Student Engagement
Like all SBS units, American Indian Studies encourages student engagement to develop professional and personal skills. In fact, the AIS major requires that all students engage in an internship.
Undergraduate Engagement Experiences are defined by UA policy as "when students translate and apply their classroom learning into practices and experiences beyond the classroom that impact their professional and personal lives. Engagement occurs in the following learning experiences.”
Those engagement activities that apply to AIS include:
- Students' original and collaborative field research;
- Students' creative performances, artistic endeavors, and productions;
- Internships and preceptorships;
- Study abroad experiences (that deal with indigenous topics or communities);
- Service learning projects--community-based activities to address critical needs; and,
- A wide range of student-centered co-curricular activities that build on classroom learning.
Students may complete more than one engagement experience by registering for a course or non-credit experience that has a different activity and competency.
Competencies are defined as developing a comprehensive understanding and appreciation in an area of expertise. There is no limit on the number of student engagement courses or con-credit experiences that a student may complete.
Internships
Internships are designed to engage students in special interest projects that deal with American Indian communities and groups that work with American Indian communities. Internship courses are variable in unit values for all undergraduate majors who need to sign up for at least 3 units of AIS 493.
To sign up for any internship opportunity you will need to work with either a faculty member or the Director of Undergraduate Studies. You will also need to locate a place to work. Look under resources for a list of internship sites that AIS students have successfully used in the past.
Engagement Classes
The following upper-division courses provide engagement experiences
- AIS348A Educating Native Americans
- AIS403 Globalization and Indigenous Peoples
- AIS431A Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- AIS441A Natural Resource Management in Native Communities
- AIS 485 American Indian Gaming
Prior consultation with an academic advisor is required to review whether a course can count as "Student Engagement Experience" in order for students to receive "engaged learning experience" notation on their official transcripts.
Directed Research (AIS 392, 492)
Directed Research courses are available for all students who are interested in developing research and special interest projects. Students must contact the faculty member with whom they would like to pursue their project well before the beginning of the semester.
The student must work with the instructor to design a Directed Research program, and complete the DIRECTED RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORM.
Each faculty member has a separate Directed Research section number for registration purposes. Be sure to use the appropriate section number for your faculty mentor. Directed Research courses are variable in unit value. Students in Directed Research receive grades: A, B,. C, D, or E.
Independent Studies (AIS 199, 299, 399, 499)
Independent study courses are available for all students who are interested in developing research and special interest projects. Independent study courses are variable in unit value.
Students must contact the faculty member with whom they would like to pursue an independent study well before the beginning of the semester. The student must work with the faculty instructor to design an independent study program, and complete the INDEPENDENT STUDY PROPOSAL FORM.
Each faculty member has a separate Independent study section member for registration purposes. Be sure to use your faculty mentor's appropriate section number. Notice that Independent Studies for Honors students are designated with the suffix H. Students in independent studies receive grades: s,. P or F. Honors students in Independent studies receive grades: A, B, C, D, or E.
- AIS 199 (Freshmen)
- AIS 299 (Sophomores)
- AIS 399 (Juniors)
- AIS 499 (Seniors)
The Academic advisor can help you decide which course is appropriate for your program of study, after you have worked with your faculty instructor.