Life University is dedicated to creating an environment and providing services that support research, scholarship and innovation across all departments, disciplines and program offerings at the institution. These activities are centrally coordinated through the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning (CETL), an administrative unit reporting to the institution’s Chief Academic Officer.
The CETL administers programs, compiles data, and provides pre- and post-award support to faculty, students and staff to advance the university’s research agenda as well as departmental priorities and individual plans for growth. Major programs managed by the CETL include:
This signature effort provides internal grant awards to support small-scale faculty-, staff- and student-led research and scholarly projects. It might be funding to test and evaluate neuro-based techniques in concussive research, complete an extended literature review on cultural competency and chiropractic education, or support collaboration between a team of investigators in nutrition and biopsychology to explore how mindfulness might influence healthy eating habits. CETL issues a call for applications each quarter, which are due by 5:00. p.m. on Monday, Week 3. Funded Projects applications are peer-reviewed by the Research Advisory Council. Click here to access the rubric by which all Funded Projects applications are judged. Final award decisions are made by the Chief Academic Officer in consultation with the Director and applicants are notified of the outcome Week 8.
For sample applications, please access the following links: CGUS Sample, COC Sample 1, and COC Sample 2.
To apply for a funded project, please complete the following steps:
Step 1: Complete the Project Overview.
Step 2: Complete the Funded Projects Application (Please note: you will attach the project overview to the application, so you must complete it before beginning the Funded Projects Application).
Step 3: Once your project is accepted, please access the following two videos to learn more about the reimbursement process for your materials: Part One and Part Two.
Life University recognizes that students must be introduced to and supported to engage in research and related activities early and throughout their matriculation at the university. This activity is critical to producing the next generation of researchers and thought leaders. Toward that end, the Research, Innovation, Service and Education — RISE — Scholarships provide opportunities for full-time equivalent students to compete for scholarship funding while working under the mentorship of a Life University faculty or staff advisor on research or other evidence-based education, service, entrepreneurial or creative project. Scholarship slots are equally divided between the College of Chiropractic and the College of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies. Pending satisfactory progress, scholarships are renewable each quarter and recipients have the funds — $2250 — applied toward their tuition. RISE scholarship applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Week 7. Click these links to download Eligibility Guideline, Applications and Rubrics for new and renewing applicants.
Before applying, please fill out this project overview for new RISE applicants. For renewing applications for students, please fill out the project overview for renewal. Once completed, please follow the instructions for the appropriate application below and attach the completed overview accordingly.
To be eligible for a CETL Student Travel Award, students must be accepted to make a presentation of a poster, paper, workshop, or creative work at a conference, symposium, or other gathering recognized by a professional association conducting work in or related to the field of study. Students pursuing travel award funding must work with a Life University faculty or staff member who will agree to serve as a mentor, which includes providing guidance and feedback to the student (or team of students) during the ideation, planning and preparation process. Travel awards cover up to 80% of registration, travel, lodging and per diem costs up to $1,600 per year, regardless of the number of events attended. Applications are reviewed by the Research Advisory Council and are due on a rolling basis, 45 days prior to travel.
This annual program advances LIFE’s ongoing commitment to developing, acknowledging and rewarding excellence in the broad range of research and scholarship being carried out on campus and in collaboration with other investigators locally, nationally and in other countries. Administered by the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning (CETL), the Research, Scholarly, Creative Works program is open to faculty and staff at all ranks and from all departments and programs. Calls for applications are made annually, and projects being considered must have been published or presented no more than one year prior to submitting the application. Applications are peer-reviewed by the RSCW Awards Committee and ranked as exceptional, exemplary, or commendable based on degree of quality, degree of effort, timeliness of effort and importance to the mission of Life University. Awards can range from $500 to $2,500.
Through CETL Professional Development Grants (formerly known as CETL Travel Grants), LIFE University provides up to 100% funding for faculty and staff to engage in:
For more information, please visit the eCenter in CETL.
The CETL is located in the Learning Resource Center. Please feel free to stop by, schedule an appointment, or send an email to CETL@LIFE.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.
The future of the profession rests with every new generation of chiropractors. In an ongoing contribution to the growth and development of the next generation of chiropractic researchers and practitioner-scientists, the College of Chiropractic is committed to supporting those students who have a desire to nurture their knowledge and skill in this very vital area of professional growth.
Within the graduation requirements for the Doctor of Chiropractic degree, there is an opportunity for self-motivated and self-directed students who are interested in completing a research project while completing their DC degree. This is done by completing “Research Track” academic requirements (also known as RT or “the Track”).
