Academic

Academics are a strong component of the LEARNâ„¢ program. All accepted students will take two classes together, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester.

Fall: Fundamentals of Research and Inquiry

Students will be introduced to research and be immersed in a curriculum that promotes scientific literacy. In addition, students will have the opportunity to interact with faculty members and peers who may potentially serve as research mentors. Through these interactions, students will work to secure a research mentor for collaboration in research during Introduction to Undergraduate Research and Design in the spring semester. In Fundamentals of Research and Inquiry, students will learn how to navigate the Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵcommunity, available resources, and the Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵlaboratory/research environment. They will gain the skills necessary this first semester to excel in their academic lives at Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵand become accustom to the research process.

Spring: Introduction to Undergraduate Research and Design

Students will expand their research skills by learning how to define research topics, formulate research questions, prepare research proposals, and develop research communication skills. In Introduction to Undergraduate Research and Design, students will engage in research with a faculty mentor or a graduate student-faculty mentor team, expand their research skills and will develop a research proposal while exploring their specific research interests.

Throughout the semester, students will also attend academic events. Many of these events are organized on-campus to build the LEARNâ„¢ team into the greater Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵcommunity. Some examples of academic events include Research Presentations, lab tours, the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI) sponsored field trips and workshops.

Mentoring

Each LEARNâ„¢ student will have many mentors during their time in the program, including faculty members, staff, and upperclassmen involved in research. Each student will work with one Peer Mentor for the academic year. Our Peer Mentors are typically upperclassman who have been involved in research for at least a year, and are often times LEARNâ„¢ Alumni. Through bi-weekly meetings with the Peer Mentors, the students will get assistance in their transition to FAU, first-hand suggestions for time management , and someone to talk to who is excited about research!

LEARN â„¢ Peer Mentors

LEARN â„¢ Peer Mentors are upperclassmen who are involved in research at FAU, many of whom are alumni of the program. This is a paid student position that allows for upperclassmen involved in research to provide mentorship and support to our current LEARN â„¢ cohort.

Eligibility:

1. Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in your major
2. One semester or more of undergraduate research experience.
3. Rising junior or senior (at least 60 credit hours)
4. Planning to graduate no earlier than May of the academic year you apply
5. Strong writing and editing skills

Responsibilities:

1. Be an ambassador of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry to the LEARN cohort of students
2. Attend the Peer Mentor Training Sessions (during the summer)
3. Attend and participate in the LEARN Student Orientation
4. Mentor a group of freshman or transfer LEARN students via peer mentor meetings (bi-weekly in the fall; monthly in the spring)
5. Meet with the LEARN Assistant Director weekly to discuss participant success, problems, and programming needs
6. Work closely with the LEARN Assistant Director to plan social, academic, and community events for the LEARN students
7. Attend and serve as a teaching assistant for the LEARN Introduction to Research course
8. Grade written course assignments and provide feedback to students throughout the semester
9. Attend and assist with events throughout the year
10. Work with OURI to support the LEARN Program and its mission to increase retention

Meet Our LEARN 2024-2025 Peer Mentors (Coming soon!)

Community

The LEARNâ„¢ community component is built on a variety of experiences together. All students in the program will attend a one-day orientation before classes begin in August to meet both their cohort and the LEARNâ„¢ mentors working with them throughout the year. During this orientation, they will participate in team building exercises and get a full program overview.

Throughout the semester, students will attend social, academic, and community events which are all pre-scheduled by the program staff. Many of these events are organized on-campus to build the LEARNâ„¢ Program into the greater Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵcommunity.

LEARNâ„¢ students have volunteered at:

• Local beach clean-ups
• The Girls Leadership Institute & STEM Academy
• Science Olympiad, a statewide STEM competition
• Martin Luther King Day of Service
• Â鶹¾«Æ·ÊÓƵCommunity Garden
• Boca Helping Hands
• Feeding South Florida