ERICA SEVERAN-WEBB XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA DIVISION OF COUNSELING AND EDUCATION NOVEMBER 30, 2015 EDLD 6000: ADVANCED VISIONARY LEADERSHIP DR. ESROM PITRE Effect of Undergraduate Research Opportunities on Student Outcomes

Degree Attainment By Gender and Race Degree Attainment By Socioeconomic Status Research Significance National Center for Education Statistics. (2015 )The Condition of Education.

Research Hypothesis Exploration of literature on the undergraduate research experience and its effects on undergraduate students to hypothesize if undergraduate research is one of the better tools to attract and retain minoritized students to postsecondary education.

Literature: Bauer and Bennett (2003) Strengths Surveyed Alumni broken into 3 groups: URP research students, non URP research students, and non-research students Particpants from all disciplines Accounted for full undergrad experience Weaknesses 95% of respondents were white Students self selected into research Findings 80% of URP students, 71% of non-URP researchers, and 59% of alumni went on to grad school URP participants 33% more likely to be employed in a career related to their major

Russell, Hancock, and McCullogh (2007) Strengths Surveyed over 15,000 people Sponsored research students, non-sponsored research students, and non- research students were surveyed Particpants were STEM and SBES students Weaknesses Does not report quantitative metrics Does not take into account other aspect of undergraduate student experience Findings The earlier students are engaged in research, the better the outcome. Latino/as benefitted the most from research participation.

Fechheimer, Webber, and Keliber (2011) Strengths Tracked 1,400 students enrolled in university research course Inclusive of all disciplines Quantitative results (GPA data Weaknesses Lack of data on minority students Students self selected and were not recruited Findings The earlier students are engaged in research, the better the outcome for GPA and retention

Hathaway, Nagda, Gregerman(1998) Strengths Quantitative metrics of GPA and retention rates Actively recruited minoritized students for research participation Weaknesses Does not take into account other aspects of undergraduate student experience Findings Retention rate of African American and Latino/as significantly increased as a result of research participation Targeting students as early as possible is positively correlated with outcomes

Research Impact: Conclusions Majority of research programs allow students to self-select into research programs Recruiting students as early as possible (even prior to entry into post-secondary education) can have a positive impact on student interest, outcomes, and GPA. There is a need to study the college experience with a particular interest in evaluating undergraduate research relative to other activities that influence GPA and retention for undergraduate students who are most in need of support getting to college and staying in college. Creating a stronger correlation or even causal relationship between undergraduate research and student outcomes of minoritized student groups is an area for future research.

References Bauer, K. W., & Bennett, J. S. (2003). Alumni perceptions used to assess undergraduate research experience. The Journal of Higher Education. 74(2), Fechheimer, M., Webber, K., & Kleiber, P. B. (2011). How well do undergraduate research programs promote engagement and success of students?. CBE-Life Sciences Education. 10(2), Hathaway, R. S., Nagda, B. A., & Gregerman, S. R. (2002). The relationship of undergraduate research participation to graduate and professional education pursuit: an empirical study. Journal of College Student Development. 43(5), National Center for Education Statisitics. (2015). The Condition of Education Washington, DC: Accessed online: Russell, S. H., Hancock, M. P., & McCullough, J. (2007). Benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Science(Washington). 316(5824),