Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts offers students the best of both worlds: the faculty of a world-class research university and the 1:1 mentorship access of a liberal arts college. The Tenenbaum Tutorials is a unique opportunity for our students to capitalize on this dual identity by designing a curriculum suited to their academic requirements and specific interest within the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
Every fall and spring the Tenenbaum Tutorials give 12 students the chance to work closely with a School of Liberal Arts faculty tutor on an independent research project. This competitive program is open to rising sophomores and juniors majoring in a liberal arts discipline or program. Selected students will earn 4 credits and receive up to $1,500 to support their research project.
Students work with faculty tutors 1:1 to develop their topic of interest, reading list, and project plan timeline and deliverables. The project plan includes weekly meetings with the faculty tutor to present and discuss an essay prepared by the student. At the close of each semester, students present their research at a symposium attended by Tenenbaum Tutorials faculty, peers and invited guests.
Previous Tenenbaum Tutorials recipients have written scholarly reviews, developed online posters, piloted ethnographic studies, or collected archives of visual or textual objects, and final projects are shared on our website.
For Students
Student Application Process and Requirements
The online application for students opens every fall and spring for the following semester. Student awardees are selected by a committee of faculty and members of the Dean’s Office.
Applicants should:
- not exceed 5 courses per semester during the time they expect to participate in the program
- expect to spend 10 hours a week on the research tutorials
- be prepared to present their final project at a symposium
- reach out to Associate Dean Vicki Mayer with any questions
Awardees are expected to:
- work with tutors to develop a course of study inclusive of a reading list, meeting schedule, and expected results or outcomes (i.e. assignments and/or a final project)
- determine (with tutor) if the research will take place during study abroad
- contact Senior Administrative Coordinator Kendra Paige with any questions in registering and/or for any help regarding travel or purchases
I had an article published recently that was an extension of my fall semester Tenenbaum project, and I believe it to be a product of the incredible foundation the Tenenbaum Tutorials helped me build. To professors Anagnost and Otte: your teaching, patience, and guidance were what first inspired me to aim for this goal and I can't thank you enough. I hope you enjoy the article and see it as a testament to how much you inspired me to become involved in research.
An email from Blake Powell, SLA ’23, to Tenenbaum Tutorials faculty in Spring 2022
FAQs
May I receive School of Liberal Arts writing credit for the course?
Yes. But you must provide a list of deliverables that achieve the goals of the requirement.
May I still apply if my class standing on my transcript is not on my audit?
Yes. Please explain the discrepancy in the “Preparatory Classwork or Experiences” section of the application.
May students in another school at Tulane apply for this program?
Students apply to this program with the expectation that they are majoring in a liberal arts discipline or program. Students in other schools should either declare or explain how they intend to major in the liberal arts.
I am already taking more than 17 credits. How much work is this program?
The program course is an independent study of 4 credits. We expect students to commit 8-10 hours a week to this program in lieu of taking more than five courses per semester. If there are questions about credit hours vs. courses, please contact us so we may offer either an exception or other options.
For Faculty
Faculty Tutor Applications and Student Nominations
Faculty members interested in applying to be a Tenenbaum Tutorials tutor must complete and submit the online faculty tutor application. Applicants will be asked about areas of research interest and disciplinary training and are required to upload a CV. Faculty members must be tenure-track or a professor of practice in the humanities or social sciences with an ongoing research agenda in the liberal arts and must expect to dedicate the time and energy involved in mentoring a 4-credit class.
Faculty tutors oversee the development of the student’s reading list and schedule, meet weekly to provide feedback and guidance on essay presentations, generate discussions and answer questions, and supervise the project timeline to ensure forward progression.
Faculty teaching rising or current sophomores are encouraged to nominate students for the program.
If you have questions about applying to be a Tenenbaum tutor, or nominating a student, please contact Kendra Paige (kpaige@tulane.edu).