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OARS > Undergraduate Research > Summer Scholars Program (USS) >

Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) 2005 USS Program Guidelines (updated March 15, 2005)

Application Deadline December 3, 2004

Introduction
Important Summer 2005 Participation Dates
USS Program Overview
Eligibility
Application Procedures
Roles and Responsibilities
Financial Matters
Other Student-related Matters
Detailed USS 2005 Schedule
Downloads for printing in Adobe pdf format. Hint: You will need to download a copy of Adobe Reader to view and print these if Reader is not already on your computer.
- USS 2005 Instructions and Guidelines as Adobe pdf document
- USS 2005 Application Form as Adobe ipdf form

Introduction

The Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program is an initiative aimed at heightening the intellectual challenge of the learning environment at Miami University. Now in its eleventh year, this program enables Miami undergraduates to do research or other creative activities in the summer under the supervision of an individual faculty mentor. Responses of student and faculty participants from previous years have been overwhelmingly favorable. Applications may be initiated by either students or faculty, but the submitted application must be agreed to and signed by both the student and the faculty member.

Application to the program is open to any Miami University student in good standing completing either her or his sophomore or junior year who agrees to abide by program requirements. A student must have a minimum of 60 credit hours to be eligible to for a 2005 USS award. Each student applying for a USS award must also verify that she or he will spend at least one additional semester at Miami University as an undergraduate student after participating in the 2005 USS program.

Application forms, a printed version of the program guidelines and additional information may be obtained from:

Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS)
Miami University
102 Roudebush Hall
Oxford, OH 45056
Tel: 513-529-3600, FAX 513-529-3762

Questions not answered in the USS 2005 guideline materials should be directed to OARS staff members:
Mrs. Martha Weber (weberme@muohio.edu) or
Dr. John Czaja (czajaja@muohio.edu)

Important Summer 2005 Participation Dates

November 3, 2004
- USS Reception and Information Fair in Shriver Center. Open to all students.
December 3, 2004
- Student/faculty mentor applications due in mentor's departmental office.
December 10, 2004
- Department application packets due in the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS, 102 Roudebush Hall).
February 25, 2004
- Departments complete selection process and provide OARS with names of student awardees.
May 9, 2005 through Friday, August 19, 2005.
- Period of allowed participation in USS program is 10 weeks within this 15-week interval.

(Please see Detailed USS 2005 Schedule at end of these guidelines for additional deadlines and events.)

A. PROGRAM FEATURES

a focus on learning the processes of research and scholarship under supervision of a faculty mentor
a student fellowship award of $2,600
12 hours of academic credit, with a tuition scholarship that covers the instructional fees and tuition (but not the General Fees)
a project allowance of $400 for supplies, services and travel
an additional faculty allowance of $600 that can be used to support the faculty mentor's scholarly activities and/or, at the discretion of the faculty mentor, to help the student project

B. BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM

adds a distinctive experience to the undergraduate education of a significant number of Miami students
increases interaction between faculty and students
enhances faculty research programs by the participation of talented undergraduates
clearly links scholarship and teaching at the University
provides an educational opportunity shown to increase student intellectual maturity
improves Miami's ability to attract talented students

C. DISTRIBUTION OF AWARDS

One hundred (100) student appointments are available for summer 2005. These positions will be allocated to departments by the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) based on recommendations from a panel that will review the submitted departmental application packets. In developing its recommendation, this panel will consider:

the quality of experiences proposed by applications from the department
the quality and appropriateness of the mentorship supervision and interactions proposed
the distribution of awards across disciplinary areas

D. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

The focus of this program is the individual student/faculty mentor relationship. While the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship helps coordinate this program, the program is administered primarily at the departmental level. Applications by individual student/faculty pairs form the basis for subsequent allocation of USS positions to departments. Departments are then responsible for selecting particular student/faculty projects, approving those projects for 12 hours of academic credit, and evaluating the student experiences. A requirement for participation in the program is summer enrollment for 12 hours of extended independent study credit under course number 340.U (or combined 12 hours credit, based on course designations as agreed to by individual departments and the Registrar). Due to the nature, duration and intensity of the program, students accepting USS awards must agree not to take additional summer courses during the selected 10 weeks of their USS participation, nor accept any other concurrent internships, fellowships, volunteer positions or employment that would interfere with their full-time program participation.

