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This review evaluates the Phase I pilot of the EvaluateUR program at SUNY New Paltz to identify areas of improvement and provide recommendations for scaling up. It discusses the institution profile, summer research program, program director profile, participation overview, progress completing dashboard steps, what worked well, challenges faced, lessons learned, and advice for future implementation.
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Review of Phase I Pilot and Recommendations for Next Step in Scaling Up EvaluateUR SUNY New Paltz Buffalo, NY October, 2017
Institution Profile • The only residential public university in the mid-Hudson region- the scenic Hudson Valley, between the State Capital of Albany and metropolitan New York City -provides opportunities for enriching academic programs. • Undergraduates: 6,717 Graduate students: 911There are nearly 100 undergraduate and over 50 graduate degree programs • High quality, affordable education to students from all social and economic backgrounds. We are dedicated to a vibrant intellectual/creative public forum which reflects and celebrates the diversity of our society and encourages and supports active participation in scholarly and artistic activity.
Summer Research Program • SURE- Summer Undergraduate Research Experience • Established in 2004 • Approximately 20 awards per year • Open to all disciplines, typically ~50% science and engineering. Humanities and Arts typically participate.
UR Program Director Profile • Director • Full-time faculty member • One course release per semester + stipend • Summer stipend • RSCA (Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities)- campus-wide program • SURE (~20), AYURE (~25), research symposium (~70 posters), conference travel (~50) per year • Half-time secretary support
Phase I Participation Overview • Summary • 14 student/mentor teams participating in the Phase I pilot • 6 SURE students did not participate due to inability to attend either of the 2 orientation sessions • Modifications • Definitions of mid-point and end point given as number of hours worked • Step 17 end point included information about fall semester presentations and abstract submission
Orientation • Jill Singer provided the orientation via the internet on two separate dates (variety in student start dates). • I provided campus specific orientation information and a write & share exercise. • The students began the Pre-Research Reflection at the orientation. • The orientation also included Human Resources paperwork. • Breakfast was provided.
Tracking • I checked the dashboard daily for the first month or so, then several times per week. • I set the dashboard related email to be separate from my regular email. • Communication with students and mentors was done with email (increasingly nagging as time passed). • Informal communication with mentors in my building or those I ran into on campus provided some insight.
What Worked Well • The dashboard is easy to use • The remote orientation provided by Jill was informative and interesting • The progress through the steps generally went smoothly • Communication with and help from Sean was timely
Your Top 3 Challenges • Ensuring completion of the process • Resistance to being told how to mentor, especially with student-faculty pairs having previous experience together • Limitations caused by the variety of program start dates
Your Top 3 Lessons Learned • Some faculty will be resistant to the mentoring of mentors process. • The early stages of the EvaluateUR process were most challenging. • The practice as mentor, student and director does not fully prepare one for all the issues the director will face.
Lessons Learned and Advice • Resistance • Will make completion of the process a requisite for applying for funding the following year (the $100 carrot did not seem to make a difference, no carrots available in the future). • Will be moving payment of mentor stipend to after SURE program is completed. • Would work on student buy in more. Play students and faculty off each other, one of the pair is likely the type to desire a completed process • Will examine the survey feedback • Early stages of the EvalUR process were most challenging. • Need to give more guidance on this part. Prepare them for these issues (confidence ranking, not duplicating the 34 competencies) • Considier how to have students do Pre-Research Reflection before the orientation so the next steps can be done at the orientation