Faculty Mentor Resources
Faculty make our work in the DHC possible. Thank you for your mentorship of students. If you are seeking more information about our expectations of mentors, you've come to the right place.
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If you are interested in mentoring a student during and internship or you've been approached to supervise an honors internship, here is a handy reference guide.
- Students should approach faculty PRIOR to the start of their internship. If this is for a summer internship, the student should initiate communication with the faculty mentor during the preceding spring semester.
- The student and their faculty mentor should co-construct learning objectives that the student will pursue during their internship. The faculty mentor will give students a traditional letter grade based on their completion of these objectives. Internships that are not for a traditional letter grade, must be cleared by the DHC before the internship begins.
- Once learning objectives are established, students should complete the . As the mentor, you will receive an email from Submittable, please respond to the email with confirmation that you have agreed to work with that student.
- Students will register for either HONR 198, 398, or 498 or an internship course in their major (e.g., BGEN 398, WILD 498, etc.) during the term of their internship. We permit students with summer internships to register for credit and turn in assignments to the faculty mentor in the fall following the internship experience, but all arrangements must be made with a faculty mentor and forms completed for the DHC before starting the internship experience.
- As a faculty mentor, you must be willing to evaluate and grade the student’s work, and the student must complete any assignments discussed with the mentor (such as reading, writing, journaling, fieldwork, research, or community service) to earn credit. As a mentor, you may provide the discipline-specific criteria necessary for your work. Generally, it is a good idea to devise coursework that will complement or supplement the material covered in a regular course, major, intended profession, as well as the internship experience. It is common practice to ask the student to journal weekly (either a free write or weekly questions) to keep a record of their work. Weekly guided questions could include "What went well this week? What was challenging? What are your goals for next week?"
- Students are expected to complete a reflection for the DHC with an assessment of their completion of the learning objectives. Faculty mentors may use this reflection as the culminating piece for assessment.
- Please email kaetlyn.cordingley@umontana.edu with any questions. We are here to support you.
More internship details for students and mentors can be found on the Experiential Learning page.
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Faculty mentorship for honors capstone projects is a critically important aspect of the student experience in the Davidson Honors College. Your time and contributions are much appreciated. To support your mentorship of an honors capstone project, please consider the following reference guide.
- Students are responsible for understanding the honors capstone requirement and their options for completion. That said, a working understanding on your part of the honors capstone requirement will prove helpful as you navigate the process. Please review the Honors Capstone section of the DHC website for a comprehensive explanation of the honors capstone experience.
- All honors capstone projects will have HONR 499 credits associated with them. Students can choose between two options for honors capstone completion:
- OPTION ONE: 3+ credits of HONR 499
- OPTION TWO: Departmental capstone credits + 1 credit of HONR 499 (e.g., WILD 499 + HONR 499)
- At the end of each academic term, faculty mentors are responsible for providing a letter grade for the HONR 499 credits to the DHC via a Submittable form, which will be sent by DHC staff to each mentor before end-of-semester grading period.
- The DHC is developing an assessment rubric and guidelines for completion of HONR 499 credits to help inform the process. However, the DHC respects faculty mentors’ scholastic expertise, and determination of appropriate scholastic rigor is the prerogative of faculty mentors. New materials will be posted in the Honors Capstone section of the DHC website. More soon!
- All honors students should adhere to the following procedures to propose their honors capstone projects:
- Identify which honors capstone option they plan to pursue.
- Narrow down their ideas and questions, settling on a topic and methodology.
- Approach a faculty member with expertise in their area of interest about serving as a faculty mentor for their capstone project.
- Complete a project proposal (guidelines provided in the Honors Capstone Approval form) and review it with their faculty mentor before submitting it to the DHC.
- Once the capstone project proposal is approved by the faculty mentor, students will submit Honors Capstone Approval form to DHC. Faculty will be asked to confirm their participation via email to the DHC point of contact.
- DHC staff will review the form, follow up with questions if needed, and, upon approval, submit an override for students to register for HONR 499.
- We encourage students and faculty mentors to lean into the Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Office for support and assistance as needed.
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Honors students can use supervised research and/or creative scholarship opportunities to satisfy their honors experiential learning requirement. Your mentorship of undergraduate research and creative scholarship are extremely enriching for students and much appreciated by the Davidson Honors College. In order to support your mentorship of supervised research and/or creative scholarship, please consider the following reference guide.
- Students should approach faculty PRIOR to the start of their supervised research/creative scholarship. If this is for a summer term, the student should initiate communication with the faculty mentor during the preceding spring semester.
- Once the research/creative scholarship project is established, students should complete the . As the mentor, you will receive an email from Submittable; please respond to the email with confirmation that you have agreed to work with that student.
- In order to satisfy the honors requirement, all experiential learning opportunities need 2 or more credits associated with them (which is the equivalent to 100 or more hours of effort). The DHC recommends that students utilize departmental credits for supervised research/creative scholarship or independent study when possible. If these types of credits are unavailable in a student's academic department, they can seek approval to use HONR 192, 392, or 492 credits.
