November 15, 2018The Art of Crafting a Mentored CUREby Buffie Longmire-AvitalIn my last post, I argued that course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can be a stepping stone for a student’s path toward mentored undergraduate research, but to yield equitable impact for historically underrepresented minority students (HURMS), CUREs must include mentorship…
October 25, 2018Reflecting on Course-Based Undergraduate Research (CUREs)by Buffie Longmire-AvitalBangera and Brownell (2014) lay out a compelling list of barriers students encounter while attempting to engage in undergraduate research. The authors also argue that, given the institutional nature of some of these barriers (e.g., implicit bias or lack of…
October 8, 2018Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, Oh My!by Buffie Longmire-AvitalCan we review the differences among diversity, inclusion, and equity work? I think we should. In blogs written by Meg Bolger and Dr. Geraldine Cochran we are given tools to work through our understanding and often mistaken conflation of these…
September 18, 2018Seven Potential Barriers to Engaging in Undergraduate Research for HURMSby Buffie Longmire-AvitalThere is no shortage of evidence celebrating the advantages of engaging in undergraduate research or its firm position as one of the 11 high-impact educational practices, such as the building of confidence and efficacy in students, being cited as the…
August 28, 2018The Package I am Inby Buffie Longmire-AvitalYears ago I was reading a book with my oldest son, who after looking at the various dyadic pairs of characters on a particular page began to observe out loud who “matched” and who didn’t. He then moved the conversation…
July 26, 2018The High Impact of Engaging Race Consciously by Buffie Longmire-AvitalFor over a decade, Kuh’s (2008) work on the critical importance of engaged learning has shaped the undergraduate college and university experience. Taking part in at least one engaged learning practice, dubbed “High Impact Practices,” at some point during a…
July 12, 2018The Critical Space of Underrepresented Minority Studentsby Buffie Longmire-AvitalIn the fall of 2015 protests erupted on many of the Nation’s elite and flagship public universities. When I think about this tumultuous time on college campuses, I immediately remember the picture of two collegiate Black males from the University…
June 26, 2018Compositional Diversity Is A Start But Not Enough!by Buffie Longmire-AvitalTwenty years ago in the darkness of an incredibly early August morning, I hugged my mother goodbye, loaded the last box in my aunt’s car, took my position in the passenger seat, and started the eight hour drive from Boston…