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Fostering Undergraduate Research Connections Paul C. Miller, Director of Undergraduate Research and Professor of Exercise Science; [email protected] Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, Director of Honors and Professor of Psychology; [email protected] Tim Peeples, Associate Provost of Faculty Affairs; [email protected] Peter Felten, Assistant Provost and Director of the Teaching and Learning Center; [email protected] Introduction Establishing a comprehensive, robust undergraduate research (UR) program leads to beneficial educational processes and outcomes that transcend the university’s academic programs. High quality, faculty-mentored UR endeavors result in increased organizational commitment and faculty productivity for the university, an enhanced sense of satisfaction and renewed energy for the mentors, and better academic experiences and outcomes for the students (Clark et al., 2000; Noe et al., 2002; Lopatto, 2006; Johnson, 2007). A successful UR program requires support and participation from the university’s administration, faculty, and students, and must be firmly connected to the institutional values, curriculum, and reward system. Once established, UR programs and constituents would benefit from deeper connections within and beyond the walls of the institution, as demonstrated in the schematic below. Discussion of the inherent benefits and challenges in the suggested activities is warranted and may serve to enhance best practices of undergraduate research. University Connections Connections Beyond the University Connecting to the curriculum Integrating with professional affiliations •UR activities for academic credit •Professional, disciplinary organizations •Honors theses •UR-centered conference sessions •Departmental capstone projects •National and international workshops focusing on the pedagogy of mentoring •UR activities that transcend the curriculum according to students’ developmental level Facilitating student achievements •National fellowships •International fellowships •Graduate studies •Academic Honors •Scholarly publications & presentations Developing alumni connections •Institutional legacy •Peer mentoring within and across cohorts •Lasting connection to the university Mentored Research at Elon University Elon University is a primarily undergraduate institution that values experiential and engaged learning. •Online and print journals with UR mentoring as a core mission Fostering links beyond the university •Independent student research •Faculty/student exchanges The Teacher-Scholar-Mentor document, developed by the Elon faculty, serves to guide the integration of UR into the academic programs, values of the institution, faculty reward systems, and university culture. •International and domestic •Multi-university collaborations •Institutional agreements •Peer collaborations Increasing funding opportunities •Government advocacy •Institutional resources •Institutional advancement initiatives •Alumni giving