II. Eligibility

Departmental Eligibility
Faculty Eligibility
Student Eligibility
Table of Contents

A. DEPARTMENTAL ELIGIBILITY

Faculty must submit the student/faculty mentor applications through their primary academic department. All academic departments and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies plus certain programs (American Studies, Black World Studies, International Studies, Journalism Program and Women's Studies) are eligible for participation in the USS program. By choosing to participate, these units agree to undertake the administrative burden required of them by the USS program.

B. FACULTY ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to all full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty of Miami University. Each student/faculty pair should make application as described below through the chair of the faculty member's academic department (or administrator of eligible school or program). To participate in the USS program, a faculty member must be willing and able to provide appropriate supervision and mentorship of the student with whom she or he has elected to be paired.

C. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

Students may only receive one USS award during their time at Miami and the award must be used for the summer in which it is awarded. Research has shown that the full-time project involvement combined with faculty mentorship can have a significant effect on intellectual maturity of the student across the 10-week USS program. Therefore, application to the program is open to any Miami University undergraduate student who:

is a student in good standing (minimum 2.0 G.P.A., not on probation, etc.),
who will have completed her or his sophomore year (defined as having a minimum of 60 credit hours) or junior year prior to the beginning of the 2005 Summer Session I,
will enroll for at least one additional semester at Miami University as an undergraduate student after the completion of her/his 2005 USS award participation,
agrees to full-time participation in the USS program, and
agrees to forgo any other courses, University employment, fellowships or internships (volunteer or paid), or any employment that would interfere with the student's full-time educational commitment during the selected 10-week period of USS participation.

III. Application Procedures

A. JOINT STUDENT/FACULTY MENTOR APPLICATIONS (Due to Department by Dec. 3, 2004)

Emphasis is on individual student/faculty mentor relationships. Each individual student and faculty pair should, therefore, jointly prepare the 3-page application following instructions on the application form and submit this to the faculty member's department chair by Friday, December 3, 2004.

B. DEPARTMENTAL APPLICATION PACKET (Due in OARS by Dec 10, 2004)

The department chair should then prepare an application packet containing 7 sets (original plus 6 copies) of the student/faculty applications. This packet should be submitted in the name of the department to the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS), 102 Roudebush Hall by 5:00 PM on Friday, December 10, 2004. Each packet set should include:

a cover page signed by the chair that specifies the total number of applications from that department and includes an unranked list of the individual student/faculty applicant pairs
the individual student/faculty applications.

Although others may participate in a student project, each award will be to one specific student and one specific faculty mentor as identified by the department. We encourage both faculty and students to initiate these collaborations. Students can submit only one application. A single faculty member can be listed as a prospective mentor on up to four applications only. Other than these restrictions, there is no limit on how many applications departments may include in their application packet.

The review procedures and granting mechanism of this program are designed to:

provide opportunities for those who show both an interest in the program and express a willingness to commit to the effort required to make the student/faculty interactions a successful educational experience for the students,
allow for broad participation across the University,
provide a means by which the application process itself fosters initial student/faculty interactions and leads to discussions about the meaning and implementation of scholarly activity, and
emphasize the fundamental role of departments in establishing the form of student/faculty interactions, determining the degree of supervision necessary to help achieve the student's objectives, and monitoring the quality of the student's experience.

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility for a successful program will rest with the student scholar, her or his faculty mentor and the faculty member's department.

Department and Department Chair Roles and Responsibilities
Faculty Mentor Roles and Responsibilities
Student Participant Roles and Responsibilities

A. DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT CHAIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

1. General Oversight and Administration of USS awards
2. Submission of Departmental Application Packets
3. Departmental Internal Review

1. General Oversight and Administration of USS awards. While the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) will coordinate this program, the program will be administered primarily at the departmental level. Individual departments will be responsible for:

identifying student/faculty projects to be supported
assuring faculty and student eligibility for the program
submitting a departmental application packet to OARS
assigning allocated awards and notifying awardees within the department
approving specific student projects for 12 hours of extended independent study credit under the course number 340.U Summer Scholars Program (using the discipline acronym of the faculty member's department, such as BOT 340.U, PSY 340.U, ENG 340.U) or other designations as previously approved for the department by the Registrar
working with the Registrar's Office to reconcile any differences between the USS program and departmental course and credit requirements
assuring the educational value of the student experience
monitoring the student/faculty mentor collaboration

2. Submission of Departmental Application Packets. Student/faculty pairs should submit their individual applications to department chairs by Friday, December 3, 2004. Departments will then collect and compile an original set and six copies (7 total) with each set containing the departmental cover letter plus the individual student/faculty applications. This packet should then be delivered by 5:00 PM Friday, December 10, 2004 to the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship, 102 Roudebush Hall.

