First-Year Scholars Program: Information for Accepted Students

Congratulations on becoming a First-Year Scholar!

The information below is vital to your completion of this program, and we highly recommend bookmarking and adding this webpage to your favorites, for quick reference during your time as a First-Year Scholar.

Important Dates

DATE ACTIVITY/EVENT
Week of September 29, 2025 Mandatory Student Orientation Sessions (if you have questions about the Vendor form, please bring your bank information and we will walk you through it)
Friday, November 7, 2025 by 11:59pm Progress Reports due
By Friday, December 5, 2025 First Fall stipend ($500) should be received
Friday, December 12, 2025 by 11:59pm Mid-Year Program Evaluation due
By Friday, January 9, 2026 Second Fall stipend ($500) should be received
Week of January 12, 2026 Mandatory Student Orientation Refresher Sessions
Friday, February 27, 2026 by 11:59pm Progress Reports due
By Friday, April 3, 2026 First Spring stipend ($500) should be received
Friday, May 8, 2026 by 11:59pm Year-End Program Evaluation due
By Friday, June 5, 2026 Second Spring stipend ($500) should be received

*Please note: International Student payments are taxed at a rate of 30%, and therefore your final payment will be less than what is noted.

Professional Development Workshop Attendance Details

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and the Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassadors will be monitoring attendance to all professional development activities.

In order for your attendance to be counted, please be sure to follow the guidelines set in place:

  • You must be on time for all activities, arriving no later than 10-minutes after the start time
  • You must tap-in or sign-in upon arrival
  • You must stay for the duration of the activity
    • An attendance quiz will be given via D2L at the end of most activities. If you do not take the quiz successfully, your attendance will not count

Additionally, a minimum of one (1) of the required credits per semester must be earned by attending an activity sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and/or the Undergraduate Research Club.

These options include:

  • Workshops and activities lead by the Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassadors
  • Undergraduate Research Club meetings
  • Any approved listed activities noted as "hosted" or "co-hosted" by The Office of Undergraduate Research and/or the Undergraduate Research Club

What do I need to do to get the first Fall stipend ($500)?

  • Accepted students are required to attend one of the mandatory orientation sessions listed below. We highly encourage students to attend one of the in-person sessions to meet your fellow scholars!

    Please bring your bank information as we will walk you through the vendor registration form required for direct deposit payments.

    • Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 10:00am-11:00am
      • Kennesaw Campus
        • Carmichael Student Center, University Room C
          • Snacks will be provided
    • Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
    • Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 3:30pm-4:30pm
      • Marietta Campus
        • Design Building 2, room 112
          • Snacks will be provided
    • Friday, October 3, 2025 at 2:30pm-3:30pm

  • Any of the approved options listed below will count as a Professional Development Activity credit, which should be completed by November 7, 2025. 
    Students are encouraged to complete this requirement early, and not wait until the last offered sessions. As a reminder, a minimum of one (1) of the required credits per semester must be earned by attending an activity sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and/or the Undergraduate Research Club.

    • Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassador Workshop(s)
    • Undergraduate Research Club Meetings
      • Academic Learning Center (Kennesaw Campus), OUR Suite 5500 OR MS Teams
        • October TBD, at 5:30pm - 6:30pm
      • Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
        • Academic Learning Center, OUR Suite 5500 (Kennesaw Campus)
      • Any offered workshop between Monday, October 6, 2025 - Friday, November 7, 2025
        • You MUST RSVP via OwlLife and be sure to tap-in when you arrive

  • Due: November 7, 2025 by 11:59pm

    • Student Progress Reports are to be completed via InfoReady. Please check your email for a direct link.

  • Due: November 7, 2025 by 11:59pm

    • PI Progress Reports are to be completed via InfoReady. Please check your email for a direct link.
  • First-Year Scholars should be working 5-10 hours on their assigned project. If this is not the case, please talk to your PI about the working hours schedule.

Please note: Your first payment may take longer to receive, as you are a new vendor in 亚博官方网站's system.

If you requested direct deposit, but your bank rejects the request, you will automatically be sent a paper check to the address you noted on your vendor paperwork.

What do I need to do to get the second Fall stipend ($500)?

  • The Fall Symposium of Student Scholars is a multi-day event consisting of oral, poster, and virtual presentation sessions held on the Marietta Campus. These student presentations are examples of what you are expected to do at the Spring Symposium of Student Scholars, so take advantage of this experience to observe your fellow student researchers.

    View the Fall Symposium website, for more information, including the 2025 schedule.

    Scholars are highly encouraged to attend in person when possible, but you may also attend virtually. The type of presentation you attend is up to your discretion, based on your schedule, however please note the attendance requirements differ for in-person and virtual presentations.

    Attendance Requirements:

    • In-Person Sessions: You must attend a minimum of one (1) session. You must arrive at the beginning and stay for the duration of the chosen session.
      • Be sure to tap-in at the check-in table of the session you attend, in order for your attendance to be counted.

    • OR

    • Virtual Sessions: You must attend a minimum of three (3) sessions and stay for the duration of all sessions
      • Virtual attendance is captured by TEAMS, and it must show that you logged in on time and remained through the entire presentation timeslots.
      • Due to the brevity of the presentation timeslots, there is no attendance grace period allotted for the virtual sessions


    Failure to attend will mean forfeiting the entire second stipend.

    There will be an assignment in D2L you must complete, following your attendance at the Fall Symposium of Student Scholars.

  • Any of the approved options listed below will count as a Professional Development Activity credit, which should be completed by December 12, 2025.
    Students are encouraged to complete this requirement early, and not wait until the last offered sessions. As a reminder, a minimum of one (1) of the required credits per semester must be earned by attending an activity sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and/or the Undergraduate Research Club.

    • Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassador Workshop(s)
      • K Field (Marietta Campus)
        • Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 1:30pm-2:30pm
    • Student Researcher "Check-In" Session(s)
      • TBD
        • (Marietta Campus)
      • TBD
        • Academic Learning Center (Kennesaw Campus), OUR Suite 5500
    • Undergraduate Research Club Meetings
      • Academic Learning Center (Kennesaw Campus), OUR Suite 5500 OR MS Teams
        • Monday, November TBD at  5:30pm - 6:30pm
    • Student Researcher End of Semester Social(s)
      • TBD
        • (Marietta Campus)
      • TBD
        • ALC Suite 5500 (Kennesaw Campus)
      • Any offered workshop between Monday, November 10, 2025 - Friday, December 5, 2025
        • You MUST RSVP via OwlLife and be sure to tap-in when you arrive

  • Due: December 12, 2025 by 11:59pm

    • Student Mid-Year Evaluations are to be completed via InfoReady. Please check your email for a direct link.

  • Due: December 12, 2025 by 11:59pm

    • PI Mid-Year Evaluations are to be completed via InfoReady. Please check your email for a direct link.
  • First-Year Scholars should be working 5-10 hours on their assigned project. If this is not the case, please talk to your PI about the working hours schedule.

What do I need to do to get the first Spring stipend ($500)?

  • Returning accepted students' GPA must be above a 2.0 going into the spring semester in order to remain in the program.

  • Accepted students are required to attend one of the Orientation Refresher sessions listed below. We highly encourage students to attend one of the in-person sessions to reconnect with your fellow scholars!

    • January 2026
      • Kennesaw Campus
        •  
    • Janu