Implementation of Implementation of Undergraduate Research Centers Undergraduate Research Centers

– – Sustainability and ScalabilitySustainability and Scalability

Jim Gentile, Dean for the Natural SciencesJim Gentile, Dean for the Natural Sciences

Hope College, Holland, MIHope College, Holland, MI

““Nothing, not all the armies of the Nothing, not all the armies of the world, can stop an idea whose world, can stop an idea whose time has come”time has come”

Victor HugoVictor Hugo

““The first duty of a revolutionary The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it”is to get away with it”

Abbie HoffmanAbbie Hoffman

SustainabilitySustainability

Must progress at a normal Must progress at a normal evolutionary rate to be stableevolutionary rate to be stable

The Only Sustainable Change is One that The Only Sustainable Change is One that Becomes Part of the Institutional DNABecomes Part of the Institutional DNA

Key Aspects of Sustainability of Key Aspects of Sustainability of Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research

CentersCenters Design a project with clear goals relating to student learning Design a project with clear goals relating to student learning

through researchthrough research

Design into the process points where you can step back, Design into the process points where you can step back, determine progress, change when appropriate, and move forward determine progress, change when appropriate, and move forward again (again (formative evaluation)formative evaluation)

Secure ownership of all stakeholdersSecure ownership of all stakeholders

Infiltrate into ongoing processes at each institution or Infiltrate into ongoing processes at each institution or organization (organization (be covert)be covert)..

Be as clear with the leadership team as to both what goals must Be as clear with the leadership team as to both what goals must be achieved and what processes will be employed to achieve those be achieved and what processes will be employed to achieve those goalsgoals

Affirm the leadership of the effort. This affirmation should focus Affirm the leadership of the effort. This affirmation should focus on the efforts of the leadership team and not necessarily on the on the efforts of the leadership team and not necessarily on the efforts of any single individual(s).efforts of any single individual(s).

Sustainability points Sustainability points continuedcontinued

Take time to play in the “sand box” (Take time to play in the “sand box” (non threatening non threatening internal approaches to make things even better)internal approaches to make things even better)

Remember that projects that are people-specific are hard Remember that projects that are people-specific are hard to sustain; projects that are site-specific can, of course, be to sustain; projects that are site-specific can, of course, be sustained locally, but may not be models easily sustained locally, but may not be models easily transferabletransferable

Always remember what problem you are trying to solve as Always remember what problem you are trying to solve as you move forward on the effortyou move forward on the effort

Keep all on-campus advancement and public relations Keep all on-campus advancement and public relations officials informed and involved in the process – publicity officials informed and involved in the process – publicity and money always helpand money always help

Remember the PKAL motto “Different pieces that fit”Remember the PKAL motto “Different pieces that fit”It is unlikely that all partners are the same, and thus the It is unlikely that all partners are the same, and thus the roles and contributions from each will be uniqueroles and contributions from each will be unique

Key Questions for Key Questions for SustainabilitySustainability

How will you fund students who seek to continue in subsequent How will you fund students who seek to continue in subsequent years – you WILL increase the student numbers of on-going years – you WILL increase the student numbers of on-going students and this could effect numbers of first-time older studentsstudents and this could effect numbers of first-time older students

Pay of students vs academic credit (both?)Pay of students vs academic credit (both?)

How can UR be integrated into curriculum?How can UR be integrated into curriculum?

Can you properly adjust faculty work loads in academic year to Can you properly adjust faculty work loads in academic year to give teaching credit for mentorship of young URC students?give teaching credit for mentorship of young URC students?

Must engage large cohort of faculty – so how are faculty rewarded Must engage large cohort of faculty – so how are faculty rewarded (volunteerism won’t work in the long run)(volunteerism won’t work in the long run)

Must find opportunities for students of diverse pre-college Must find opportunities for students of diverse pre-college background that are meaningfulbackground that are meaningful

Must find ways of brining students of diverse ethnicities and a Must find ways of brining students of diverse ethnicities and a good gender balance into the program if the future scientific good gender balance into the program if the future scientific human infrastructure is to be affected by this program.human infrastructure is to be affected by this program.

