Qingmin Shi (Decision Support), along with Robin Cresiski (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Sandip Thanki and Lori Navarrete (both Nevada State College), recently published an article “Undergraduate Research at a Teaching-Oriented College: Seniors’ Perspectives and Approaches to Consider” in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Drawing on multiple-year data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), this study examines the relationship of undergraduate research (UGR) participation and senior students’ reported engagement, perceived gains, satisfaction with their educational experience, retention, and graduation status compared to peers that have not participated in UGR. Data analysis revealed that relative to their peers who have not participated in UGR, UGR-participating students have higher levels of engagement, perceived gains, and overall satisfaction. UGR-participating students also continued enrollment and/or graduated at a higher rate after reaching their senior status compared to non-participating peers.
