Tagging Culminating Project Classes

The Culminating Project is the final component of an undergraduate student’s Immersion Vanderbilt degree requirement. These projects are typically reserved for the for the latter part of the student’s academic career. The student will synthesize and integrate their curricular and co-curricular learning and apply it to the creation of a product or a solution to an issue. Vanderbilt undergraduates may complete their culminating project independently with a faculty mentor or through their academic coursework. Projects may include but are not limited to poster presentations, blogs, academic papers, artistic pieces, prototypes, podcasts, websites, films, performances, etc.

Culminating Projects in the Classroom

Culminating Project classes offer upper level students opportunities to integrate earlier experiential learning with curricular and co-curricular knowledge via critical reflection, analysis, synthesis, and creative work. Students should be able to demonstrate mastery of relevant knowledge, articulate their personal and academic growth, and recognize the personal and public value of their work post-graduation. If this sounds like your class, please consider tagging it in YES. Classes that include a final research paper, substantive presentation, exhibition, or portfolio are examples of classes that might request tagging.

If you would like more information about tagging your culminating project class, contact Dr. Amy M. Johnson, Assistant Provost for Experiential Education and Undergraduate Affairs. If you are interested in learning more about capstone or culminating projects, contact Dr. Joe Bandy in the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Information for Instructors

If you would like to have your class tagged as a culminating project class, please identify which of the two or more pedagogical practices you use in the class on the Culminating Project Tag Submission Form.

Culminating Project Tag Submission Form

Assignments call for integration of coursework with previous knowledge or experiences, skills, and experiential learning.
The project has concrete applicability to a ‘real-world’ problem or constituency. For example a research paper or presentation that furthers discourse in the field; an installation or performance that brings together a community or addresses a pressing issue; a white paper, website, or process revision that a community partner might use to solicit assistance or improve outcomes.
Student are required to demonstrate mastery of content and fundamental skills for life after graduation.
Students take responsibility for their work and learn from their mistakes. For example, students might set their own due dates or co-design rubrics, select the topic of study or methodology employed, or be expected to revise their work multiple times.
Assignments provide opportunities for reflection on the learning process and results of their inquiry to foster meaning-making and integration.
Student self-evaluation of their academic and personal growth is promoted and informs their final grade.
Feedback and evaluation explicitly acknowledge students’ development of skills such as communication, teamwork, and perseverance that will serve them in their undergraduate studies, career, and life.