Dr. Valentin Soloiu: REU Site proposal 1950207

The REU Site's plans for communicating information on expectations of behavior to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all participants.

STUDENT AND MENTOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: In May of each year before the undergraduate students arrive on campus, the lab directors part of the REU site, and the graduate student mentors will participate in training modules to develop their skills as mentors, to deepen their understanding of policies and procedures related to sexual Modified training will be repeated for REU students as well a.

1. Policies and Procedures, sexual harassment and assault, respectful work environments, recognizing our biases and setting boundaries- 3 hours, Dr. Rocio Alba Flores, EE

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), the University System of Georgia (USG) does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any of its education programs or activities or in employment. The USG is committed to ensuring a safe learning and working environment for all members of the USG community.

The REU site will conduct ongoing awareness and prevention programming and training for the Lab directors, mentors and REU students. The training will promote positive and healthy behaviors and educate the REU site participants on respect, moral values, on consent, sexual assault, alcohol use, dating violence, stalking, bystander intervention, and reporting.

Course Structure

The following concepts and actions will be discussed:

a. Definitions and Prohibited Conduct

b. Community: Students, faculty, and staff, as well as contractors, vendors, visitors and guests.

c. Complainant

d. Consent characteristics

e. Dating Violence

f. Incapacitation: physical and/or mental.

g. Non-consensual Sexual Contact

h. Confidential Employees: Institution employees who have been designated by the Institution’s Coordinator to talk with an alleged victim in confidence.

i. Privileged Employees

j. Respondent

k. Responsible Employees

l. Sexual Exploitation

m. Sexual Harassment types and actions

n. Sexual Misconduct

p. Reporting Sexual Misconduct

r. False Complaints

s. Support Services

2. Developing productive mentor - REU students’ relationships. (3 hours) In this interactive workshop, graduate students will learn skills in effective communication and interactions to help them establish and maintain collegiate relationships with faculty and students. Graduate students will learn strategies for having tough conversations regarding behavior or research productivity of the REU student. They will also develop a plan to learn about the REU students and to help them learn about Georgia Southern and the broader Statesboro community so that REU cohorts feel connected in their new setting.

Dr. Valentin Soloiu

Graduate students will also learn the importance of communicating with the public and other non-researchers.

Dr. Kania Greer, STEM Institute

Contents

1. The quality of the Mentor is the key to the success of any Mentor-Mentee program. Mentors will be the lab directors participating in this NSF program and best GSU students recruited from the best Master students in the research labs participating to the REU site. Qualifications include moral values and work ethics, a willingness to serve as a mentor, general and detailed technical knowledge concerning the REU student’s research project, and strong experimental lab skills as peculiar to the REU student’s project. The course will start with socialization first 15 min.

a. Mentors project planning discussion

b. Schedule with their REU student to set learning targets and accomplish them

c. Setting timetable for meeting those targets under Lab director supervision;

d. Assisting with Mentee's research program;

e. Assisting in evaluating the experimental results;

f. Assisting in development of the Mentee’s reporting and draft paper

g. Reviewing Mentee’s progress

Supplementary for the lab directors:

a. How to identify project challenges

b. Planning and attending meetings with Mentors and REU students;

c. Evaluation process, millstones and decision points, with student Mentors and REU participants: accomplishments, current work-in-progress;

d. Efforts to train the REU students and the highest standards

e. Initiatives to request and provide whatever additional assistance they may need to address significant REU student issues

3. Developing researchers, (4 hours) This module will help mentors move undergraduate students from a state of dependence in the research labs to a state of independence and ensure that they are developing a skill set that will foster interest and success in STEM based research. Dr. Fernando Rios, EE,

Contents

a. REU program structure and values

b. Objectives and Benefits of research

c. Positive group climate

d. What it takes to becoming confident as a researcher

e. Self-assessment and organization of you as a researcher

f. Finding a sponsor for your research

g. Progression to enhance undergraduates’ conceptual understanding of the REU students

h. Procedural knowledge enhancement related to their chosen project/lab to increase their competence

and help them meet expectations.

i. Becoming productive as a researcher, find opportunities

j. Advancing your research and getting recognition, venues and awards

k. How to give back, outreach and nurturing a researcher yourself