Creativity, Inquiry, and Discovery:
Undergraduate Research In and Across the Disciplines
Durham, North Carolina
November 11-13, 2010
Undergraduate research, as a practice, has a long history within higher education, yet it is also a powerful pedagogy for fostering critical 21st century outcomes. As one state board of higher education noted in a recent report, college graduates need to be prepared “for contemporary and future career and citizenship challenges and demands” by developing competencies in creativity and innovation; problem solving, systems thinking, and civic, social, and personal responsibility. These contemporary outcomes are best developed through opportunities for students to do original, inquiry-based work on significant scholarly and societal questions and problems. Undergraduate research is a catalyst for this kind of inquiry and learning.
The AAC&U Network for Academic Renewal conference, Creativity, Inquiry, and Discovery: Undergraduate Research In and Across the Disciplines, will showcase promising models of undergraduate research. The conference will also help participants address issues related to the sustainability and evolution of this veteran practice—including aligning undergraduate research with broader student learning goals; integrating research preparation and practice into departmental curricula, courses, and capstone requirements; assessing students’ undergraduate research to see if they have achieved essential learning outcomes; supporting faculty innovation and leadership for these efforts; institutionalizing undergraduate research in and across the disciplines; strengthening offices of undergraduate research; and broadening participation in undergraduate research, especially among underserved students.
Four thematic tracks make up the conference:
- Defining and Assessing Undergraduate Research and Creative Practice
- Faculty Roles and Rewards
- Mapping Research Preparation and Practice In and Across the Disciplines
- Implementing, Scaling-Up, and Sustaining Programs Institution-Wide
For more information, visit the call for proposals.
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