[EAS]Undergrad. Education & Rese

[pjk]

Subject:   Undergrad. Education & Research

Dear Colleagues -

Maybe the holiday recess can offer some free time for thinking about
the future of undergraduate education in a research university, the
subject of the original Boyer Commission Report "Reinventing
Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research
Universities" <http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf/>. I think I
sent out an EAS-INFO mailing about it at the time.
The original report, and this follow-up, make very worthwhile reading,
even if some of the graphics are a little too cute. Do try to find
time to read and reflect.

All best,  --Peter Kindlmann

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(from The Scout Report -- December 20, 2002)
 <http://scout.wisc.edu/report/sr/2002/scout-021220.html>

Reinventing Undergraduate Education: Three Years After the Boyer
Report [.pdf]
<http://www.sunysb.edu/pres/0210066-Boyer%20Report%20Final.pdf>
Originating from the Reinvention Center at the State University of New
York at Stony Brook, this 41-page report is a follow-up report to the
original Boyer Commission Report on undergraduate education first
released in 1998. Following up on the 1998 report, this document
examines the progress made by various universities in 10 different
aspects of undergraduate educational areas identified by the first
report. Beginning with an introduction of the study's survey methods,
the report discusses research findings in these 10 areas, including
The Freshman Experience, Research-based Learning, Communication
Skills, Educating Graduate Students as Apprentice Teachers, and
Changing Faculty Reward Systems. In conclusion, the researchers note
that, while "every research university is approaching the issues of
undergraduate education seriously," many institutions have "not yet
fulfilled their ambitions for undergraduate programs, although many
offer special opportunities such as research and freshman seminars to
the best students." Well-written and honest in its language and about
its findings, this paper will be of great interest to anyone
interested in the future of undergraduate education.