PEW MIDSTATES SCIENCE AND PEW MIDSTATES SCIENCE AND

MATHEMATICS CONSORTIUMMATHEMATICS CONSORTIUM

Beloit College * Carthage College * Beloit College * Carthage College * Colorado College * Grinnell College * Colorado College * Grinnell College * Hope College * Kalamazoo College * Hope College * Kalamazoo College * Knox College * Lawrence University * Knox College * Lawrence University * Luther College * Macalester College * Luther College * Macalester College *

St. Olaf College * University of Chicago * St. Olaf College * University of Chicago * Washington UniversityWashington University

Goals of the Pew Goals of the Pew ConsortiumConsortium

to promote effective collaboration among to promote effective collaboration among faculty at the member institutions; faculty at the member institutions;

to improve undergraduate science and to improve undergraduate science and mathematics education; mathematics education;

to assist with the research efforts of the to assist with the research efforts of the faculty at the undergraduate colleges and faculty at the undergraduate colleges and of the undergraduate students at all of the of the undergraduate students at all of the member institutions.member institutions.

A Successful Sustainable A Successful Sustainable Collaboration Collaboration

Initiated in 1989 with original award from Pew Initiated in 1989 with original award from Pew Foundation (Foundation (~~ $750K) and then a follow-up award $750K) and then a follow-up award from Pew (from Pew (~$500K)~$500K)

Continued by commitment of member institutions Continued by commitment of member institutions (~ $10K annually) to support programs and (~ $10K annually) to support programs and Consortium OfficeConsortium Office

New Institutions have been added over the yearsNew Institutions have been added over the years

All partners made equal in management and All partners made equal in management and decision-making processesdecision-making processes

*Amherst College *Amherst College

*Beloit College *Beloit College

*Carleton College *Carleton College

*The Colorado College *The Colorado College

*Franklin and Marshall College*Franklin and Marshall College

*Pomona College *Pomona College

* Smith College * Smith College

*Trinity University*Trinity University

*Washington and Lee University *Washington and Lee University

*Whitman College*Whitman College

*Williams College *Williams College

*The College of Wooster *The College of Wooster

The Consortium has been a fundamental component of the The Consortium has been a fundamental component of the undergraduate-research landscape for seventeen yearsundergraduate-research landscape for seventeen years

ScalabilityScalability Keep goals of Centers upfront when presented with the Keep goals of Centers upfront when presented with the

challenge/opportunity to “scale up” the programchallenge/opportunity to “scale up” the program

Practice “appetite control” when envisioning scalability Practice “appetite control” when envisioning scalability ((don’t get try to eat everything at the buffet)don’t get try to eat everything at the buffet)

Know that by “scaling up” it will enhance your program as Know that by “scaling up” it will enhance your program as well as enhance the programs of other groupswell as enhance the programs of other groups

Build logical adaptability into the process but always have a Build logical adaptability into the process but always have a single story that can be toldsingle story that can be told

Develop your effort as a model that can be adapted by Develop your effort as a model that can be adapted by other institutions or departmednts. Do this with other institutions or departmednts. Do this with intentionality because as other Centers grow, so does the intentionality because as other Centers grow, so does the scale of the overall national effect scale of the overall national effect

Scalability continuedScalability continued Re-envision your Advisory Board…who else can help to Re-envision your Advisory Board…who else can help to

facilitate your efforts?facilitate your efforts?

Remember that science is becoming every more Remember that science is becoming every more interdisciplinary in research and factor that into new interdisciplinary in research and factor that into new directions for your centerdirections for your center

Connect with ongoing national efforts (PKAL, CUR, NCUR, Connect with ongoing national efforts (PKAL, CUR, NCUR, NSDL, disciplinary societies, NAS/NRC, etc): partner NSDL, disciplinary societies, NAS/NRC, etc): partner whenever and wherever you canwhenever and wherever you can

Always remember that faculty buy-in is the coin of the realmAlways remember that faculty buy-in is the coin of the realm

Become advocates….pass the 7/11 test Become advocates….pass the 7/11 test

that means that when you walk into the local 7/11 (think of that as that means that when you walk into the local 7/11 (think of that as funder) everyone knows about your work, how effective it has been funder) everyone knows about your work, how effective it has been and continues to be, and how wonderful you are.and continues to be, and how wonderful you are.

““In order to succeed you must know what In order to succeed you must know what you are doing, like what you are doing, you are doing, like what you are doing, and believe in what you are doingand believe in what you are doing””

Will RogersWill Rogers