Highlights for Experienced Psyc 395 Mentors
Frequently Asked Questions for first-time Psyc 395 Mentors



Highlights for Experienced Psyc 395 Mentors

1. Psychology faculty mentors may be Psyc 395 mentors.  Otherwise, you will need to find a Psychology faculty member to sponsor you.

2. Eligible students must have:
A. Minimum GPA of 2.5
B. Psyc 101
C. Two other Psychology courses (other than Psyc 101)
D. Psyc 210 or 215 (Statistics) and Psyc 270 (Research Methods) is recommended but not required

3. The Psyc 395 course requires that students:
A. Work 9 hours/week (if three credit hours are requested)

B. Accumulate at least 10 pages of scholarly work
1). The scholarly work must not be a log of activities
2). The scholarly work does not need to be one 10-page paper

C. Please explicitly state the two requirements above in your syllabus, as well as a description of course requirements, and basis for assessment (e.g., what % of course grade is based on written requirements vs. other course work).

4. Psyc 395 Applications are to be turned in to Barbara Atkins no later than 4 PM on the last day to add a course. After she reviews the application, she will pass it on to Jeannie Loeb. Please do not submit the applications directly to Jeannie Loeb.

5. It is recommended that final papers be due at least by the last day of classes.  Students should turn in their papers to you as well as upload a copy of their paper to Blackboard (which they will have access to).  Dianne Hill will give you a grade form sometime during the final exam period.  Please fill it out and return to Dianne Hill by the last exam day

6. You can now advertise your research position on the Announcements for New Undergraduate Research Opportunities (coming soon!) as well as email Charlie Wiss to include your opportunity in the next Psychology Majors e-newsletter.

Frequently Asked Questions for first-time Psyc 395 Mentors

Psychology faculty mentors may be Psyc 395 mentors.  Otherwise, you will need to find a Psychology faculty member to sponsor you.

What steps need to be taken to create a Psyc 395 course?
Further recommendations and materials for first-time Psyc 395 Mentors
What funding opportunities are available for undergraduate research?
What opportunities to present and/or publish undergraduate research are there?
What is the requirement for graduate students who directly supervise undergraduate students?
Is there funding available for graduate students who will be directly supervising the Psyc 395 student?
Is there funding available to support a research component for another course that I teach?

What steps need to be taken to create a Psyc 395 course?

1. As Psyc 395 is an academic course and not just a research opportunity, we ask that you create an appropriate syllabus.

Basic Psyc 395 syllabus requirements
A. Description of course requirements (e.g., the type of work the student will do, the type of written work the student will do)

B. Basis for assessment (e.g., what % of course grade is based on written requirements vs. other course work)

C. It must explicitly state that the student will work 9 hours/week (if three credit hours are requested)
1) Less than three credit hours may be requested and the number of work hours will decrease accordingly
2) A student cannot apply for more than three credit hours for any one semester (though you can apply for an exception at the Office of Undergraduate Curricula)
3) A student cannot accumulate more than six hours of Psyc 395 credit while at UNC

D. It must explicitly state that the student will write up to 10 pages (or more) of scholarly work
1) The scholarly work must not be a log of activities
2) The scholarly work does not need to be one 10-page paper
3) It is recommended that final papers be due at least by the last day of classes.  Students should turn in their papers to you as well as upload a copy of their paper to Blackboard (which they will have access to).  Dianne Hill will give you a grade form sometime during the final exam period.  Please fill it out and return to Dianne Hill by the last exam day.
4) It is highly recommended that faculty meet with students approximately once a week.

• Sample Syllabus 1 or Sample Syllabus 2
• Sample of Paper Evaluation Guidelines
• Sample of Semester’s Itinerary

2. You or your student can print out the Psyc 395 Application, fill it out, and attach the syllabus to the application. Be sure to sign the Psyc 395 Application.

3. Turn in the application and syllabus to Barbara Atkins, Student Services Manager, 203 Davie Hall, no later than 4 PM on the last day to register a course. No exceptions.

4. Once Ms. Atkins reviews the application, she will submit it to Jeannie Loeb for review. Please do not turn in the application directly to Jeannie Loeb.

5. Once the Psyc 395 Application and Syllabus are approved, Ms. Atkins will register your student for the course.

Further recommendations and materials for first-time Psyc 395 Mentors
(contributors: Thomas Jarrett, Dr. Beth Kurtz-Costes, Dr. Mathew McMurray, Dr. Jennifer Schaaf, Shevaun Stocker, and Dana Wood.)

