The URCA Assistant program offers exciting opportunities for SIUE undergraduates to work closely with faculty on their research and other creative activity projects!
URCA Assistants work on faculty-led projects for approximately 9 hours per week under the direct guidance of a faculty mentor. Assistant positions are for a minimum of one semester; some can possibly be renewed. In addition to gaining excellent, hands-on experience for a resume, in-depth knowledge of a field of study, and a close working relationship with a faculty mentor, some of these positions also offer the opportunity to earn course credit. Also, up to 80 Assistants per semester will receive an $800 award for their participation!
Faculty from across the university have applied to be mentors, and there is room for approximately 130 students to participate this fall. These positions are posted at http://www.siue.edu/urca/assistantcurrentprojects.shtml - next to each participating professor's name is a description of the position (available as either PDF or Word document) and a link to click to apply if you are interested in that position. Students apply directly to the faculty member through the website. The deadline for student applications is August 9; faculty must select the students to fill their positions by no later than August 23, 2010. However, faculty may choose to fill their positions earlier, so students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible!
Any student who has a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or above and who will be enrolled as a full-time student (minimum of 12 credit hours) at SIUE for the entire fall 2010 semester may apply. Students may apply for multiple positions, but are only allowed to accept one position per semester! Once you have committed to a professor, you cannot accept another professor's offer! Once selected, all URCA assistants must maintain satisfactory progress as defined by the faculty mentor.
For more information and to apply, please visit our website at http://www.siue.edu/urca/ and check out the Assistant Information section on the left of the webpage (in the grey box). Please note: the URCA program includes both Assistants and Associates. This letter is in regard to the Assistant program; if you're interested, please make sure you're applying to be an Assistant. Students are not allowed to hold both an URCA Assistant and an URCA Associate position at the same time.
Sincerely,
Laura Pawlow, Ph.D.
URCA Coordinator
Campus Box 1121
618-650-2608
lpawlow@siue.edu