TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences has been selected by the Association of American Colleges and Universities to present an overview of its student research and creative activities at the AAC&U’s national conference.
The College’s annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Poster Competition, now in its fourth year, will be highlighted. The conference, “The Student as Scholar: Undergraduate Research and Creative Practice,” will be April 19-21 in Long Beach, Calif. It will address ways in which to enhance the undergraduate academic experience.
The conference brings together faculty, administrators, department chairs and others who are involved in creating an engaging undergraduate career. Administrators presenting at the conference focus on ways to help undergraduates deepen their understanding of the world around them.
Traveling to California to present information on the competition will be Dr. Joe Benson, senior associate dean, Dr. Carmen Taylor, associate dean, and Tom Wolfe, associate dean, all from the College of Arts and Sciences. Their presentation is entitled “Building a Learner-Centered Environment through Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity.”
The deans will share strategies they employ to increase faculty participation and mentoring in undergraduate research and creative activity. They will also make recommendations for participants who are thinking about starting, or are currently managing, undergraduate research and creative activity programs.
“Undergraduate research/creative activity contributes to student success. In line with the College’s mission, undergraduate research/creative activity, in conjunction with student mentoring, enables us to have a successful learner-centered college,” said Dr. Jimmy Williams, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. Williams submitted the proposal for the AAC&U conference as a result of the competition and is the coordinator and point of contact for the competition.
The AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Founded in 1915 by college presidents, AAC&U represents the entire spectrum of American colleges and universities—large and small, public and private, two-year and four-year. AAC&U comprises more than 1,000 accredited colleges and universities that collectively educate more than five million students every year.
The College of Arts and Sciences’ competition began in 2004, as a way to give students practical experience in defending or performing their work before judges. Undergraduates representing all divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences – the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences –present their research and creative works. These are displayed either as an oral or poster presentation.
“We have consistently had a good response from our students and faculty members. They take pride in showcasing their work while faculty members enjoy showing off their great students. The conference keeps growing every year, and I feel that this competition truly fosters a learner-centered environment,” said Williams.
Students most recently showcased their work at an April 9 competition held on campus.
The College of Arts and Sciences is Alabama’s largest liberal arts college and the University’s largest division with 350 faculty and 6,600 students.
Contact
Nelda Sanker, Communications Specialist, College of Arts and Sciences, 205/348-8539, nsanker@as.ua.edu