RT students are exempted from a few classes and are allowed to complete others through independent study (see more details below.) They actively participate in research and are occasionally called on the participate in research-related activities on behalf of the University. To graduate from the Track, they complete a chapter-based thesis, which follows the typical format of a manuscript intended for a peer-reviewed journal. They graduate with acknowledgement of their work noted on transcripts and during the graduation ceremony.
Positions in the RT are highly competitive. For a limited number of these positions, there are tuition scholarships available. Note that admission into the Research Track does not guarantee a tuition scholarship, as these are granted based on funding availability at the time. Involvement in the Research Track is intended to include multiple phases of a project, including:
For additional information, you may contact one of the current Research Track advisors, Dr. Brent Russell (BRussell@LIFE.edu) or Dr. Christie Kwon (Christie.Kwon@LIFE.edu).
Programs
Life University offers an array of opportunities for students to become engaged in the research process. From developing your own research project to simply being engaged on an ambient level, there is an opportunity that can fit your time and interest level.
The Life University Institutional Review Board (IRB) has the responsibility to oversee and review all research studies in which humans will be involved. For IRB documentation and procedures, please enroll in our Blackboard site: Institutional Review Board. For specific questions or for additional information, please contact our IRB Chairperson Dr. Brent Russell at IRB@LIFE.edu.
Life University’s Center for Engaged Teaching & Learning receives support and advisement from a nine-member, cross-campus committee that serves to develop and support research policy, review and recommend research scholarships and provide oversight for the Funded Projects budget, which serves to support new and existing research initiatives with base-level research grants.
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10th quarter DC student from San Juan, Puerto Rico. What has been your most memorable quarter at Life U? My most memorable quarter has been 10th quarter. I started serving at the Outpatient…
I honestly never got to see Life University campus before I came here. It was a really quick turnaround for me. I was wanting to go to medical school originally but then when Covid19 hit,
What we are meant to do is always going to be so much bigger than us, so stay focused on that bigger picture. It’s less about myself and more about how I can serve others. When we do that, the…
Dr. Véronica Andrea Garcia Chaparro graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Life University (Life U) in the 2018 Spring Quarter and graduated from the Life U Doctor of Chiropractic Program in the 2019 Winter Quarter…
M.S in Positive Psychology – Coaching Psychology track graduate D.C. student. “The Problem Solver” Prior to attending Life University (Life U), Catherine Clement owned and operated Stabilize…
If you were to put a pin in a map that shows where all the students enrolled in Life U are from, the pins would dot all over as a colorful testament to our diverse campus culture. Many of those…
Hands-on learning and a public servant mindset come naturally to Kyle Padilla. Padilla is a Doctor of Chiropractic student and Student Ambassador at Life University.
Family is very important to Life University alumna Dr. Nicole McCarty. In addition to raising her toddler daughter, Dr. McCarty is a caregiver to her grandparents and her mother, who is in…
“When I came to LIFE Leadership Weekend, the Student Ambassadors were a key thing for my decision to come here because seeing all of their stories and struggles, them still finding a way to be…
“I see my son who constantly talks about being under chiropractic care. I mean this 7-year-old understands some of the chiropractic principles,” she shared. “So, the ripple effect from what my…
Kjell Paris is a 12th quarter Doctor of Chiropractic Student at Life University. He is from Braunschweig, Germany and has a brother who is two and a half years younger who is also in the DC…
For Nick Shelby, becoming a chiropractor is a family affair. Shelby’s father and uncle both graduated from Life University. Regardless of that history, Shelby made the decision to pursue the…
“Something really cool about Chiropractic is that you can personalize it however you want,” says Life University alumnus Dr. Kevin Kinney. After graduating in 2017, Kinney started a somewhat nontraditional practice since he knew that he did not want to “do the regular office thing.
From Greenville, South Carolina, Patience Canty is in both the Doctor of Chiropractic and Positive Psychology programs here at Life University.
Xavier Ortiz Valle arrived in Georgia and Life University just five days after graduating from the University of Puerto Rico with an undergraduate degree in biology – a rather unassuming start, but amazing timing for this eighth quarter chiropractic student from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Britni Jordan has come a long way to get to Life University. Jordan is from Jacksonville, Florida, but it’s not the distance that she’s traveled, but the journey that she has taken to get here.
“I want everyone to know that no matter how humble your beginnings are, you can do anything you want to.” Graduating later this year with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, Marleny Espinosa is a prime example of this adage.
“When people reach out to you for help, you want to help them in the best way possible and give them the best advantages to thrive,” says JaGerran Knight.
