Undergraduate Research At The Community College: Barriers And Opportunities

From modest beginnings at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, NY, the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI) has grown into a nationwide network of over 50 institutions in 20 states. CCURI partner institutions collaborate on the development, implementation, and assessment of models for integrating an undergraduate research experience into their STEM programs. Community colleges face unique challenges with respect to embedding a research experience, but are poised to take a leadership position in addressing several National recommendations to develop opportunities for students to engage in authentic research experiences during the first two years of their education. The growth of the CCURI network has provided rich opportunities to study the barriers and opportunities that are specific to the community college. The results of that research are being used to inform a wider network of two-year institutions through focused workshops, professional meetings, and publications developed in collaboration with the Council on Undergraduate Research. With continued growth through new partnerships and affiliations, CCURI will begin to shift toward addressing institutional transformation level research and evaluation questions. Future work will focus on developing an understanding of how CCURI as an organization is changing the culture of community colleges such that research becomes an integral part of the learning experience.