CRD Course Qualifications  

To qualify as a CRD Course, the following must be present: 

• A major assignment that is a community-based research or design project.  
• The generation of a "product" that could be utilized by a community partner. The product should be appropriate for the subject matter. For example, a CRD architecture course might include a design project, a CRD economics course might include a financial analysis of a non-profit, a CRD engineering course might include an analysis of flooding during hurricane conditions, and a CRD humanities course might include recording oral histories of racial and ethnic group experiences. All of these projects would focus on the Houston or global community.  
• When possible, the major assignment should include interaction for students with a community partner or the community at-large. This may include meeting with community partners to help define the research or design problem, conduct the research, and/or present the research findings.   
• A structured process of critical reflection on the intellectual and civic aspects of the student's community experiences.   
• A public presentation of student work to campus or community audiences. This may include in-class presentations or forums such as the Rice Undergraduate Research Symposium or conferences sponsored by the Office of Fellowships and Undergraduate Research.   
• Allow for program assessment (e.g., using a student course evaluation).  

CRD Course Formats  

CRD Courses may be offered in a variety of formats: 

• Students working individually or in groups on projects to fulfill a research assignment for a single-semester course.   
• Student taking courses in which every member of the class will work on a single project.   
• Students working on projects that have multi-semester lives, passing on their portions of the project at the end.   
• Students working on CRD projects while enrolled in independent research seminars.  

*Guidelines approved by the Faculty Advisory Board to the Center for Civic Engagement, October 2006.  

For questions, contact Elizabeth Vann, Associate Director of Civic Research and Design, Office of Fellowships and Undergraduate Research, evann@rice.edu, 713-348-3978