- All credits representing honors requirements, including experiential learning credits, should receive a traditional letter grade from a faculty mentor.
- If a student utilizes HONR 192, 392, or 492 credits to represent their supervised research/creative scholarship, faculty mentors are responsible for providing a letter grade for those credits to the DHC through a Submittable form, which will be sent by DHC staff to each mentor before the end-of-semester grading period.
- We encourage students and faculty mentors to lean into the Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Office for support and assistance as needed.
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DHC Policy
Unless expressly permitted in a course syllabus, assignment description, or other written instructions provided by an Honors faculty member, Honors students are responsible for creation and validation of their work and should abide by the following policies:
- Exams: Generative AI may NOT be used for any purpose in an exam. It may be used for studying (e.g., to create flashcards, ask review questions, and other uses designed to help better understand course material).
- Course Work: Generative AI may be used to perform research in ways similar to search engine functions (i.e., Google), for correction of grammar, proofreading, locating sources, and similar functions. The software may NOT be used to compose any part of submitted assignments or written responses, except as specified by course syllabi, assignment prompts, or instructors.
- Capstone: Generative AI use must be approved by the DHC in advance and in writing and disclosed in the final product, including an explanation of their use, the tool(s) used, full text of prompts, and full texts of responses. The following guidelines apply:
- If you copy language verbatim from a Generative AI tool, you must use quotation marks and provide a citation note to indicate that the words used were not your own, including the prompt.
- If you paraphrase output from a Generative AI tool, you must provide a citation note indicating that the idea, format, and syntax were not originally your own.
- Failure to provide proper attribution and citations violates the academic honesty policies and will result in a student being subject to disciplinary measures.
- Personal Reflections/Scholarship Applications/Admissions Materials: Generative AI may NOT be used to compose written responses for scholarship applications, applications to the honors college, applications for student leadership positions, job applications, or other forms/assignments that require a personal, reflective response. You may use it for grammar or proofreading.
Use of AI that is inconsistent with the above expectations may result in academic consequences.
Citation: Modified based on materials from Honors Program
Course Policy
Course policy may differ from the above. Language for syllabi can be developed by the faculty member for their courses. Sample syllabus language for prohibited use or permissive use is offered below. Consider sharing the why behind your policy. We find compelling.
Suggested syllabus language for prohibited AI use is as follows:
In this class, I will strive to create an environment that fosters learning, critical thinking, and effective communication. To achieve these goals, I have decided to prohibit the use of ChatGPT or other generative tools during this course (feel free to list prohibited technologies).
While ChatGPT and other language models can be powerful and useful tools in certain contexts, I believe that relying on them for this course undermines the learning objectives. I want you to develop your skills in independent thinking, problem-solving, and engagement with the subject matter. By restricting the use of AI language models, you will utilize your knowledge, creativity, and critical analysis to complete your assignments and actively participate in class discussions.
I understand that technology plays an increasingly prominent role in various aspects of our lives, and I acknowledge its potential benefits. However, in the context of this course, I believe that relying on personal effort and intellectual exploration will enhance your learning experience and contribute to your long-term development as a knowledgeable and well-rounded individual.
It is important to note that this requirement applies to all aspects of the course, including reading summaries, assignments, exams, and any form of communication related to the course content. Any use of AI language models, including ChatGPT, during these activities will be considered a violation student code of conduct.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this course expectation, please feel free to discuss them with us. I am here to support and guide you throughout the semester.
Suggested syllabus language for allowed use:
In this course, you may sparingly utilize AI language models, including ChatGPT, as a resource to support your writing assignments. Permitted use of AI includes [insert faculty preference]. AI language models are powerful tools developed to generate text based on the input provided. It can provide suggestions, offer alternative phrasing, and help brainstorm ideas for your written work. Any language developed by generative AI, must be cited as such.
It important to remember that it is an AI system and not a substitute for your critical thinking and creativity and ultimately effort. If you choose to use this tool, only apply it as a supplement to your writing process. Ultimately, you are responsible for the content and quality of your written assignment. Therefore, you should critically evaluate outputs for accuracy, potential bias, and relevancy.
When utilizing AI language models, it is essential to ensure that your writing remains original and properly attributed, including citing outputs or text generated by generative AI. Please see the in APA Style resource.
By acknowledging and understanding the appropriate use of AI language models, you can effectively incorporate this tool into your writing process, harnessing its potential to improve your written work while maintaining academic integrity and originality.
Citation: Revised language based on

Vicky Dreitz
"Honors students enrich academia by supporting transdisciplinary learning, engaging in discussion-based courses, and inspiring greater peer participation. Their research contributions expand knowledge and innovation, while their scholarly inquiry strengthens academic excellence – equipping the next generation to navigate and address global challenges."