Institutionalizing Undergraduate
Research at CSUSM
Academic Affairs Town Hall
September 18, 2008
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
A Confluence of Essential
Components
Undergraduate Research that is:
Faculty-driven,
Student-centered, and
Institutionally-supported
Provides the combination of factors
necessary for:
Pedagogical effectiveness, Enhanced
learning outcomes, Research productivity,
and Research program sustainability
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.”
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
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
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)
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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 facultymentored research projects
Draft Plan: Long-term Goals

Clarify faculty retention, tenure, and promotion
guidelines to advance undergraduate research

Conduct ongoing assessment of undergraduate
research outcomes
A Confluence of Essential
Components
Undergraduate Research that is:
Faculty-driven,
Student-centered, and
Institutionally-supported
Provides the combination of factors
necessary for:
Pedagogical effectiveness, Enhanced
learning outcomes, Research productivity,
and Research program sustainability
Questions?

Feedback on draft plan?

Examples of faculty/student collaboration in
scholarly activity and research?