Promoting Undergraduate Research at Liberal Arts Colleges
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Information |
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Program schedule |
| Questions? Contact Ellen Hay at ellenhay@augustana.edu or 309-794-8614. |
A one-day conference to share best practices
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Evald Hall
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL 61201
When students engage in research as undergraduates, it provides them with a unique opportunity to gain a new perspective on themselves and their disciplines. Students become better researchers, communicators and problem solvers. They start to think like professionals and develop a respect for the complexity of the process while also gaining confidence in their abilities to wrestle with difficult problems.
In spite of the benefits, it is often difficult to entice students (and faculty) to undertake such an endeavor. In some cases, they do not possess the requisite knowledge and abilities to tackle research. In other instances, they do not have time in their busy class schedules to accommodate a demanding task. Some students need to work in the summer and cannot afford to stay on campus. For faculty, it takes away time and energy from their own professional pursuits and personal life balance. It is often not recognized in faculty load or compensation, and is not considered for tenure, merit and promotion.
Promoting Undergraduate Research at Liberal Arts Colleges is intended to bring faculty, staff and administrators together to consider some of these and other challenges. We have a wealth of programs, experiences, and successes to share. The day will feature a keynote speaker and then a variety of concurrent sessions on topics such as securing funding, scaffolding background learning, celebrating student work, rewarding faculty and changing institutional culture. We hope you will join us in sharing your expertise and learning about the work of others.
