Advisor Information for Student Inquiry and Research
"I cannot give any scientist of any age better advice than this: the intensity of a conviction that a hypothesis is true has no bearing over whether it is true or not. "
IMSA is grateful for the generosity of all professionals who undertake the serious commitment of supporting students engaged in Student Inquiry and Research investigations.
Prospective Advisors
One of the best ways for students to learn how to create new knowledge for the world is to conduct investigations alongside professionals working in the students' fields of interest. These experiences that spark student passion and inspire future leaders are impossible without the generosity of professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to serve in advisory capacities to students.
Great advisors are people who are enthusiastic about their profession and who have an interest in guiding others to learn more in their field. If you know of professionals who may be interested in serving as advisors for IMSA Student Inquiry and Research investigations, please encourage them to peruse our SIR web site and contact the SIR Program Coordinator for more information. Potential advisors should also check with their employer to ensure that all company policies regarding such programs are met.
Advisor Eligibility Criteria
The advisor may be an IMSA staff member working on campus, or a professional working at an off-campus investigation site. The potential on-campus advisor may also have IMSA responsibilities outside of the classroom, such as with the Kids' Institute, that could provide opportunities for student investigation. The potential off-campus advisor is involved actively in the professional field in which the student investigation is to be conducted.
IMSA requires, as a precondition for serving as advisors for Student Inquiry and Research investigations, that all adults working with minor-aged children pass a criminal background check. For the safety and security of our students, prospective advisors must either: a) agree to a background check conducted by the Illinois State Police and paid for by IMSA, or b) provide proof that their employer conducted a recent criminal background check that yielded no adverse findings related to minor-aged children; please see IMSA's background check policy letter for details and background check application form.
Advisor Responsibilities
Once the advisor agrees to work with the student, their collaborative relationship begins and a packet of advisor overview information is provided by the SIR Program Coordinator. Advisor responsibilities include general and specific advisory duties involved in helping to ensure that the student experiences a successful collaboration.
What the Advisor can expect from the Student
The student will involve the advisor in all phases of conducting the investigation. The student will be inquisitive, eager, and able to function well in unfamiliar situations, working independently with minimal guidance and direction from the advisor. The student will honest, reliable, and respectful of the advisor's other commitments, constraints, and expectations to keep professional information or investigation results confidential as appropriate.
The student will adhere to all policies, deliverables, and schedules required by the SIR program, and communicate these as appropriate to the advisor. The student will provide to the advisor, at the appropriate times, all SIR investigation documents which require the advisor's review and signature. The student will adhere to all requirements of the advisor and communicate these as appropriate to the SIR Program Coordinator.
What the Advisor can expect from IMSA
IMSA provides the Student Inquiry and Research framework for experiential learning that includes requirements and schedules to assist the student in all stages of the investigation from proposal planning to communicating information gleaned during the investigation. Students have access to IMSA transportation to many of the off-campus investigation sites, and IMSA hosts an annual public forum for SIR students to showcase their investigation.
The SIR Program Coordinator at IMSA will ensure that parent/guardian permissions are secured for student participation, will approve student investigations and their advisors, and will provide regular and timely communication to the advisor, student, and parents/guardians. The SIR Program Coordinator will assist the student in understanding program requirements and in developing the planning, discovery, analysis and communications skills needed to complete the investigation successfully.
The Coordinator will monitor student attendance and participation, and will visit SIR students while they are conducting their investigations. The SIR Coordinator will determine the final grade for the student's investigation, based on a) input from the advisor regarding the quality of the student's work and the extent to which goals were met, and b) administrative requirements such as meeting deadlines and completing all program requirements.