3. Departmental Internal Review. Each department will make final decisions concerning assignment of awards within the department as long as the awards are consistent with USS guidelines. The type of internal review and selection procedure a department chooses to use may be affected by the number of allocations received by the department. Therefore, we suggest that departments delay their internal ranking or other selection procedure until after allocations to departments are announced on February 11, 2005. Departments will still have two weeks after that date during which to make final selections. Departments will then:

inform the students that they have been nominated for an award,
verify that students will accept and abide by the conditions of the award, and then
provide OARS the names of these students.

B. FACULTY MENTOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

Preparation of Joint Applications
Need to Comply with University and Federal Research Regulations
Study Abroad Requirements
Oversight of Project Allowance
Oversight of Faculty Development Allowance
Table of Contents

1. Preparation of Joint Applications. Faculty members will collaborate with specific students in developing and submitting applications for the USS program. If selected for an appointment, the designated faculty mentor will determine the time of the student 10-week participation in consultation with the department chair and the student. The faculty mentor is then expected to be generally available to the student during the selected 10-week period of mentorship and will be responsible to the department for assuring a meaningful and appropriate student experience. The faculty mentor will also determine, in consultation with the student participant and with approval of the department chair, whether student participation in this program will be evaluated with a letter grade or on the basis of credit/no credit for the required 12 credit hours in 340.U. Note, some departments only allow participation in this USS program on a credit/no credit basis.

2. Need to Comply with University and Federal Research Regulations. It is the responsibility of the faculty mentor to assure that all required regulatory committee approvals [Institutional Review Board (IRB) - human subjects, Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC) - vertebrate animals, radioisotopes or recombinant DNA] are obtained prior to the start of the student project.

3. Need to Comply with University Study Abroad Requirements. If the USS participant plans to travel abroad as part of the USS project, it is the responsibility of the faculty mentor to assure the compliance of the student with Miami University’s Guidelines for Study Abroad. The university Study Abroad Guidelines can be viewed or downloaded at http://www.units.muohio.edu/continuingeducation/summer/pdf/SAGuidelines.pdf.

Contact person for detailed compliance information is: Ms. Marcia B. Waller, Study Abroad Advisor, Office of International Studies (529-5628) or via e-mail <Wallermb@MUohio.edu>.

4. Oversight of $400 Project Allowance. Each appointment will be accompanied by a $400 allowance for supplies, services and travel used in direct support of the student’s project. The faculty mentor will supervise spending from this account using standard University ordering and accounting procedures. All charges must be made against this allowance by April 1, 2006. This allowance account will be cleared and closed by the University Accounting Office on April 15, 2006. The faculty mentor is responsible for any charges made to that account above the $400 allotted or after April 1, 2006.

5. Oversight of $600 Faculty Development Allowance. As part of each USS program, a faculty member will receive a $600 supplies, services and travel allowance for each award on which she or he is a mentor. However, a faculty member may not be a mentor for more than four USS program students during the summer of 2005. Thus, a mentor will not receive a total of more than $2,400 in faculty allowances as a result of USS program awards. The allowance will be available for use in supporting the faculty mentor's own scholarship and professional development and/or, at the discretion of the faculty mentor, for use in supporting the student project. This allowance will be subject to standard University ordering and accounting procedures, and the faculty member is responsible for the appropriate use of these funds. The project and faculty allowances are not considered income for tax purposes and cannot be used as supplemental pay for either the student participant or the faculty mentor. All charges must be made against this allowance by April 1, 2006. This allowance account will be cleared and closed by the University Accounting Office on April 15, 2006. The faculty mentor is responsible for any charges made to that account above the $600 allotted or after April 1, 2006.

C. STUDENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

Appropriate Class Standing
Participation During Specified Period
Course Registration Requirements
Limits on Other Course Enrollments
Table of Contents

1. Appropriate Class Standing. For the summer of 2005, application to the Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program is open to any Miami University undergraduate student who:

is a student in good standing (minimum 2.0 G.P.A., not on probation, etc.),
will have completed her/his sophomore year (defined as having a minimum of 60 credit hours) or junior year prior to the beginning of the year 2005 Summer Session I, and
will enroll for at least one additional semester at Miami University as an undergraduate student after the completion of her/his year 2005 USS award participation,
agrees to full-time participation in the USS program,
agrees to forgo any other courses, University employment, fellowships or internships (volunteer or paid), or any employment that would interfere with the student's full-time educational commitment during the selected 10-week period of USS participation

Students may only receive one USS award during their time at Miami and the award must be used for the summer in which it is awarded. The program provides an opportunity for full-time, intensive interaction between a student and his/her faculty mentor. Enrollment for 12 summer credit hours is a requirement of program participation and students are expected to be involved in this program for a minimum of 40 hours per week. This full time commitment to the summer scholar project precludes student participants from accepting any full time employment or internship (volunteer or paid) or taking any academic courses for credit during the 10-week period of USS participation.

2. USS Participation During Specified Period. The supervising faculty mentor in consultation with the student and department chair will determine the specific 10 weeks of a student's USS participation during the summer of 2005. Participation time can be divided into two different periods if necessary. These both must be within the 15-week interval from Spring Commencement through the last day of Summer Sessions, which is from May 9, 2005 through August 19, 2005.

3. Course Registration Requirements. Each student who receives a USS appointment must enroll for 12 hours credit (no more, no less) either for a letter grade or on a credit/no credit basis under the course number 340.U Summer Scholars Program. The course number will include the acronym of mentor's department, i.e., BOT 340.U, PSY 340.U, ENG 340.U. Be aware that some departments have other arrangements that have been previously approved by the Registrar. Although the 10-week period of appointment can vary within the interval from May 9 through August 19, 2005, Summer I has been designated as the term of enrollment for the USS program. Students must, therefore, enroll for the required 12 credit hours sometime during the Summer I enrollment period, which for 2005 runs from March 21 through May 20.

For students selected as USS awardees, there will be two USS sign-up times (the mornings of April 7 and April 8, 2005) when University staff will be available to assist students with obtaining and completing paperwork associated with USS awards and will provide related important information.

4. Limits on Other Course Enrollments. Participation in the USS program precludes a student from registering for any other credits (including credits for time-limited foreign workshops or courses) during the selected 10 weeks of USS participation. In 2005 the interval between Miami's Spring Commencement (May 9, 2005) and the beginning of the fall semester (August 19, 2005) is 15 weeks. However, permission to sign up for any additional summer credits must first be requested and approved by the USS Appeals and Review Committee. Forms for this purpose are available through OARS in 102 Roudebush Hall. Or, click here to download a pdf file version of the Course Request form.

V. Financial Matters

Student Fellowship
Limits on Summer Employment
Need to Pay General Fees
Tax Considerations
Use of Direct Deposit
Back to Students Roles and Responsibilities
Table of Contents

A. STUDENT FELLOWSHIP

Each student participant will receive a fellowship award of $2,600 if he or she enrolls and continues in the program. In order to insure a quality educational experience, students are expected to devote 100% effort to their project during the selected 10 weeks. It is anticipated that students will spend a minimum 40 hours per week involved in USS activities. For some students, the time they devote to their summer educational activities may well be more than 40 hours per week.

B. LIMITS ON SUMMER EMPLOYMENT

Because the Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program is designed to allow full-time immersion of students in research activities, students accepting USS awards agree to forgo any other courses, University employment, fellowships or internships (volunteer or paid), or any employment that would interfere with the student's full-time educational commitment during the selected 10-week period of USS participation.

C. NEED TO PAY GENERAL FEES BY MAY 16, 2005

Students who sign up for the required 12 hours of academic credit and continue to participate in the USS program will receive a waiver of instructional fees and tuition scholarship for these 12 hours of academic credit. However, at the time of enrollment each student will be responsible for paying the General Fee, Networking Fee and the Registration Services Fee which are estimated to total approximately $480 for the Summer of 2005.

