Your Student Workplan Collaborative Efforts Make Your Laboratory Experience Meaningful

All students at Los Alamos National Laboratory must have a current Student Workplan filed each year.
The student workplan:

• defines the type of work that will be accomplished during a student�s appointment
• provides a description of the work assignment and projects, along with the necessary skills and educational background needed to perform the research/work

The workplan is a tool for both the mentor and the student to establish a clear, mutual, and meaningful educational Laboratory experience.

To ensure a positive, meaningful work experience, it is important that the mentor establish an appropriate project before a student is selected. Mentors should use the Jumpstart database to define available projects for student review.

Projects should have a defined goal�one that students have a reasonable chance of achieving during their appointment.

A project should be flexible enough so that it can be shortened or lengthened depending on the success rate of the student as the project progresses. If possible, the project/research should have two to three levels or stopping places. It is beneficial to the student to see how the work assigned fits into the bigger picture of the group or division.

Students should discuss these issues with their mentors before and during their appointments. Expectations need to be outlined and clarified upon a student's arrival at the Laboratory.

Expectation management involves clearly defining what is expected of a student during the appointment as well as what the student can expect from the Laboratory, the mentor, and the work done at the Laboratory.

Clear expectations, time, and selection of the research project are key items in successful collaborations between student and mentor. Not paying close attention to these areas is setting the stage for a disappointing experience for both the mentor and the student.

• Is the appointment technical or administrative?
• What is the length of the appointment?
• Is the appointment full-time or part-time?
• Will the student be expected to adhere to a special work schedule?
• Has a regularly scheduled meeting between the student and mentor been established?
• Has an agreement on the responsibilities and expectations between mentor and student been reached?
• Has an agreement describing the performance and learning objectives for the student been reached ?
• Has an agreement describing end-of-appointment deliverables been reached ?

Once a student has been selected for an available appointment, the student and mentor should establish contact to ensure arrangements are made and in place prior to the students arrival at the Laboratory. By clearly defining roles, expectations, and performance measures, the student and mentor can expect a meaningful educational collaboration.