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Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) 2009 Program Overview

USS 2010 Program Submission Deadlines

Round 1 (Deadline 12/4/09)
Students applications

Round 2 (Deadline 2/26/10)
Students submit applications

Summer 2010 Guidelines will be available in September.

2009 Guidelines & Application

USS 2009 Program Overview
Program of Individual Faculty Mentorship for Miami University Sophomores and Juniors
With its primary goals on student-centered learning through mentored research, the USS program aligns with President Hodge’s call for “active, engaged educational experiences for our undergraduates through the fusion of scholarship and teaching”. The program encourages students to develop their capacity to construct knowledge by reflecting on their experience and by crafting their ability to articulate the meaning of their discoveries.

Now in its fifteenth year, the USS program heightens the intellectual level of the learning environment at Miami University by enabling Miami undergraduates to do research or other creative activities in the summer under the supervision of an individual faculty mentor. Either astudent or faculty member may initiate an application, but both the student and faculty member must sign the application.

Program Options

Both USS Summer Scholar options (A and B) described below require the student to enroll for a combined total of 12 credit hours and to complete a USS project under the supervision of an eligible Miami faculty mentor during the designated 9-week interval between May 11, and August 21, 2009. Both options (A and B) include a $2,600 student fellowship (distributed through the bursar's office) and a $400 student supply allotment as well as a $600 faculty mentor development allotment.

Option A - Standard USS Program Experience

Option A requires 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). Under Option A the USS program covers the cost of tuition for 12 credit hours in which the student enrolls under Course 340.U, while the student pays for related general fees of approximately $48 per credit hour.

Option B - USS Program plus International Experience

Option B encourages the synergistic combination of a departmentally approved international experience with a complimentary USS program research project. Students are required to enroll for a total of 12 credit hours (comprised of a minimum of 6-hours of independent study credit under course number 340.U and a complimentary number of hours under a Miami departmentally approved international course that demonstrates a synergy between the research project and the international course).

Under Option B the USS program covers cost of tuition for the number of credit hours in which the student enrolls under Course 340.U, while the student pays for related general fees of approximately $48 per credit hour. In addition, the student pays for travel costs and all costs (tuition, fees, etc.) incurred as a part of the designated international course experience.

Student Eligibility 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 for a year 2009 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 year 2009 USS program.

Application Submission Deadlines

There are two rounds of funding available with deadlines for submission on December 5, 2008 (Round 1) and February 27, 2009 (Round 2). Students submitting an application with a mentor in any Fine Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences department may apply in Round 1 or Round 2. All other eligible students must apply by the fall submission deadline of December 5, 2008. Approximately (100) one hundred awards will be available in Round 1 and approximately (15) fifteen awards will be allotted for Round 2. See the guidelines for detailed time tables.

Direct questions not answered in the USS 2009 guideline materials to: Mrs. Martha Weber (weberme@muohio.edu) OARS Undergraduate Research Program Coordinator.

Important Summer 2009 Participation Dates

November 4, 2008 USS Reception and Information Fair in Shriver Center
Recognizes students and faculty who participated in the USS 2008 program
Provides USS 2008 awardees the opportunity to share the results of their summer projects
Allows potential year 2009 applicants to interact directly with recent USS participants

• May 11 through August 21, 2009. Period of required participation in USS program is 9 weeks within this 15-week interval. All USS projects must be conducted during this time period.

USS Program Application Deadlines
Submission open to all eligible students. See Section II for details.
Round 1 - Fall Submission Deadlines – Timetable
Student/faculty mentor USS applications due by 5:00 p.m. in mentor's departmental office.	December 5, 2008 (Friday)
Department application packets due by 5:00 p.m. in the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) 102 Roudebush Hall	December 12, 2008 (Friday)
USS 1st Round positions allocated to departments	February 6, 2009 (Friday)
Departments complete selection process and send OARS student awardee names	February 20, 2009 (Friday)
*Round 2 - Spring Submission Deadlines – Timetable*
Submission limited to students submitting through a Fine Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences department
Student/faculty mentor USS applications due by 5:00 p.m. in mentor's departmental* office.	February 27, 2009 (Friday)
Department application packets due by 5:00 p.m. in the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) 102 Roudebush Hall	March 6, 2009 (Friday)
USS 2nd Round positions allocated to departments	April 3, 2009 (Friday)
Departments complete selection process and provide OARS student awardee names	April 17, 2009 (Friday)

Download pdf file version of USS 2009 Program Application forms and printed program guidelines

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
if student chooses Option A the award includes 12 hours of academic credit, with a tuition scholarship that covers the instructional fees and tuition for hours enrolled under 340U (but not the General Fees)
if student chooses Option B the award includes between 6-12 hours of academic credit, with a tuition scholarship that covers the instructional fees and tuition for hours enrolled under 340U (but not the General Fees). The student pays for all costs incurred for the complimentary international course.
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. PROGRAM BENEFITS

adds a distinctive educational experience to the undergraduate education of a significant number of Miami students
engages students as active research agents
offers students the opportunity to include global awareness in the learning experience
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 Round 1 and 2 Submissions

A second round of funding in the spring encourages application from students majoring in disciplines where the fall deadline has limited their participation due to the timing of their research methods course. Students submitting an application with a mentor in any Fine Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences department may apply in Round 1 or Round 2. All other eligible students must apply by the fall submission deadline of December 5, 2008. See detailed timetables for Round 1 and Round 2 submissions at end of guidelines.

