| Outlined below are the policies and expectations for each student involved in the CPRS program. It includes information for the entire four years as well as a breakdown of what is expected each year. |
|
| POLICIES & INFORMATION FOR ALL FOUR YEARS |
- Although this is a university-wide program, students are selected by committees consisting of members from each of the seven colleges. Each college offers unique additional activities within the program for their students. Each college also provides program support staff to organize their specific activities and to assist with mentor identification.
- Each student will have access to a Research Support Account (RSA) of up to $8,000 for their four years in the program. The funds can be used to cover expenses and opportunities, such as wages, summer support, limited research supplies, travel, and conferences. It is assumed that some of this support will come from matching funds for those students on work-study.
- Students receiving financial aid may receive up to $4,000 a year in need-based loan replacement.
- Freshman are expected to attend a colloquium in the first semester to help them get acquainted with research at Cornell and then participate in research starting ring their second semester.
- Students are expected to participate in research every semester that they are a registered student at Cornell, either for wages or for credit (students cannot volunteer for liability reasons). Details about getting appointed to work for wages, including the wage scale, as well as doing research for credit are available in the CPRS office.
- The program expects all students to do at least one summer of full-time research, but RSA funds may be used to support multiple summers. In addition to the RSA, the program will provide each student with monies to cover the university's expected summer savings.
- Off-campus summer research may be supported by program funds from the student's RSA if it is connected with and approved by the on-campus mentor.
- RSA funds may be used to provide the necessary match for work-study funds to support student research throughout the four undergraduate years. However, the same work cannot receive both academic credit and funds. Honors theses produced by RSA supported work are acceptable.
- Second semester freshman and sophomores are expected to develop, with the assistance of their mentor, a research plan in which they will outline their research goals and provide a plan to achieve and assess the attainment of those goals.
- At the end of each academic year, the program staff will collect a written summary of research activities from each student and a student evaluation from each mentor. Project summaries may be incorporated in the program website. The program staff also monitors student's GPAs each semester. Those whose average falls below the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA will be contacted.
- Cornell mentors need not be faculty in the student's college of enrollment.
- All are strongly encouraged to help maintain the program by taking part in new student recruiting and program planning. A Student Advisory Board has been established to help facilitate these efforts.
|
| FRESHMAN YEAR - FIRST SEMESTER |
- All students will participate in the Freshman Colloquium. Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at each session. Arrangements (video tapes, essays, etc.) will be made to accommodate those students whose schedule (athletic involvement, evening classes, etc.) precludes regular attendance.
- Part of the colloquium includes college sessions that will be unique to that student's part of the program that may involve extra meetings.
- In lieu of academic credit, each student will be paid $200 for participating in the colloquium. The funds will be deducted from the students RSA.
- In general, freshmen will not begin research before their second semesters. Exceptions will be based on unusual student and mentor interest and research plan.
- If desired by the student, CPRS will try to assist students to find work study jobs in their area of interest as needed. In most cases, the program recognizes that these are jobs rather than research experiences and the use of RSA funds as work study will try to be discouraged. However, the program will provide financial support for exceptional matches that are both a research opportunity and job.
- As a part of the Freshman Colloquium, students will learn how to find information on faculty research activities and how to present themselves to faculty to explore the feasibility of establishing a student-mentor relationship. By the end of the semester, each student will have interviewed a number of faculty and most will be getting ready to find a research position.
|
| FRESHMAN YEAR - SECOND SEMESTER |
- Students will find mentors and begin research for either wages or for credit (students cannot volunteer for liability reasons). Students plan their projects by creating a research plan. In some disciplines a great deal of foundation building may be necessary, so that activities may well involve considerable library research and possibly individual tutorial-like interactions with the mentor.
- By the end of the semester, students should be settled in their first research setting and have assessed the degree to which they have fulfilled the research plan for that semester.
- In some cases students will propose a summer project, which is subject to program approval. Contact the CPRS office for application materials.
- Students may request financial support from their Research Support Account for research-related expenses such as supplies (limited to $500 per semester), travel to a research site or conference. Contact the CPRS office for application materials.
- All students will be reviewed for academic performance, colloquium attendance, progress in finding a mentor, and designing and fulfilling a research plan. Although no students will be removed from the program as long as they are in good academic standing with their college, program staff will counsel students who appear to be having trouble.
|
| SOPHOMORE YEAR - FIRST SEMESTER |
- Students will participate in research for either wages or for credit (students cannot volunteer for liability reasons)and work with mentors to prepare a research plan.
- At any time during the academic year, students may request financial support from their Research Support Account for research-related expenses such as supplies (limited to $500 per semester), travel to a research site or conference. Contact the CPRS office for application materials.
- Students are encouraged to participate in other program activities; such as the Research in Progress Forum, being a peer advisor to an incoming freshman, Pizza at the Nines, and the joint Commitment events that are held throughout the course of the year.
|
| SOPHOMORE YEAR - SECOND SEMESTER |
- All students should be involved in a research project for either wages or for credit (students cannot volunteer for liability reasons) and have a research plan in place.
- All students will be reviewed at the end of this semester. Students will be considered for termination in the program if they either do not have a sophomore GPA of 3.0 and/or do not have a research plan that includes a mentor, a project, and clear goals.
- Students who are asked to withdraw from the program will not be able to keep the need-based loan reduction financial aid commitment made by the program, nor have access to their RSA.
- The program recognizes that many, possibly most, students will change projects and mentors during the first years. The program's goal is that all students should be involved in some form of research by the end of their sophomore year and that they would have a plan for the following year, even if it includes a change in mentor at that time.
- Students, with the assistance of their mentor, will prepare a summer project proposal, if appropriate.
|
| JUNIOR YEAR - FIRST SEMESTER |
- Students actively work on research project for either wages or for credit. Students cannot volunteer for liability reasosns.
- At any time during the academic year, students may request financial support from their Research Support Account for research-related expenses such as supplies (limited to $500 per semester), travel to a research site or conference. Contact the CPRS office for application materials.
- Students are encouraged to participate in other program activities; such as the Research in Progress Forum, being a peer advisor to an incoming freshman, Pizza at the Nines, and the joint Commitment events that are held throughout the course of the year.
|
| JUNIOR YEAR - SECOND SEMESTER |
- Work and particpation continues the same as first semester.
- Students will be evaluated at the end of the semester.
- Many students become involved in their major's honors program.
- Most students and mentors will prepare a summer proposal for research on or off campus.
|
| SENIOR YEAR |
- Continuation of junior year activities.
- At any time during the academic year, students may request financial support from their Research Support Account for research-related expenses such as supplies (limited to $500 per semester), travel to a research site or conference. Contact the CPRS office for application materials.
- Preparation for and participation in a poster presentation in which the research of each senior student is presented. This event occurs during Cornell Day and provides newly selected students with an opportunity to learn more about the program..
- Many students will write an honors thesis, although this is not a requirement of the program. A copy of the honors thesis should be provided to CPRS.
- Graduating seniors, their families, and faculty mentors are invited to attend a graduation event.
|
