High Impacts in Undergraduate Research

Please join us, Feb. 19-21, 2018
Register before Feb. 2, 2018.
Registration limited.

About the symposium

We know that students of diverse nationalities, fields of study, racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, and socio-economic classes benefit from participating in undergraduate research. Students involved in undergraduate research demonstrate higher rates of persistence and degree completion, campus engagement, academic achievement, self-efficacy, and analytical and communication skills.

These benefits derive from supportive relationships with faculty mentors and the opportunities afforded by participation in undergraduate research, including conference presentations, co-publications, and community-engaged work with social agencies or municipal departments. Yet research indicates that access to undergraduate research still disproportionately favours economically advantaged students with family legacies of higher education and students in their final year of study who have proven themselves with high GPAs. We are exploring ways to address this issue, to make undergraduate research opportunities more inclusive.

By sharing research findings, evidence-based practices, and innovative strategies, participants will seek to transform undergraduate research programs and opportunities in order to welcome and support all students. We begin with the working assumption that creating inclusive access to and participation in undergraduate research requires individual and collective efforts of faculty and administrators and intentional dedication of institutional resources.

Accordingly, this symposium brings together some of the leading researchers in the field, providing an opportunity for a meaningful exchange with fellow educators and administrators with the shared aim of identifying models and practices shown to promote the success of all students in undergraduate research, including students from historically underserved groups.