For summer 2009 approximately one hundred (100) student appointments will be available to students submitting in Round 1 with a December 5, 2008 deadline. In addition, approximately 15 appointments will be available for students submitting in Round 2 with a February 27, 2009 deadline. The Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) will allocate positions in both Round 1 and Round 2 to departments 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 USS program focuses on 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 up to 12 hours of academic credit depending on the choice of option A or B, and evaluating the student experiences. A student may propose a USS program project under either Option A or Option B.

USS 2009 Project Dual Options

Option A – Standard USS Program Experience requires 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). Under Option A the USS program covers cost of tuition for 12 credit hours in which the student enrolls under Course 340.U, while the student pays for related general fees of approximately $48 per credit hour.

Option B – USS Program + International Experience encourages the synergistic combination of a departmentally approved international experience with a complimentary USS program research project. Students are required to enroll for a total of 12 credit hours comprised of a minimum of 6-hours of independent study credit under course number 340.U and a complimentary number of hours under a Miami departmentally approved international course that demonstrates a synergy between the research project and the international course.

Under Option B the USS program covers cost of tuition for the number of credit hours in which the student enrolls under Course 340.U, while the student pays for related general fees of approximately $48 per credit hour. In addition, the student pays for travel costs and all costs (tuition, fees, etc.) incurred as a part of the international course experience.

Due to the nature, duration and intensity of the program, students accepting USS awards must agree not to take additional summer courses (except an approved international experience) during the selected 9 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 plus certain programs (American Studies, Black World Studies, Interactive Media Studies, International Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies Program, Latin American 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 USS 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 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 9-week USS program. Therefore, program application 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 or his sophomore year (defined as having a minimum of 60 credit hours) or junior year prior to the beginning of the year 2009 Summer Session I,
will enroll for at least one additional semester at Miami University as an undergraduate student after the completion of her/his year 2009 USS award participation,
agrees to full-time participation in the USS program, and
agrees to forgo any other courses (except an approved international experience under Option B), 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 9-week period of USS participation
under Option B will provide a plan that demonstrates the synergy between international experience and the proposed USS research project. Both the faculty mentor and the department chair and must sign off on this plan.

III. Application Procedures

A. JOINT STUDENT/FACULTY MENTOR APPLICATIONS

Round 1 Applications Due by 5 pm to the Department - December 5, 2008
Round 2 Applications Due by 5 pm to the Department - February 27, 2009

Emphasis is on individual student/faculty mentor relationships. Each individual student/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 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date designated for Round 1 or Round 2.

B. DEPARTMENTAL APPLICATION PACKET

Round 1 Departmental Packet Due to OARS by 5:00 p.m. Friday December 12, 2008
Round 2 Departmental Packet Due to OARS by 5:00 p.m. Friday March 6, 2009

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/program to the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS), 102 Roudebush Hall by 5:00 p.m. on the Round 1 or Round 2 departmental application packet date.

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 pair,
the individual student/faculty applications judged by the department to meet the criteria for either an Option A or B project

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/ program. 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 submit.

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 1) establishing the form of student/faculty interactions, 2) determining the degree of supervision necessary to help achieve the student's objectives, and 3) 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.

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 under the requirements for an either:
Option A – Standard USS Program Experience
Option B – -USS Program + International Experience
Approving the required plan that demonstrates the synergy between the departmentally approved international experience and the proposed USS research project
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 to OARS

Student/faculty pairs should submit their individual applications to department chairs by 5:00 p.m. on either the Round 1 Application deadline (December 5, 2008) or the Round 2 Application Deadline (February 27, 2009). 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 to the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS), 102 Roudebush Hall by 5:00 p.m. on the Round 1 or Round 2 departmental application packet date.

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/ program 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 for applications submitted in Round 1 until after allocations to departments are announced on Friday, February 6, 2009. For Round 2 we suggest that departments delay their internal ranking or other selection procedure for applications until after allocations to departments are announced on Friday, April 3, 2009. In each instance, 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 for OARS to send out the official award letter.