D. TAX CONSIDERATIONS

Although income taxes will not be withheld from USS student fellowship awards, portions of the fellowship payments may be considered taxable income by the IRS depending on how the money is used by the student. According to the IRS, tax-free portions of a student’s fellowship are those spent on "tuition and fees to enroll in the educational institution, or fees, books, supplies and equipment that are required of the courses at the educational institution" (p. 5, IRS Publ 970). Portions of the fellowship used by the student for other expenses, such as room and board, are considered taxable income. Each student will have to determine these items independently when they file their tax returns. For additional information, see the IRS website to download the IRS Publication 970 on Scholarships and Fellowships.

E. USE OF DIRECT DEPOSIT

Fellowship payments will be made to the USS participants by direct deposit in three increments at the beginning of May, June and July 2005.

VI. Other Student-related Matters

Grading
Student Presentations
Electronic Communications
Evaluation
Back to Students Roles and Responsibilities
Table of Contents

A. GRADING

Prior to the start of the summer program, each student and her/his faculty mentor should prepare a plan for departmental review and approval. In accordance with departmental policy or concurrence of the department chair, each pair should determine whether the 12 credits for which the student will register will be graded on a credit/no credit basis or with a letter grade. Any change in status of grading must be done by May 16, 2005. No change from a letter grade to credit/no credit or vice versa will be allowed by the Registrar's Office after that date.

B. STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

Although not required as part of the USS program, in many cases students may produce a product (paper, oral presentation, poster, artwork, portfolio, model, etc.) as a result of their USS project. In these cases, the student and faculty mentor at the beginning of the student's participation should agree as to the purpose and form of this product. Students will be given the opportunity to present this product, if appropriate, at the USS Reception and Information Fair in November 2005 and at the Undergraduate Research Poster Forum in April 2006.

C. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

During the USS program, most communications from OARS with student awardees and their faculty mentors will be done electronically. All USS students will, therefore, be expected to use e-mail. Each USS students will also be required to register her/his preferred e-mail address with the Miami University system so that messages sent to the individual's assigned UniqueID will be received.

D. EVALUATION

USS student awardees will be asked to complete several questionnaires relating to their educational experiences and activities. At the end of the summer, they will also be requested to provide additional feedback on the USS program.

Detailed USS 2005 Schedule

WEEKDAY	DATE(S)	INTERVAL	DEADLINE* or SCHEDULED EVENT
Friday	October 8, 2004	-	Announcement and Guidelines for Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program are distributed
-	October 8 to December 3	8 weeks	Students, faculty and departments arrange appropriate collaborations and complete individual student/faculty application forms
Wednesday	November 3	-	USS Reception and Information Fair. Students share results of 2004 activities and prospective applicants learn about 2005 USS program (Shriver Center Multipurpose Room)
* Friday	December 3, 2004	-	Individual student/faculty applications are submitted to the mentor's department chair (individual departments may select an earlier submission deadline)
-	December 3 to December 10	1 week	Departments compile packet of USS applications with cover page
* Friday	December 10, 2004	-	Departments submit to OARS their application packet containing individual student/faculty USS application forms identifying the projects for which they seek funding
-	Inter semester Interval	-	Application and departmental data compiled by OARS and distributed to review panel
-	January 10 to February 4, 2005	-	Panel reviews application packets plus other materials and recommends allocation of appointments to departments
* Friday	February 11, 2005	-	USS positions are allocated to departments
-	February 11 to February 25	2 weeks	Departments identify which applicants will be offered USS awards
* Friday	February 25, 2005	-	Departments provide OARS with names of student awardees, names of faculty mentors, and 10-week periods of specific student appointments
* Friday	March 25, 2005	-	Students return Student Acceptance Form
* Friday	April 1, 2005	-	Students submit Independent Study Form to Registrar's Office
* Thursday and Friday	April 7, 2005 and April 8, 2005	-	USS Sign-Up periods, anytime between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, in the Spring Street lobby of the Campus Avenue Building (CAB)
* Monday	May 9, 2005	-	All student awardees must have completed enrollment procedures and paid fees
-	May 9 to August 19, 2004	15 weeks	Possible interval for 10-week Undergraduate Summer Scholar activities
-	October 2005	-	OARS evaluation of USS activities
* Friday	April 1, 2006	-	All 2005 USS allowance funds must be spent, including student project and faculty mentor development allowances
Friday	April 15, 2006	-	2005 USS accounts closed and cleared

Application forms for USS 2005, printed program guidelines, and additional information can be obtained from: