IF I WERE to reluctantly put on my patronizing fourth-year hat for one column and advise undergraduates to do one thing at the University, it would unquestionably be undergraduate research. My field research trip to southern Thailand in summer 2007 to study an ongoing insurgency first hand was (probably literally) a once in a lifetime experience.
No, I didn’t write this for that shameless plug. I wrote this because slightly over 50 percent of all University students pursue some kind of undergraduate research during their time at the University. While this is often parroted as a remarkable statistic, I find it to be rather depressing.
Think about it for a second. Undergraduate research allows you to study what you like where you like (yes, no more dull classrooms and awkward still desks). It affords you the opportunity to not only deepen your knowledge of a field, but “develop new knowledge”, as Center for Undergraduate Excellence Director Lucy Russell puts it. Faculty will love to work with dedicated researchers, while employers are impressed by your creative abilities. What more could you (or anyone) ask for?
Well, more money for undergraduate research I guess. So I was quite pleased when the Wilson Journal of International Affairs decided to throw its hat in the ring by inaugurating a new $1,500 undergraduate research grant last week.
For those of you who saw the dollar signs and then went “The Wilson what?”, the Wilson Journal is an undergraduate research journal run by the International Relations Organization that publishes research articles on, well, international relations. While it has been published for years, this marks the first time it is allocating funds for the specific purpose of undergraduate research.
So what does that mean? Well, if you are an undergraduate, there are just over twenty research funding opportunities available to you, according to the CUE website. But before you start waving the mission accomplished banner, keep in mind that most of these grants are discipline, school or topic based. Given this sobering reality, the Wilson Journal’s drop in the bucket of undergraduate research funding should be welcomed, even if it is discipline-specific. “We saw a gaping hole in undergraduate research funding at the University, and we decided to fill it”, said Maria Li, the journal’s editor-in-chief.
But a brief pause to reflect on progress made must quickly give way to long contemplation of further progress needed. While the Wilson Journal’s drop in the bucket is appreciated, it is exactly that – a drop. Other organizations at the University ought to trim their precious party budgets and start thinking about how they can make tangible contributions to the University’s advancement. College is after all about balancing letting your hair down and keeping your head straight.
Just money won’t do it either. Some organizations must eventually make the transition from money machines to facilitators of higher purpose. Engineering Students Without Borders is one good model for this. The group assembles students interested in undergraduate research from an engineering perspective and helps them with networking and proposal drafting. Another good example is the Global Development Organization, which has just led the campaign for a new Global Development major that includes a strong research component. The group has also showcased dozens of research presentations by experts and students alike at its weekly meetings.
Collaboration might facilitate this process even further. “There are so many organizations doing almost identical things, and it would be very helpful if all these groups would work together instead of overlapping”, says Eric Harshfield, President of ESWB. To some extent, this is already beginning. For instance, the Social Entrepreneurship and International Development Conference that will take place this March is the fist co-sponsored event by ESWB, GDO and other groups. More efforts of this ilk are needed.
The University can also play an active role in enhancing undergraduate research. Distinguished and interdisciplinary major programs should have a small budget dedicated to funding research that students produce; even small grants for travel could go a long way. We should also look to emulate the successes of other institutions. William and Mary’s Sharpe Programs admit 75 students who live together and work with faculty to execute a community based project, sowing the seeds of independent research in the minds of talented freshmen. This might be more of a tangible benefit for advanced students than registering early on ISIS.
I could go on, but you get the point: we should be proud of how far we have come, but we still have a long way to go. So whether you’re a student, organization, or member of the administration, consider making undergraduate research a priority. At best, it will be life changing and academically beneficial endeavor. At worst ... well, you will be studying something you are passionate about for free. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Prashanth Parameswaran’s column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at p.parameswaran@cavalierdaily.com.
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