Any extended research project requires time, careful planning, commitment, conscientious attention to both detail and overview, and flexibility. Your CIS senior thesis is no exception. To encourage you to work as effectively as possible on your thesis, follow these general guidelines, must-meet deadlines, and suggestions:

First two weeks of the Fall semester:
Meet separately with the CIS Director and your advisers to discuss thesis plans and anticipated needs. In consultation with advisers, develop a weekly syllabus for your work this semester. Copies of this syllabus on paper and electronically to your advisers, the CIS Director, and Vicki by Friday of the third week of the semester, at noon.  The paper for the Center must be signed by you and all your advisers. 

Friday before Thanksgiving week:
Annotated bibliography (or literature review) due by 12pm to advisers and Director, hard copy and electronically. See examples from previous years here.

Reading Day - 12:00 noon:
Thesis Outline due to advisers and Director, hard copy and electronically. This is a final, binding outline. See examples from previous years here.

First two weeks of the Spring semester:
Meet separately with director and advisers to review thesis progress; in consultation with advisers, develop a weekly syllabus for your work this semester. Copies of that electronically and on paper to advisers, director, and Vicki by Friday 1/23.  The paper for the Center must be signed by you and all your advisers.

Friday before spring break - 12:00 noon:
All students submit complete first full draft of thesis by 12 noon to advisers and director; submit electronically only unless an adviser requests hard copy in advance.

March:
Revising in close work with advisers.

First Friday in April - 12:00 noon: 
Deadline for finished thesesand establishment of date for oral defense, hard copy and electronically (as pdf) to advisers and two hard copies and electronically (as pdf) to director.

Second Week of April:
Formal half-hour public presentations in the Inn. Mid-week afternoons at 4 or 4:30.

Third and Fourth Weeks of April:
Thesis defenses. Advisers, director, and a member of the CIS FAC and the student for an hour-long defense in the director's office.

Evening following Spring Convocation (last Wed. in April):
Center Banquet for seniors and their advisers, FAC members, Dean of the Faculty. 

Thesis due dates are not negotiable; please do not ask for extensions. Late work will be penalized.

At several points during the fall and spring semesters, the Director will schedule as part of CIS 495 and 496 mandatory workshops for all CIS seniors. Experience suggests that the most effective plan for writing a successful thesis includes regular (weekly or bi-weekly) meetings between student and advisers throughout the year. Students should submit any written work several days before each meeting so that advisers will have time to formulate comments and questions. Success in adhering to this schedule will be considered in assigning grades for CIS 495 and 496.

The first draft deadline is critical. By this time, you should have finished a draft that is complete enough to submit for credit, thereby allowing several weeks in which to revise the work critically and carefully. These extra weeks will permit ample time for revision: the most important part of the writing process and what determines the ultimate success of the thesis.