B. FACULTY MENTOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

Preparation of Joint Applications
Need to Comply with University and Federal Research Regulations
Need to Comply with University 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 9-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 9-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 6-12 credit hours enrollment 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 Care and Use 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. Contact the Office of International Eduationa for information and/or view the Miami University Guidelines for Study Abroad Programs on line.

4. Oversight of $400 Project Allowance.Each USS 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 February 1, 2010. This allowance account will be cleared and closed by the University Accounting Office on February 15, 2010. The faculty mentor is responsible for any charges made to that account above the $400 allotted or after February 1, 2010.

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 2009. 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 February 1, 2010. This allowance account will be cleared and closed by the University Accounting Office on February 15, 2010. The faculty mentor is responsible for any charges made to that account above the $600 allotted or after February 1, 2010.

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 2009, 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 2009 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 2009 USS award participation,
agrees to full-time participation in the USS program,
agrees to forgo any other courses (except an approved international experience under Option B), University employment, fellowships or internships (volunteer or paid), or any employment that would interfere with the student's full-time educational commitment during the 9-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 selected 9-week period of USS participation. *The exception allowed under Option B for a student to combine an approved international experience that is synergistic to the USS project. Under Option B the number of credits taken for the USS must not be less than 6 hours and the total number of combined credits must equal 12 hours.

2. USS Participation During Specific Period. The supervising faculty mentor in consultation with the student and department chair will determine the specific 9 weeks of a student's participation during the summer of 2009. Participation time can be divided into two different periods if necessary. Both of these times must be within the 15-week interval from Spring Commencement through the last day of Summer Sessions, which is from May 11, through August 21, 2009.

3. Course Registration Requirements. Each student who receives a USS appointment under Option A 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, (unless the student combines an approved international experience with the USS experience under Option B). The USS credit hours 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 9-week period of appointment can vary within the interval from May 11 through August 21, 2009, 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 2009 runs from March 17 through May 12.

Each student who receives a USS appointment under Option B (combining an approved international experience with the USS program project) must enroll for no less than 6 credit hours under 340 U. The course number will include the acronym of mentor's department, i.e., BOT 340.U, PSY 340.U, ENG 340.U. In addition the student must register for at least 6 credit hours of a departmentally approved international course either for a letter grade or on a credit/no credit basis. Although the 9-week period of appointment can vary within the interval from May 11 through August 21, 2009, 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 2009 runs from March 17 through May 12.

4. Limits on Other Course Enrollments. Participation in the USS program precludes a student from registering for any other credits (except credits for an approved international experience under Option B) during the selected 9 weeks of USS participation. In 2009 the interval between Miami's Spring Commencement (May 11, 2009) and end of summer session (August 21, 2009) is 15 weeks.

V. Financial Matters

Student Fellowship Payment
Waiver of Instructional Fee
Tax Considerations
Limits on Summer Employment
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 9 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.

A single fellowship payment of $2,600 will be made to the USS participant through the student bursar account in May 2009. The Bursar’s Office will then apply this $2,600 to any outstanding balance on the student account including the required general fee of approximately $48 per credit hour enrolled in 340.U. The Bursar’s office will disburse any remaining funds approximately two weeks later. USS awardees would contact the Bursar’s office 529-8744 with any questions about the E-bill or bursar account. <http://www.muohio.edu/bursar>

B. WAIVER OF INSTRUCTIONAL FEE

Students who sign up for the required (6-12) hours of academic credit under either Option A or Option B and continue to participate in the USS program will receive a waiver of instructional fees and tuition scholarship for number of credit hours enrolled under 340U associated with the USS program. However, at the time of enrollment each student account will be charged approximately $48 per credit hour for the USS credit hours in course 340.U. Student choosing Option A – Standard USS Program Experience would expect to a charge of appx. $576.00 in general fees. While a student choosing Option B –USS Program + International Experience would expect a charge of $48 for each of the USS 340 credit hours included in their project. General fee charges will appear on the student's Bursar bill.

C. TAX CONSIDERATIONS

Amount of the fellowship ($2,600) will be reported on the student’s 1098T for tax considerations. Although income taxes will not be withheld from USS student fellowship and scholarship awards, portions of the fellowship payments may be considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) depending on how the money is used by the student. For additional information on Scholarship and Fellowship Grants, refer to IRS Tax Topic 421, and Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.

D. 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:

1) any other courses (except an approved international experience)
2) Miami University employment
3) fellowships or internships (volunteer or paid), or
4) any employment that would interfere with the student's full-time educational commitment during the selected 9-week period of USS participation.

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 credits taken under 340.U 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 11, 2009. No change from a letter grade to credit/no credit or vice versa will be allowed by the Registrar's Office after that date. Note, some departments only allow participation in this USS program on a credit/no credit basis.

