Directed Study

The Directed Study is an essential part of the MHR Program. It is designed to challenge the student's abilities of independent thought, creativity, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving. For these reasons, regular attendance at Directed Study is imperative.

In order to assist you in successfully participating in Directed Study, we are making the following recommendations:

1. Complete 2-3 chapters of the assignment each week. The amount of work required will become overwhelming if allowed to accumulate for several weeks.
2. Plan to attend. You will be given Directed Study dates several months in advance. Upon exceptional circumstances for the university, adjustments in the calendar may be required by the MHR department. Keep these dates in mind when scheduling work or personal activities.
3. Please remember the MHR Directed Studies are on Saturdays. No "make-ups", "repeats", or other alternatives are offered on weekdays. If you are unable to accommodate this schedule, you should examine whether this program best fits your specific needs.
4. Contact the MHR Program Chair/Director or MHR Asst. Director if you have an academic question or problem regarding your assignment.
5. Have your paper neatly typed on a typewriter, word processor, or computer. If you do not have access to a typewriter or computer, your paper may be typed by another individual of your choosing. Papers that are illegible and unorganized are more difficult to grade and may place the student in a competitive disadvantage.
6. Type the question in its entirety before typing your answer. This allows for quicker and easier grading by the instructors. Points could be deducted if this is not done.
7. Place the paper in an approved type of binder (see the end of the Directed Study section for more details on binding.). Folders without brackets are unacceptable. Plastic protector pages are also unacceptable. Do not use hard-back notebooks (for reasons of storage and transportation) or sliding bar report covers.
8. Keep a copy of your paper. The University will keep the original paper submitted by the student for such a time as the MHR Department deems necessary. It will not be returned to the student after it has been graded.
9. Copying or taking credit for work done by other students is plagiarism and is unacceptable at Faulkner University. Be cautious in sharing your work with other students; work submitted must be yours and yours alone.
10. If an emergency arises and it is impossible for you to attend, contact the Program Chair/Director immediately.

    Absences for personal illness or the illness/death of an immediate family member will allow the Program Chair/Director to assign the student an "I" (appropriate documentation for such will be necessary).

    The University reserves the right to assign an "F" to students who are absent for other reasons. In these cases, the final decision will be made by the Program Chair/Director and Dean of the College of Business.

    In the event that you receive an "I" you will have to wait until the seminar is offered again, and inform the Program Chair/Director before attending.

    However, if you receive an "F", in addition to the above you will be obligated to register for the course(s) once again through the MHR Program Director's/Registrar's Office and will also be billed for retaking the course by the Business Office. Registrations should take place no less than one week prior to the Directed Study.

11. Please be reminded that, among others, the intent of Directed Study is to provide an opportunity for adults to enhance their conceptual, analytical, and diagnostic skills. The syllabus provided is mostly self-explanatory. In some courses you might be assigned review/discussion questions to answer, or cases to study, or a combination of the above. Typically, 2-3 paragraph answers are expected for the review/discussion questions and 1-2 pages for the case/research questions.
12. Once again, the very basis of Directed Study is to cultivate independent thinking and have students prepared for participation in the seminar on Directed Study Saturday. The seminar begins at 9:00 a.m. (lecture begins promptly at 9:30) and ends at 2:50 p.m. Breaks are taken, including a break for lunch. Immediately following the seminar at 3:00 p.m. is an hour exam.
13. The exam is constructed taking into account your assignments and certain highlights of the seminar.
14. You will receive a grade and 3 semester hours of credit based on your assignment for each of the three Directed Studies. You will receive a grade and 1 semester hour of credit based on your exam for each Directed Study. Directed study grades will take approximately 2-3 weeks after they are turned in before grades will be posted due to the nature of the papers to be graded.

GENERAL EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR "DIRECTED STUDY ASSIGNMENTS"

This is a general outline pertaining to evaluation criteria for Directed Studies (assignments/papers). It focuses on overall performance and content submitted for a specific Directed Study.

1. Factual representation: Answers should address the question at hand in a reasonable and adequate manner and should vividly describe such.
2. Depth: The answers to questions, case analyses, or exercises should be explanative and reflect a multitude of aspects expected of upper division undergraduate students.
3. Applications: Answers should incorporate concepts and principles in the textbook or reference books and should be integrated with "real world" examples.
4. Research orientation: Answers should reflect various sources of relevant research and study undertaken by the student. While minimal research is expected, adequate research often is a decisive factor in distinguishing between a good or superior "B" and excellent or outstanding "A" directed study assignment grade. Periodicals likeBusiness Week, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Advertising, AMA Journal, etc. are good sources in addition to general text and reference books.
5. Format, neatness, and clarity: Answers should be numbered and attempted in sequence. The overall assignment should be neatly presented. The "paper" may be typed on a typewriter or word processor. (Neat handwriting will be accepted. The department strongly suggests that assignments be typed.) Appropriate use of paragraph numbering for clarity within each answer is recommended. Restate each question in your assignment before answering it. This allows for quicker and easier grading.
6. Style and professionalism: While all answers do not have to be eloquent, they should respect the executive orientation of the program and provide relevant examples. Answers are expected to reflect a certain amount of finesse in composition, grammar, punctuation, flow, and appropriate use of business vocabulary. Brief, bullet-point-styled answers are discouraged.
7. Synergy: Answers should provide a comprehensive view of the subject matter, and whenever appropriate, be synergistic. Example: A specific question on airline ticket pricing regarding Northwest Airlines is better answered by presenting an overall scenario about the fare structure in the airline industry.
8. Defense: Answers can sometimes be very good or excellent by having a strong defense. Although there is no substitute for a right answer substantiated by a general body of knowledge, a strong defense is recommended. The defense may, among others, reflect conceptual, diagnostic, and technical skills as well as abilities of abstract thought.
9. Progressive absorption: The MHR program, its modules, and the Directed Study are designed to build on each other. Example: Cases in Directed Study #3, Training and Development of Human Resources, could draw upon other MHR courses that have already been completed. As a result, depending upon the question, a supervision or interpersonal communications perspective may be better addressed.
10. Consistency: The directed study assignment should reflect consistency, based on 1-9 mentioned above, from chapter to chapter. Peaks and valleys or strong beginnings with gradual diminishing effort are discouraged.

Penalties (if applicable, and as determined by Program Chair/Director):

* It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the Directed Study paper is turned in on time. *

DIRECTED STUDY BINDING

Cover pages are perfectly acceptable. Clear plastic or card stock is commonly used and the student's name and course information is usually included. And as a reminder, please do not forget to include your Cover Sheet that is provided with your syllabi. If you happen to forget, copies are available in the office the day of the Directed Study and can be simply stapled in if necessary.

Unacceptable are the following: hardback covers (namely three-ring binders), large bulky covers (larger than the paper presented), and sliding bar report covers. We have limited storage space and also do not wish to have any portion of your paper misplaced or damaged anywhere in the process!

Thank you for following these guidelines and feel free to call us if you have any questions.