Now at Life University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics, Hellen Diaz has come a long distance from her home of Cartagena, Colombia, by way of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Graduating next quarter, Diaz plans to pursue a dietetics internship here at the University immediately afterward.
As a student ambassador at Life University (LIFE), Brittany McClain has to be ready for anything. Part of her responsibilities include conducting campus tours for prospective students, as well as facilitating graduation. She never knows whom she’ll run into, and her tour groups expect her to set the tone for the day, whether it rains or shines. “Being a student ambassador really helps you to grow in your leadership skills and communicate better with people,” she says. “We never know who we’re going to meet, and we have to be able to relate to them regardless of where they are in life. And we want them to enjoy their time here!”
Getting involved on campus has also been a major factor in McClain’s success and happiness at Life University. She takes advantage of every opportunity to learn, and has enjoyed her two years as a student ambassador, a team she calls “even more close-knit than your classmates.”
Dr. March-Howard graduated from LIFE in December 2014 and cites being a student ambassador as her most transformative experience while on campus. When she visited LIFE campus during LIFE Leadership Weekend, the student ambassadors made a huge impact on her: “I saw what they were able to do and that they loved what they did, and I saw myself being able to do the same.”
“Dr. Lisa Rubin, my advisor for the Student Ambassadors, saw something in me way before I did,”
Student Ambassador: Xavier Ortiz Competition: Talk the Tic: Spanish edition Date: April 2018 |
Student Ambassador: Student Ambassadors Competition: Student Leadership Awards Date: May 2018 Award: Student Organization of the Year |
Student Ambassador: Student Ambassadors Competition: Student Leadership Awards Date: May 2017 Award: Member Development and Education Award |
Student Ambassador: Student Ambassadors Competition: Student Leadership Awards Date: May 2016 Award: Student Organization of the Year |
Student Ambassador: Student Ambassadors Competition: Student Leadership Awards Date: May 2013 Award: Member Development and Education Award |
Today’s Conversations on Leadership (TCL) is an online magazine aimed at the chiropractic profession that addresses the questions and issues of the day. Visit it regularly for video interviews, podcasts and articles about subjects that interest you. Leading figures from the chiropractic world regularly contribute to discuss, debate and explore proposed legislation, movements and healthcare policies and discoveries that can affect us all personally and professionally.
What is Work-study?
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a program that provides funds for part time employment to help students who need help in financing the costs of postsecondary education. Since the position is Federally funded, it requires proof of funding. Each student awarded funding is provided an “Award Letter” that must be presented at the time of interview to the manager and employment to Human Resources (HR). Prior to each quarter, the student MUST present a renewal award letter that shows a continued Federal Work-Study funds award. Departments must have a work study budget that is managed by the Department Head.
What is A Student Worker, Part-Time?
Student Workers are part-time workers who are funded by general funds that come directly from the departmental budget. To hire a Student Worker, you must have funds allocated for student workers within the budget and manage it effectively.
NOTE: The two budgets are from different fund accounts and cannot intermingle.
Acronyms:
All available student worker positions are posted on LIFE.edu
Supervisors should refer all interested students to the website and provide a copy of the outline on “How to Apply for Student Positions” to the student, which can be found in the forms section of this page. This will ensure they are given the proper instruction on how to apply for a student position.
Guidelines apply to all (FWS and STU) unless specifically stated:
Each fiscal year, the Financial Aid Department awards specific financial aid recipients with Work-Study funds for the entire fiscal year. The funds are awarded to students based on a needs analysis and other financial aid factors. The award amount should appear in the award letter indicating funds for the entire fiscal year broken down by the quarter. If you require more information about the award process, contact Financial Aid.
imperative to use this as a checker to balance what you have computed with your own spreadsheet!
DO NOT ALLOW STUDENTS TO WORK UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN HIRED AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE FROM HR!
Example: In the Fall Quarter, the supervisor allows a student to work before he/she has been cleared by HR, and in the spring quarter, the supervisor allows another student to work more than 20 hours in a week. Because the supervisor had two occurrences that happened within the same year, the department may lose all Work-Study privileges for the remainder of the entire fiscal year.
FWS ONLY:
Penalties associated with the Work-Study program are enforced to ensure Life University is compliant with all federally mandated regulations and to afford all eligible students the opportunity to earn extra income while obtaining valuable work experience.
Remember: These are Work-Study students! Be patient, as we sometimes must train and educate students on proper ways to conduct themselves in a place of business. Their first obligation is their school work, but they are also employed in a wage-paying position.
REQUISITION REQUEST FORM
ADP JOB SUMMARY
HOW TO APPLY FOR STUDENT POSITIONS
WORK STUDY BUDGET SPREADSHEET EXAMPLE