Numbered 97, 98, and 99

Dear Colleagues:

I wish to bring to your attention a new series of lower division courses (numbered 97, 98, and 99) that was approved last year by CEP and the Representative Assembly.  The new courses will enable departments to offer lower division students opportunities for supervised special studies with faculty members similar to the experiences that are available to upper division students in the existing 197, 198, and 199 courses.

The titles of the 97-98-99 courses parallel the upper division 197-198-199 courses.  Senate Regulation 520 (http://www-senate.ucsd.edu/manual/Regulations/PartI/520.htm) designates the following specific purposes for the 97-98-99 course series:

• 97 – individually arranged field studies

• 98 – directed group studies

• 99 – individual independent study

The criteria for enrollment in these courses include:

1. Enrollment requires the prior consent of the instructor (who must be ladder rank faculty or LSOE) who is to supervise the study and the approval of the department chair.  The application shall show that his or her background is adequate for the proposed study.
2. The student must have completed at least 30 units of undergraduate study at UCSD and must have obtained a grade-point average of at least 3.0 at UCSD.
3. A student may enroll for no more than a total of four units of 98 or 99 in one quarter.
4. Only a grade of P or NP may be assigned for these courses.
5. Additional restrictions placed on these courses by the Department are subject to the approval of CEP.

Individual departments or programs are responsible for submitting course approval forms to the CEP Subcommittee on Undergraduate Courses for each of these lower division Special Studies courses they wish to add to the department or program curriculum.

The 97-98-99 series of lower division Special Studies courses will enable undergraduate students to begin the experience of individually mentored research activities by the end of their freshman year or in their sophomore year.  Along with other initiatives, the 97-98-99 series of courses will help UCSD to enhance undergraduate education for students in the lower division.

Best regards,

Mark Appelbaum
Associate Vice Chancellor
Undergraduate Education