FAQs for Faculty

What's in it for students?

Students have the opportunity to observe firsthand how a scholar conducts teaching and research activities. With you as a mentor, they develop research skills, define academic interests and objectives, and prepare for more advanced research through independent study, senior projects, honors theses, or UROP and IROP experiences.

What are my responsibilities?

Foster Development

Regardless of the kind of contact you have, whether you are serving as a mentor for an individual project or simply meeting with a group of students informally, share career, educational, and life experiences with your student. Discuss why you have found research rewarding and how you came to choose your life’s work. Sharing your personal experiences can inspire a student’s enthusiasm for research even when difficulties arise. Encourage your student to take part in research group meetings with other faculty or to attend departmental colloquia or a professional conference in your field. One of the primary rewards of undergraduate research is the growth students experience when they see their faculty mentors as role models, collaborators, and even friends.

Remember, too, that some students may feel quite comfortable outside of the traditional classroom structure, while others may need to be guided in specific ways before they can assume a more independent role in a research project. In the beginning, some students may hesitate to ask questions for fear of sounding ignorant, or they simply may not know what questions to ask. If you are engaging in a project with a student it may be useful to break down various research tasks into incremental steps so that you have many opportunities to take stock of the project’s progress. The ultimate objective is for students to become sufficiently comfortable and confident to undertake the responsibilities of research without close supervision.

Communicate

Research is a new experience for many students, and they may be unclear about what research generally entails. If a student plans to work on a project directly related to your own research, clarify your expectations from the beginning, and keep him or her informed of on-going changes regarding your project.If your student has developed his or her own research project, assist in carefully defining and focusing the topic. The objectives of the project should be clearly stated, and the completion of the project should be manageable within the specified time frame. Develop a timetable of important milestones in the research and set mutually agreed on target dates for completion of research tasks. Let your student know the best way to reach you, whether by telephone, e-mail, office hours, etc. Schedule time to meet with your student on a regular basis, at least once every two weeks for an independent project. Encourage your student to ask questions and seek guidance for the next phase of the research. Remind your student of your availability should problems or questions arise before the next scheduled meeting.

Time Commitment

Our goal is to enhance undergraduate education by providing a collateral experience that supports (not detracts from) a student’s chosen course of study. When it comes to independent research, undergraduates are likely to underestimate the time required to complete the various tasks. Let your student know that there may be unexpected obstacles and delays in conducting independent research, and that he or she may have to evaluate and revise the research plan or design along the way.

Safety, First and Last

Undergraduate research participants often use materials or energy that may be potentially hazardous to the health and safety of themselves and others as well as the environment. Rutgers requires that students follow the same rules and be afforded the same level of health and safety training, protection, and support as faculty and staff. The faculty mentor is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of all the workers in his or her laboratory or facility. This includes arranging for the appropriate training of undergraduates.

What activities are appropriate for undergraduate research?

Students need not develop a completely independent research project, but they must engage in activities related to your teaching or research responsibilities. The contact you have with students and the work you ask them to do should help them to develop an appreciation of scholarly research and learn the research skills of your discipline. The following examples may be helpful when considering what activities are appropriate for students engaging in undergraduate research assistantship positions:

For students of the liberal arts, business, economics, and social sciences:

Students may research recent journal articles on a particular subject, make photocopies, read and summarize articles, or comment on those that would be appropriate for an introductory-level course. They may also engage in data collection, entry, and analysis, or they might work with study groups by conducting interviews, administering or processing surveys, and recruiting subjects. Other possible activities include the design or update of Web sites, foreign language translation, audiotape transcription, conference planning and organization, journal editing, darkroom work, cataloging of slides or specimens, or the organization and labeling of slide collections.

For students of mathematics or the physical and biological sciences:

Many activities suitable for students of business, the liberal arts, economics, or the social sciences may also applicable for these students. (See above.) Other activities may include the repetition of experiments to confirm results or correct problems, laboratory maintenance, building or repairing equipment, applying software applications to research problems, performing biochemical assays, preparing samples for histochemical or molecular analysis, validating or optimizing a procedure, maintaining a culture in vitro, or collecting and analyzing samples.

Is there financial support?

The ARC makes limited research awards to undergraduates each semester on a competitive basis. Students are invited to apply for funding for a research project that they are undertaking or for conference attendance, etc. We also work with students to identify external sources of funding for their projects.

What other support does ARC provide?

ARC also organizes and coordinates workshops on a variety of topics from library research to presentation skills, and coordinates a university-wide undergraduate research symposium in the spring. These programs are listed in the events section.

How can I get involved?

The involvement of faculty is integral to the success of the ARC. We invite you to become a mentor for our RA program, become a sponsor for a summer research program, volunteer to share your research with a small group of students at a Big Ideas dinner, attend the university-wide undergraduate research symposium in the spring. Please feel free to contact us!