THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
                            FACULTY SENATE 

Senate Document Number  2791S 
Date of Senate Approval    3/28/91

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:   
                                   
                          APC Document #21:  
      Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation


a)   Effective Date:  Fall semester 1991.

b)   ADD the following sentence to paragraph 7, page 60, after sentence
     1: "The University Research Scholar designation is granted for
     outstanding performance in undergraduate research."  At the start
     of that paragraph change "two" to "three."

c)   ADD the following two sentences to paragraph 8, page 60, after
     sentence 2:  "The University Research Scholar designation is
     awarded only upon recommendation by the Undergraduate Research
     Council.  The Undergraduate Research Council applies standards for
     this award that have been approved by the Honors Committee."

d)   ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT:  This change will not have
     departmental resource implications.

e)   RATIONALE:  Since research is an integral part of a quality
     undergraduate liberal arts college, the designation of University
     Research Scholar is a step toward institutionalizing this
     distinctive aspect of UNCA.

f)   LIAISON:  Robert Yearout, 6554/6555.    

g)   Enclosure 1 contains the proposed standards for this award.                         UNCA RESEARCH SCHOLAR


The designation of UNCA Research Scholar will be noted on the student's
UNCA transcript and also on the graduation list for those students
meeting the following minimal requirements.

1.   Successful completion of a research program under the supervision
     of a UNCA faculty mentor.  No later than the semester prior to
     graduation, students, in conjunction with their faculty mentors,
     will submit an application for the "Research Scholar" designation. 
     This application is in the form of a research proposal, following
     guidelines established by the Undergraduate Research Program
     Advisory Council (URPAC).  The term "research" is interpreted to
     include scholarship and creative endeavors, with the emphasis on
     new "knowledge" (new understandings, new ideas, new concepts, new
     information, new thinking, etc.).  URPAC relies on the mentor and
     disciplinary guidelines to distinguish those projects meeting the
     above criteria from conventional term papers, reports, etc.

2.   The research/creative project will be presented at either the Fall
     or Spring UNCA Undergraduate Symposium.  This presentation will
     take the form of an oral presentation, reading, performance,
     demonstration, exhibit, or poster presentation.  Students and
     faculty mentors may consult with URPAC concerning the appropriate
     format, especially in the case of artistic projects.

3.   In addition to the Symposium, Research Scholars must submit their
     work for review, resulting in participation or publication in one
     of the following:  National Conference on Undergraduate Research or
     an appropriate disciplinary conference; UNCA Journal of
     Undergraduate Research or appropriate disciplinary journal; The
     Fury or other refereed literary medium.

4.   Submission of a written paper to URPAC.  These papers should follow
     disciplinary guidelines for reporting research or writing scholarly
     papers.  For the arts, URPAC, in conjunction with the student and
     faculty mentor, will develop an appropriate format for
     documentation of the project (i.e, photographic slides of an art
     exhibit; an audio or video tape of a performance).  Publications
     resulting from requirement three above, when submitted to URPAC,
     meet this requirement.  Non-published papers, such as those
     submitted to the academic department, will also meet this
     requirement.  This final documentation requires endorsement of the
     research or creative project by the student's faculty mentor and
     the appropriate department chair/program director.

5.   The designation "Research Scholar" will be recommended to the
     assembled faculty for approval, following the format required for
     the awarding of Departmental Distinction.