1. It is recommended that students come in to lab for longer, rather than shorter, periods of time as it generally takes the student some time to get re-oriented. (e.g., instead of coming in three times a week for one hour, consider having the student come in once a week for three hours)

2. Advertise your research opportunity. Many advertise in the middle of the semester for a student to work the following semester. Faculty also advertise at the end of Spring semester for a student to begin working during the Fall semester. Here are several ways to advertise:

A. Post the position on the Announcements for New Undergraduate Research Opportunities webpage.
B. Put up a flier on Davie Hall’s first floor, on the bulletin board for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. (See Sample Bulletin Board flyer)
C. Post the position on the Office of Undergraduate Research ’s website. Go to Info for Mentors and fill out the required information. To delete a previous posting, please send an email to the Office of Undergraduate Research.
D. Email Charlie Wiss to include your opportunity in the next Psychology Majors e-newsletter.

2. Carefully screen your applicants. Sample of Screening Application

3. Give weekly detailed instructions (e.g., how students should dress when meeting with participants). This step usually takes more time than expected. “The more structured you are, the better. It is good to plan ahead of time what you want the students to get out of the process.” “Start on the report due to the department during the first week Psyc 395 students are in the lab. The sooner they understand the background for what they are doing, the sooner they are likely to feel a part of the project.”

4. Monitor student activities weekly. Some mentors have regretted not doing this when they discovered that tasks were incorrectly done for several weeks. Sample of Weekly Time Sheet, Sample of Data Entry Management Sheet

5. Get the student’s contact information as well as schedule so you know whether or not s/he is available for last minute assistance. Sample of Contact Information Sheet

6. Incorporate a variety of laboratory activities. “Rather than have all their hours one week be just entering data and the next week being coding tapes, it’s better to break it up into small chunks of each task each week. That way, they don’t get too burnt out on one task” (and increase the number of errors they make).

7. Make Psyc 395 a rewarding experience. “It makes little sense to take the time to train new students each semester, when one student for two semesters can really make a greater impact and get a lot more experience.” “Incorporate Psyc 395 students into the lab, don’t just give them a task and leave them to it. If they take ownership of the project, it really makes them work harder and work better, while at the same time, enjoying their time in the lab.”

What funding opportunities are available for undergraduate research?

1. Go to Research Funding Opportunities on the Office of Undergraduate Research's website, choose Psychology, then click Submit.

Some particular opportunities to note are:

• Undergraduate Research Support for Essential Supplies and Travel Support for students pursuing own research interests (up to $750). Student must submit on-line application.

• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships offers up to $3,000 for 9 weeks of research

• Undergraduate Travel Awards for Presentation at National and International Meetings offers typically $500-$750 for airfare, registration, and limited hotel coverage.

• Research Education Support Fund. Eligible minority students may receive $1,600 per semester, travel allowance to attend conferences and meetings, and up to $125 per month for expendable supplies.

2. Also see Programs and Application Deadlines to see a quick list of application deadlines on the Office of Undergraduate Research's website.

What opportunities to present and/or publish undergraduate research are there?

1. Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research

2. Research in the Capital - an opportunity to present undergraduate research to Senators and House Representatives. Offered bi-annually.

3. Undergraduate Research Journals on the Office of Undergraduate Research's website for a listing of journals focusing on undergraduate research.

What is the requirement for graduate students who directly supervise undergraduate students?

All graduate students who will be supervising an undergraduate student for the first time must attend a 30-minute training session on the last day to register for a course. Check for the time and location on the Undergraduate Research homepage.

Is there funding available for graduate students who will be directly supervising the Psyc 395 student?

Yes--go to Graduate Student Mentor Support on the Office of Undergraduate Research's website. Offers up to $500 per semester. Priority is given to research posted on the Office of Undergraduate Research's website. On-line applications are due at the beginning of Fall and Spring semesters, as well as the beginning of Summer Session I” (instead of “On-line applications are due by Sept. 15th (for Fall funding), Jan. 15th (for Spring funding), and May 15th (for Summer funding).

Is there funding available to support a research component for another course that I teach?

Go to Graduate Research Consultants Sponsored by The Office of Undergraduate Research and the Center for Teaching and Learning (hyperlink) on the Office of Undergraduate Research's website. Offers up to $500 for a graduate student to work with the instructor and students to implement a research component. Application deadlines are: August 20 for fall; December 15 for spring; and April 15 for summer.