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 a poster about the results of the research, if appropriate, at the USS Reception and Information Fair in November 2009 and at the Undergraduate Research Poster Forum planned for April 2010.

C. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

During the USS program, most communications from OARS with student awardees and their faculty mentors will be done electronically via Blackboard and e-mail. 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 2009 Schedule - Round 1 Applications

Submission open to all eligible students. See Section II for details.
WEEKDAY	DATE(S)	INTERVAL	DEADLINE or SCHEDULED EVENT
Wednesday	October 1, 2008	-	Announcement and Guidelines for Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program are distributed
-	October 1 to December 5	7 weeks	Students, faculty and departments arrange appropriate collaborations and complete individual student/faculty application forms
Tuesday	November 4, 2008	-	USS Reception and Information Fair. Co-sponsored by OARS and the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Socieity. USS 2008 Students share results of summer activities and Prospective applicants learn about 2009 USS program (Shriver Center Multipurpose Room)
Friday	December 5, 2008	-	Individual student/faculty Round 1 applications are submitted to the mentor's department chair
-	December 5 to December 12, 2008	1 week	Departments compile packet of USS applications with cover page
Friday	December 12, 2008	-	Departments submit to OARS their application packet containing individual student/faculty USS application forms identifying the eligible projects
-	Inter semester Interval	-	Application and departmental data compiled by OARS and distributed to review panel
-	January 09 to January 30, 2009	-	Panel reviews application packets plus other materials and recommends allocation of appointments to departments
Friday	February 6, 2009	-	USS positions are allocated to departments
-	February 6 to February 20, 2009	2 weeks	Departments identify which applicants will be offered USS awards
Friday	February 20, 2009	-	Departments provide OARS with names of student awardees, names of faculty mentors, and 9-week periods of specific student appointments
Monday	March 2, 2009		OARS sends award letters to selected students
by Friday	March 20, 2009	-	Students submit Independent Study Form directly to Registrar's Office in Campus Avenue Building.
by Friday	March 20, 2009	-	Student returns USS Student Acceptance Form directly to OARS in 102 Roudebush Hall
Monday	May 11, 2009	-	All USS student awardees must have completed enrollment procedures and paid fees
-	May 11 to August 21, 2009	15 weeks	Possible interval for 9-week Undergraduate Summer Scholar activities
-	October 2009	-	OARS evaluation of USS activities
Friday	February 1, 2010	-	All 2009 USS allowance funds must be spent, including student project and faculty mentor development allowances
Friday	February 15, 2010	-	2009 USS accounts closed and cleared

Detailed USS 2009 Schedule - Round 2 Applications

Submission limited to students submitting through a Fine Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences department
Wednesday	October 1, 2008		Announcement and Guidelines for Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program are distributed
Tuesday	November 4, 2008		USS Reception and Information Fair. Co-sponsored by OARS and the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Socieity. USS 2008 Students share results of summer activities and Prospective applicants learn about 2009 USS program (Shriver Center Multipurpose Room)
	January 09, 2009 to February 27, 2009	7 weeks	Students, faculty and departments arrange appropriate collaborations and complete individual student/faculty application forms
Friday	February 27, 2009		Individual student/faculty Round 2 applications are submitted to the mentor's department chair
	February 27, 2009 - March 06, 2009	1 week	Departments compile packet of USS applications with cover page
Friday	March 6, 2009		Departments submit to OARS their application packet containing individual student/faculty USS application forms identifying eligible projects
	Intersemester Interval March 8 - 15, 2009		Application and departmental data compiled by OARS and distributed to review panel
	March 16, 2009 - April 3, 2009	3 weeks	Panel reviews application packets plus other materials and recommends allocation of appointments to departments
Friday	April 3, 2009		USS positions are allocated to departments
	April 3, 2009 - April 17, 2009	2 weeks	Departments identify which applicants will be offered USS awards
Friday	April 17, 2009		Departments provide OARS with names of student awardees, names of faculty mentors, and 10-week periods of specific student appointments
Monday	April 20, 2009		OARS sends award letters to selected students
Monday	April 27, 2009		Students submit Independent Study Form to Registrar's Office
Monday	April 27, 2009		Students return Student USS Acceptance Form to OARS in 102 Roudebush Hall
Monday	May 11, 2009		All student awardees must have completed enrollment procedures and paid fees
	May 11, 2009 to August 21, 2009	15 weeks	Possible interval for 9-week Undergraduate Summer Scholar activities
	October 2009		OARS evaluation of USS activities
	February 1, 2010		All 2009 USS allowance funds must be spent, including student project and faculty mentor development allowances
	February 15, 2010		2009 USS accounts closed and cleared

Application forms and printed program guidelines can 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 2009 guideline materials should be directed to
OARS Undergraduate Research Coordinator, Mrs. Martha Weber (weberme@muohio.edu)