Undergraduate Research Opportunities at UNCP

Tulla LightfootArt Department

The Council on Undergraduate Research

Council On Undergraduate Research

734 15th Street N.W.Suite 550

Washington, DC 20005

202 783-4810

CUR History

• Founded 1978 by chemistry professors from private liberal arts colleges and 1983 membership extended to faculty from public institutions.

• Awareness that faculty members on these campuses do research.

• Their research contributes to their fields, society and their teaching.

Different Types of Institutions of Higher Ed

• Flagship campus – Chapel Hill – the primary campus (research)

Public Research University opened in 1795

State Schools

• NC State (once called North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts)– land-grant campus – Morrill Act of 1862 gave states federal land to build colleges to teach agriculture, engineering and home economics.

• Largest NC campus

Founded 1887 – Opened 1889

Comprehensive Institutions

• 4 year degree granting institutions

• Normal Schools movement 1880s- Teacher training institutions (UNCP opened as “Croatan Normal School” in 1887 with 15 students and 1 teacher – to train public school teachers.)

Research Expectations

Flagship Schools - research– Graduate programs

Land-grant Schools – applied research– (engineering and agriculture.)

Normal Schools – teacher training campuses. Teaching campuses – not research institutions

• Tier 1 campuses: (based on US News and World Report – ranking begun in 1983)

• Based on surveys or University catalogs. Ranking is done by faculty and administrators of different schools.

2008 Tier 1 campuses

1. Harvard Score: 1001. Princeton 1003. Yale 984. Cal Institute of Technology 934. Mass Institute of Technology 934. Stanford University 934. University of Pennsylvania 938. Columbia University 91

North Carolina Tiered Campuses

Rank Score10. Duke 9028. NC Chapel Hill 7029. Wake Forest Univ. 7088. NC State 42

UNC Charlotte Tier 4 unscored

UNCP

• UNCP one of the most affordable in the nation: U.S. News “Best Colleges and Universities”

• A “Best Southeastern College”: The Princeton Review• “Best College Region by Region”: Princeton review

based on student surveys• Grads finish with 4th lowest student debt in NC and 20th

in the state among peer institutions: US News• 2nd in South for racial diversity, 12th in South and 3rd in

NC for economic diversity: U.S. News• 6th in NC for international students

Effects of School type and Rank on Funding in Wisconsin

• 68% of all funding goes to UW Madison• 15% of all funding goes to UW Milwaukee• 17% of all funding goes to other campuses

Founded to advocate for research funding

•Strength in numbers•Explain what faculty smaller institutions do•Encourage National funding•Encourage research at smaller universities•Mentorship

CUR History • Founded 1978• 1983 RUI (Research in Undergraduate Institutions),

introduced by NSF.• 1984 Physics/Astronomy and Biology (CRAB) added.• 1985 First national conference on UR • 1985 NIH AREA (Academic Research Enhancement

Awards) Program introduced• 1985 Alliance with American Chemical Society begun.• 1987 first National Conference on Undergraduate

Research (NCUR separate org – now combined.)

• 1988 formed National Office PEW grant to establish. First national office at UNC Asheville moves to D.C. in 1998.

• 1990 Grants from corporations and foundations funded summer fellowships.

• 1994 SURE summer fellowships awarded in biology with NSF-REU (Research Experiences for Undergrads) funds awarded to CUR

• 2001 New mission to include all academic institutions and all academic fields.

• 2002? Hired Washington Partners lobbyists to lobby for undergraduate research funding.

• Inclusion of ARTs on the Hill to coincide with Posters on the Hill (POH) 2011 – luncheon? Need to get this off the ground.

• Proposed meetings with NIH and NEA for funding initiatives. (2011)

• CUR Quarterly – publishing opportunities– Notice of funding opportunities

• Student Research presentations opportunities• Faculty conference presentation opportunities.• Government lobbyists for more funding for our

types of universities.• Notice of CUR conferences, and special activities • You can be hired as a CUR consultant for program

assessment purposes• Membership may help win grants• Mentoring services

• Advocacy kits for state funding• Posters on the Hill – Arts on the Hill• CUR literature e.g. “How to Get Started in

Research”• Endowed Undergraduate research

fellowships.• CUR led faculty retreats.• Attend Congressional briefings• New divisions• Service opportunities• Meet colleagues from across the country and

around the world.

• http://www.cur.org/conferences/weber/cur10natconf.asp

http://www.cur.org/

Facts about

Current membership of 4,500.Membership of over 600 colleges and universities.Now offering institutional membership which means all faculty can register as members – UNCP status

Undergraduate Research

• An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.

Benefits of Undergraduate Research

• Enhances student learning through mentoring relationships with faculty

• Increases retention • Increases enrollment in graduate education and

provides effective career preparation • Develops critical thinking, creativity, problem

solving and intellectual independence • Develops an understanding of research

methodology • Promotes an innovation-oriented culture

Get Involved

• 1. Join CUR• 2. Have students submit abstracts to

SNCURS and PURCS.• 3. Encourage students to submit abstracts to

NCUR and Posters on the Hill.4. Present posters or sessions and attend CUR

biannual conferences.5. Attend Washington briefings.5. Apply for CUR funding.

• Questions?

Tulla Lightfoot

Art DepartmentCUR counselor