 
RATIONALE: The purpose of the student portfolio is to provide both the
anthropology major and the department an opportunity to develop a "best
foot forward" evaluation of individual
performance, ability and expertise outside of the GPA and individual letters of
recommendation. The portfolio will be useful not only for anthropology majors
continuing on into graduate training, but it will also be useful for majors
entering the job market in any area. Students will begin their portfolios during
their sophomore year and will seek preliminary counseling from their advisor
regarding elements for inclusion and methods of review. During the junior year
the faculty will collectively review all portfolios and provide critiques and
suggestions. Prior to graduation, students will present their portfolios to
faculty and students in much the same way that poster presentations at AAA
annual meetings are presented. OBJECTIVES:
The portfolio is designed to provide a student with an
opportunity to present his or her ideas, accomplishments, creativity and
critical skills to the body of work achieved during their years in the program.
The following objectives should be considered in assembling a portfolio:
 Creation of a portfolio that accentuates an individual's
grasp of anthropological concepts and methods with maturity and critical
acumen.
Assembly of materials that represent a breadth and
diversity of abilities within the four fields of anthropology.
Development of an anthology of student work that
represents the highest quality of research, fieldwork, synthesis and
professional presentation.
Demonstration of an ability to communicate
anthropological concepts and methods to audiences outside of the university
community.
METHODS:
The portfolio may take any form: written, visual, media or even
performances can be included. Most portfolios will contain the following
materials packaged by students in a manner that best represents their areas of
interest and expertise.
1) An up-to-date Vitae and a one-page
Resumé.
Remember that the vitae includes all relevant information about your
professional development to date: education, publications and papers, job
experience and other relevant data in chronological order. The resumé is
usually limited to a one-page summary of this information. You may also want
to include a short personal goals statement regarding your career plans. This
should be followed by an index listing the items below with tab headings in
bold type and individual items listed underneath and indented.
2) Selected Papers and Writings representing a broad
cross section of your work. Most students by their junior year have
developed an interest and aptitude for a particular field or area in
anthropology. Certainly include papers from these classes and projects. Also
include papers from other areas that round out your interests.
3)
Project Reports, media or photography projects or site
reports from field projects. It may not be possible or feasible to
include these in their entirety, but they should all be listed on your vitae
and you can select individual images or segments for inclusion in your
portfolio.
4) Letters of Support and Documentation. Newspaper
clippings, letters of thanks for outside efforts, documentation of
internships, examples of volunteer work, should all be included.
CONTENTS AND ORGANIZATION:
Each portfolio should be organized in a three-ring binder (or a
file box or other suitable container) with individual items identified by tabs
or labels. The items in the portfolio should be placed in the following order:
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I. Vitae
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The vitae provides basic information about you--address, social
security number, educational background. Usually a vitae is a one-page document
that provides a quick overview of who you are and what your experiences have
been. Many people revise their vitae each time they apply for a job, stressing
aspects of their background for the skills required. Vitae often contain
information on the type of position desired and a one or two sentence summary of
your professional interests.
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II. Papers and
Published Materials
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As a student you may not have a great deal of published
material, but you may have contributed to a student project or field experience
that results in publication. You should include this material as well as papers
which received positive feedback from professors and other students. An effort
to extend these written presentations to public forums (SSPA conference, Great
Basin conference, AAA meetings) are encouraged. If you read a paper at a
conference and received feedback on it, you might want to include a short
summary of the feedback.
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III. Field Materials or
Reports
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These materials may be included in somewhat raw form, but you
might also want to add a personal statement or critique of what you did and how
you did it. Solicit critiques of your work from supervisors and fellow students.
You should also include reports and critiques of internship and independent
study projects.
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IV. Bibliographies
or research materials
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If you developed a way to locate and analyze research materials
or you completed a bibliography or other research devices, include it with a
short explanation.
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V. Skills
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List any skills that you deem appropriate. For example, skills
in computer use, skills in use of photographic equipment (standard, digital,
video), skills in mapping and map making, skills in drafting or illustration,
linguistic skills, or any other skills that you might think of as useful.
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VI. Photographs or
artistic materials
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Many anthropology students use photography, tape or videotape
recordings, newspaper articles, diaries or other documentary materials as a part
of their undergraduate work. You might want to select out of this material a
representative sample of your work.
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VII. Student
organizational or governmental activities
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Samples of announcements, flyers, reports or agendas that reveal
your activities in student government.
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VIII. Letters of
support
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Letters of support, thanks and criticism for public or
extra-university activities such as presentations, lectures or workshops. You
might include here any letters of support or acknowledgment you received,
particularly if they reflect your use of cultural insights and anthropological
methods.
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IX. Additional material
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Anything that illustrates your personality and perspective that
you think characterizes your undergraduate experience.
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Sample Curriculum Vitae
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Student Name
I. Vital Statistics
 Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Current Address(es)
Current Phone numbers
Fax or electronic mail numbers
II. Education
Degree and Major plus date (projected date) of graduation
Other degrees or professional certificates
III. Professional Experience
Describe your professional and occupational
experiences that are relevant to your future employment goals. Include
work study and research assistantships with name of supervisor and
specific nature of the tasks you performed.
IV. Papers or Publications
Include here any papers delivered and/or
publications, site reports, monographs you have worked on. Give
place/occasion and date.
V. References
This is optional. All employers will want references,
but in your vitae you may simply want to state that they are available
upon request. For the purposes of the portfolio you should place these
letters in the outsider evaluation section of your materials if you
would like them to be considered.
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Department of Anthropology
1910 University Drive
HWSC, Room 55
Boise, ID 83725-1950
Phone: (208 )426-3023
Fax: (208) 426-4329
Mark Plew, Chair
(208) 426-3444
mplew@boisestate.edu
Hemingway
Western Studies Center
Home of the Anthropology Department
Center for Applied Archaeological Science
Idaho Archaeological Society
Idaho Archaeology Working Group |
