In July 2015, Elon’s Center for Engaged Learning hosted a three-day think tank on residential learning communities that brought together a dozen scholars and practitioners (participants are listed below). Learning communities have been defined in a wide variety of ways…

Faculty mentors play a significant role in making undergraduate research (UR) a high-impact educational practice. Kuh and O’Donnell (2013) contend that the deepest engagement in UR occurs when students participate in all aspects of the research process in close working…

As a high-impact educational practice, undergraduate research (UR) can have significant impacts on student learning. UR can lead to better student retention and engagement (Kuh, 2008) and foster deep student learning of critical thinking, effective communication, and complex problem-solving, which…

Any time you are studying student learning is a good time to make sure that your intended study is ethical and beneficial. Studying student learning in a global context means the people your students are learning with, such as providers,…

I just got back from working at an international event in Marrakesh, Morocco. The event has participants from 63 countries, the majority of whom travel a great distance to attend, and many of whom are college students. Every step is…

What are the significant questions and challenges in mentoring undergraduate research? We asked participants in the Center’s research seminar on Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research to share the pressing questions they’re identifying. Those questions include: What are the salient characteristics and boundaries…

What can faculty mentors and institutions do to scale access to and student success in undergraduate research? We asked participants in the Center’s research seminar on Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research to share strategies for extending access and success. The scholars emphasize that: Acknowledging…

What can institutions do to help faculty become good mentors of undergraduate research? We asked participants in the Center’s research seminar on Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research to share institutional practices that foster mentoring of undergraduate research. As the scholars discuss, institutions can…

In the recent AAC&U symposium entitled, America’s Global Future:  Are College Students Prepared?, presenters and participants grappled with such difficult questions as “What do our students need from their college studies to contribute and thrive in a 21st-century economy?” and “How…

How can undergraduate research programs, teaching and learning centers, and other university programs support faculty mentors of undergraduate research across faculty career stages? We asked participants in the Center’s research seminar on Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research  to share strategies for…