Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research at CSUSM

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Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research at CSUSM

• Academic Affairs Town Hall
• September 18, 2008

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Purpose of Town Hall

• Introduce Committee on Undergraduate Research
  (CUGR) and its origins
• Begin dialogue about undergraduate research at
  CSUSM
• Obtain feedback on draft plan
• Begin to document faculty/student collaborations
  in scholarly activity and research at CSUSM

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A Confluence of Essential Components
Undergraduate Research that is Faculty-driven, S
tudent-centered, and Institutionally-supported
Provides the combination of factors necessary
for Pedagogical effectiveness, Enhanced
learning outcomes, Research productivity, and
Research program sustainability
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CSUSM Emphasis on Student and Faculty Engagement
in Research

• Campus Mission Statement Students work closely
  with a faculty of active scholars and artists
  whose commitment to sustained excellence in
  teaching, research, and community partnership
  enhances student learning.
• Academic Excellence Strategic Priority We are
  committed to the success of students by
  encouraging their intellectual engagement and by
  supporting the teaching, research, and creative
  activities of a stellar faculty.
• Academic Affairs Goal Support faculty research
  and creative activity to create a community of
  scholars that collaborates with a community of
  learners.

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CUR Institute Institutionalizing Undergraduate
Research

• February 2008 - CSUSM participated in CUR
  Institute for Institutionalizing Undergraduate
  Research
• Sponsored by National Science Foundation
• For institutions without a tradition or culture
  of campus-wide engagement in undergraduate
  research
• Competitive application
• One of two CSU campuses selected

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Goals of CUR Institute

• Assist institutions to
• Articulate goals for institutionalizing
  undergraduate research
• Develop strategies to achieve these goals on
  their campuses
• Develop communities of scholars among
  participating campuses to build a culture that
  supports undergraduate research

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CSUSM Team for CUR Institute

• A diverse disciplinary group
• Active researchers and mentors of undergraduate
  students in research
• Success at securing external research and
  training grants
• Chuck De Leone (Physics Department Chair)
• George Vourlitis (Biological Sciences faculty)
• Keith Trujillo (Psychology faculty Associate
  Director of the Office of Biomedical Research)
• Gerardo Gonzalez (Dean/AVP for Graduate Studies
  Research)

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Program for the CUR Institute

• Plenary lectures presented by facilitators
• Individual team meetings with CUR mentors
• Jeff Marshall, Cal Poly Pomona
• CSUSM team reflected on current status of
  undergraduate research at CSUSM 
• Drafted a mission statement, goals, and action
  plan for undergraduate research at CSUSM 

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CUR Institute Follow-up Activities

• April 2008 - Convened CSUSM Committee on
  Undergraduate Research (CUGR)
• June 2008 - National CUR conference
• Poster presentation on CSUSM Draft Plan
• November 2008 - CSU Conference on
  Institutionalizing Undergraduate research
• April 2009 - CUR Dialogues Meeting
• Spring 2009 - Site visit from CUR liaison
• To discuss progress on CSUSM initiative

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Current Composition of CUGR

• CUGR serves as steering committee to promote
  broader faculty participation in student-faculty
  research
• Peter Arnade (History)
• Bonnie Bade Konane Martinez (Anthropology)
• Denise Boren (Nursing)
• Eliza Bigham (Human Development)
• Chuck De Leone (Physics)
• Ann Fiegen (Library)
• James Hamerly (Business)
• Kathy Norman (Education)
• Arcela Nuñez-Alvarez (National Latino Research
  Center)
• Martha Stoddard-Holmes (Literature Writing)
• Keith Trujillo (Psychology)
• George Vourlitis (Biological Sciences)
• Gerardo González (Graduate Studies Research)

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(No Transcript)
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Draft Plan Short-term Goals

• Conduct an inventory of undergraduate research
• Assess the strengths and gaps for developing a
  campus undergraduate research program and a
  research-supportive curriculum
• Identify core faculty committed to mentoring
  undergraduate students in research and/or
  integrating undergraduate research in the
  curriculum
• Inform and foster dialogue among faculty and
  students about the benefits of undergraduate
  research
• Establish an institutional priority for
  undergraduate research

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Draft Plan Intermediate Goals

• Develop a system to link faculty and
  undergraduate students in research activities
• Strengthen campus administrative and
  organizational infrastructure for
  faculty-mentored undergraduate student research
• e.g., establish a centralized program to
  coordinate activities, including campus-wide
  student symposia and seminars

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Draft Plan Intermediate Goals

• Identify external resources to support
  undergraduate research
• Help faculty submit external grant proposals
  obtain resources secure equipment/facilities
• Implement a research-supportive undergraduate
  curriculum
• Recognize faculty and student research through
  celebration of achievements
• Initiate assessment of undergraduate research
  outcomes via faculty consultation

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Draft Plan Long-term Goals

• Marshal internal resources and administrative
  support to sustain undergraduate research
• e.g., faculty professional development and
  research facilities 
• Provide stipends, travel grants, and fellowships
  for undergraduate students to conduct supervised
  research
• Create summer research programs for undergraduate
  students to collaborate on faculty-mentored
  research projects 

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Draft Plan Long-term Goals

• Clarify faculty retention, tenure, and promotion
  guidelines to advance undergraduate research
• Conduct ongoing assessment of undergraduate
  research outcomes

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A Confluence of Essential Components
Undergraduate Research that is Faculty-driven, S
tudent-centered, and Institutionally-supported
Provides the combination of factors necessary
for Pedagogical effectiveness, Enhanced
learning outcomes, Research productivity, and
Research program sustainability
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Questions?

• Feedback on draft plan?
• Examples of faculty/student collaboration in
  scholarly activity and research?