Honors Work in Progress Meeting

What is a Work in Progress (WIP) Meeting?

Beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, all seniors writing honors theses are required to convene a meeting of their full thesis committee during the designated Work in Progress period, which runs from the last week of January through the first week of February.

The WIP meeting is an opportunity for students to present their progress, receive substantive feedback from their full committee, and establish clear priorities for completing the thesis during the remainder of the semester.

At least one week before the WIP meeting, students must send their full thesis committee:

• At least one completed body chapter in which they use evidence to develop and support an argument; and
• Substantial evidence of progress toward a second chapter

The completed chapter should demonstrate the student's ability to make a sustained scholarly argument using appropriate evidence. An introduction alone, or an introduction followed by only the opening pages of a body chapter, does not meet this requirement.

Students are encouraged to submit two completed chapters whenever possible, as doing so will give the committee a stronger basis for providing feedback on the overall direction and development of the project.

During the WIP meeting, students will give a formal presentation no longer than 12 minutes, sharing their work in progress. The presentation should address:

• The thesis's central argument and research questions
• The methods and approaches used
• The project's engagement with relevant scholarly literature
• The types of evidence being used to develop and support the argument
• Evidence of the project’s interdisciplinarity
• A feasible timeline for the completion of the project

After reviewing the submitted work and listening to the presentation, the faculty committee will provide feedback on the project. This feedback may address the strengths and weaknesses of the current draft, significant problems or gaps that need to be addressed, and priorities for the remainder of the semester.

Bringing the full thesis committee together at this stage gives students an opportunity to receive feedback from all their committee members at once and to leave the meeting with a clear understanding of how to prioritize their time and effort during the remainder of the semester.

For most students, the WIP meeting will result in a set of recommendations for revising and strengthening the thesis and a clear plan for completing the project.

The WIP meeting also serves as an opportunity for the faculty committee to assess whether the project is sufficiently developed to continue on the honors-thesis track. In cases where the committee determines that the project is not sufficiently developed to proceed as an honors thesis, the student may be directed to complete a capstone thesis instead.

Any decision to change a student's thesis track will be communicated clearly to the student following the meeting, along with any relevant expectations or next steps. This decision is at the discretion of the committee.

Students are responsible for coordinating the logistics of their WIP meeting. They should complete the following steps:

1. Schedule the meeting. Before winter break, email all members of the thesis committee to identify a mutually convenient time during the two-week WIP period.
2. Reserve a meeting space. Students should reserve the ILA conference room for the meeting by contacting the senior program coordinator. If the conference room is unavailable, students are responsible for identifying and reserving another appropriate space on campus.
3. Submit their work in advance. At least one week before the WIP meeting, students must send the required chapter(s) and supporting materials to all members of their thesis committee.
4. Prepare the presentation. Students should prepare a formal presentation that clearly explains the project's argument, methodology, engagement with scholarship, and use of evidence.

The goal of the WIP meeting is to ensure that every honors-thesis student receives substantive feedback at an important stage of the research and writing process and has a clear plan for successfully completing the project.