Immersive Scholars

General Expectations for all Immersive Scholars

  1. Actively participate in the UROC and Immersive Scholars community, which involves the following duties/tasks:
    • Attend orientations and training (including but not limited to Welcome Event, Orientation, and Poster Session Training)
    • Present a poster at a UMass Lowell symposium (either Student Symposium - generally in May, or the Immersive Scholars Symposium - generally in October)
    • Attend the Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring
    • Participate in recruitment events for the next cohort of Immersive Scholars
    • Respond to emails from coordinator and faculty mentor within a reasonable time frame (48 hours)
  2. Engage in professional development opportunities, which involves the following duties/tasks:
    • Consult with your faculty mentor about possibilities for conference presentations and co-authorship
    • Participate in additional training opportunities (such as resume workshops and job training)
    • Let coordinator know of any specific training needs
  3. Enjoy your experience!
    • These opportunities are designed to get you real world experience in the area of your interest
    • The work you do will be educational and should be something you are passionate about
    • Use your work to help you learn! This is a great opportunity that will help you with future opportunities and employment. Learn as much as you can

Additional Expectations

Research Experience: If you opt for a research experience, engage in your research partnership, which involves the following duties / tasks:

  • Create specific research agreement with a faculty
  • Meet with faculty mentor at least once a week at a regular time
  • Communicate with faculty member to clarify project tasks
  • Clearly communicate when you need support
  • Execute tasks as assigned by faculty member
  • Keep student logs up to date and review with faculty mentor at weekly meetings
  • Respond to faculty emails promptly and professionally
  • Communicate any concerns regarding your partnership to the coordinator

Community Experience: If you opt for a community experience, consider the below:

  • Check JobHawk for a list of already developed community-based opportunities
  • If no already developed jobs fit your interest, contact the Immersive Scholars Team, they will help you search for a non-profit location that fits your area of interest and create a partnership that fits your goals
  • Once the community organization has hired you, you will create a set of expectations and goals, a schedule, and start your work experience
  • You will be representing the University and are expected to conduct yourself appropriately and professionally
  • Stay in contact with your on-site supervisor and contact the Immersive Scholars Team if you run into issues or have any questions

Emerging Scholars

Before submitting an application to the Emerging Scholars Program, students should meet the following requirements:
Selected students will work on the research project for a total of 125 hours per semester and will receive a $2,500 stipend for the year.
To support their work on the research project, students will participate in an orientation, regular meetings with other student scholars, and workshops about research methods.
The work of the student-scholar partnerships will be highlighted by collaborative participation in the undergraduate research symposium.

Business and Entrepreneur Scholars in Training (BEST)

1. Engage in your research partnership, which involves the following duties/tasks:

  • Create specific partnership contract
  • Work on research project of approximately 100 hours each semester 
  • Meet with faculty mentor at least one hour a week at a regular time
  • Communicate with faculty member to clarify project tasks
  • Clearly communicate when need support
  • Execute tasks as assigned by faculty member
  • Keep student logs up to date and review with faculty mentor at weekly meetings
  • Respond to faculty emails promptly and professionally
  • Communicate any concerns regarding your partnership to the Program Coordinator

2. Actively participate in Emerging Scholars community, which involves the following duties/tasks:

  • Attend orientation for Emerging Scholars program at the beginning of the semester
  • Attend monthly meetings of Emerging Scholars students
  • Participate in evaluations in May
  • Present a public, community-based presentation of your experience
  • Participate in Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring
  • Attend end of the year celebration in May
  • Respond to emails from Program Coordinator and Faculty mentor within a reasonable time frame (48 hours)
  • Participate in orientation for the next cohort of Emerging Scholars

3. Engage in professional development opportunities, which involves the following duties/tasks:

  • Consult with your faculty mentor about possibilities for conference presentations and co-authorship
  • Permission must be granted by a faculty mentor if students want to use project data outside of the Emerging Scholars pilot program (i.e. for a class)
  • Participate in additional training opportunities
  • Let Program Coordinator know of any needed support (graduate school questions, specific training needs, etc.)