From CISEREUPI

Logistics Ideas from the CISE REU PI Community

This collection of resources represents ideas for logistics that have been contributed by members of the CISE REU PI community.

Checklist and Timeline

The following are two lists of items for running a CISE REU site. The first list comprises items that need to be done once to "set up" a new site. The second list comprises items that must be done each year.

"Do Once" List

• Establish assessment plan (consider the A la Carte Survey!)
• Design application process (consider the REU CISE common application!)
• Determine extent to which local IRB needs to be involved in vetting your assessment or other activities
• Design admissions and notification protocols
• Discuss any changes between your proposal and your practices with NSF PO
• Discuss REU site with local residential life staff (dining, housing, facilities)
• Contact existing REU sites on campus to facilitate cooperation
• Discuss payments and reimbursement policies with administration
• Identify set of forms that students will need to submit (e.g. housing, payroll, etc.)
• Set up REU site website
• Determine what recources student participants will need (e.g. computers, facilities, etc.)

Annual To Do List

• Early Planning
  • Determine administrative support: ASAP
  • Talk to administration about expenses not covered by grant, ASAP
  • Choose projects and mentors: November (if you advertise projects beforehand) otherwise later is possible
  • Talk to mentors about their expectations of students and your expectations of the mentors: At time of mentor selection
  • Find out equipment needs of mentors: At time of mentor selection
  • Check that your site is listed correctly on CISE REU website: November
  • Set application and admission timeline and protocols: December
  • Advertise your REU (visiting schools, e-mail to contacts, flyers): December-February
  • Negotiate campus life issues with institution (housing, food, gym, library, parking etc.): December
• Admissions
  • Choose students: March
  • Send out logistics information to students who have accepted: April
  • Send out rejection letters to students who have not been accepted: ASAP
  • Give students "rough" summer schedule: At time of admission
  • Determine whether students have special needs, at time of student acceptance
• Planning, Part Two
  • Create summer schedule for students and mentors: April
  • Create information package for accepted students: April
  • Plan co-curricular activities: April/May
  • Prepare and schedule speakers, seminars, end-of-summer celebration, etc.: April
  • Arrange student workspace, computers, accounts, etc.: April
  • Prepare assessment activities: April
  • Arrange for transportation (students book flights in advance) and method of reimbursement/payment: April
  • Arrange for student payroll: April/May
  • Prepare to get to meet-and-greet students: May
  • Plan orientation day activities: May
  • Arrange for transportation issues during the summer: May
  • Arrange for social activities: May
• Beginning of REU
  • Give students points of contact
  • Give students "detailed" summer schedule
  • Provide students with access to college facilities
  • Introduce students to key personnel (e.g. administrative staff, system administrators)
  • Perform initial assessment activities (e.g. pre-REU assessment forms)
• End of REU
  • Student research talks
  • Perform end-of-REU assessment activities
• After REU
  • Ask REU alumni to promote your site at their home institution
  • Keep in touch with REU alumni to maintain relationship and determine their post-REU trajectories
  • Write back to students' home institutions and recommenders to thank them (great for future recruiting!)

Exemplar Forms

This section contains sample documents, forms, etc. that one might use in a REU. Any forms with legal content should be carefully vetted by your home institution.

• Administrative forms used by the Iowa State REU Site are below:
  • contact
  • liability release
  • medical release
  • photo release
  • special diet / accommodation
  • reminder of tax liability

• Student Forms from Montclair REU

• Forms contributed by Miguel Labrador from the University of South Florida's REU site:
  • Certificate of Participation
  • Personal Information Form
  • Liability Waiver Document
  • To do list

Practices and Tips

Good (not necessarily best) practices for running REUs from the 2010 CISE REU Logistics Panel Dicussion:

• Be aware of legal responsibility and student liability regarding
  • Accidents; have students sign waivers at beginning of program
  • Medical; require medical insurance
• Be aware that some students will need funds very early. Some payroll departments can be slow to disburse the first paycheck. When possible, try to arrange for the first paycheck to be disbursed quickly.
• Logistical innovations
  • Use Googledocs, Moodle, etc. to track student arrivals, share student information, etc.
  • Host student meals to foster social and research teamwork
  • Designate a coordinator to administrate the logistics
  • Have a Director of Fun: a local REU student who is designated to organize and implement social activities and given a little extra stipend for doing so
  • Socially engineer the living situation to allow students to interact with students other than those with whom they work
  • Coordinate with other campus programs (e.g. other REUs) for social and logistical support
  • Have a part-time administrative aide to help with logistics
  • Seek support from campus staff (e.g. Dean of Students office) to help with appropriate campus life issues