The reason for mentioning this research isn’t to make you feel guilty next time you eat something off the floor. What makes this research notable is that the idea for the study, as well as much of the footwork, came from undergraduates.
The students were participating in one of Clemson University’s
Creative Inquiry groups. The Creative Inquiry program allows a small
group of students to typically spend three or four semesters pursuing
a research project under the guidance of one professor. The research
groups have been expanding rapidly on the campus, and the South
Carolina school hopes to ultimately involve all of its undergraduates—
that’s nearly 14,200 kids—in the program.
Unfortunately, the experiences that Clemson students enjoy are
not nearly common enough among undergraduates elsewhere. It’s the
graduate students who have traditionally been encouraged to conduct
research. Studies, however, show that all students can greatly benefit
from working on research projects with their professors. Consequently,
when evaluating academic departments, it makes sense to
learn whether they offer undergraduate research opportunities.
In fact, one way students can increase their chance of success at
college is to participate in undergraduate research. The National Survey
of Student Engagement, a highly regarded organization that
measures the quality of student learning, has concluded that research
by undergraduates is one of a handful of “high impact” practices that
boost student performance inside and outside the classroom. The Association
of American Colleges and Universities also singled out undergraduate
research as one of the more promising practices that a
school can provide its students.
The benefits of undergraduate research are many. Conducting research
at a young age can develop critical thinking, problem solving,
and greater self confidence. Students can also benefit by working
closely with a faculty mentor. Undergraduate research opportunities
can be even more welcome at large schools, where students, particularly
in their freshman and sophomore years, may spend significant
time in lecture halls.
Research projects can also shrink the number of casualties in the
fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. The crush of students
who bail from these majors is troubling. What’s more, introducing
students to the world of academic research may propel more of
them into graduate schools or better prepare them for a career.
Students shouldn’t assume that research is an option only for science
and engineering geeks. Students pursuing any major, from entomology
to art history, could appreciate the chance to become junior
researchers.
The University of Delaware is one of the rarer animals that provides
research opportunities not only to students in sciences and engineering
but to humanities majors as well. Nearly all of Delaware’s
faculty collaborate with student researchers in engineering and sciences,
but what’s more surprising is that about two-thirds of the faculty
in the humanities regularly work with undergraduates in their
research. In fact, some students have chosen the Delaware flagship
because they are eager to participate in research projects with professors
in such classic humanities majors as literature, foreign languages,
and philosophy.
When investigating schools, be sure to check out research opportunities.
An easy way to get started is to type “undergraduate research”
into a school’s search engine. You’ll discover that some institutions
have dropped the ball, while others are devoting considerable resources
to the effort.
The University of Rochester, an upstate New York school, for instance,
institutionalized its research commitment by creating an Office
of Undergraduate Research and Mentoring. It also offers students
a chance to publish their work through The Journal of Undergraduate
Research. At Carnegie Mellon University, undergrads can apply for
grants of up to $1,000 for research projects in all fields of study, and
the university sponsors a yearly symposium where undergrads share
their research.
When visiting a campus ask about research opportunities not only
campuswide but also in individual departments. Also check the Web
sites of academic departments, which may help you gauge their commitment
to introducing students to meaningful research.
You can learn more about the value of undergraduate research by
visiting the Web site of the Council On Undergraduate Research
(www.cur.org), which was started 30 years ago by a group of chemists
who taught at liberal arts colleges. Another resource is the Web Guide
to Research for Undergraduates (WebGURU), based at Northeastern
University, which is aimed at helping undergrads navigate research
hurdles (www.webguru.neu.edu).
Action Plan
Look for schools that provide research opportunities to undergraduates.
Source: The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price
