About a two-year college based NSF undergraduate research collaborative: Lessons learned during the first year

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Thomas B. Higgins, tbhiggins@ccc.edu, Physical Science Department, Harold Washington College, 30 East Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Our Undergraduate Research Collaborative aims to transform the lives and career paths of two-year college undergraduates through a rigorous authentic research experience that caters to their needs both inside and outside of the college. We have completed the first year of our work and will report the successes, challenges, and future directions of this project. Our collaborative includes ten Chicago-area two-year colleges and three Midwestern baccalaureate-granting institutions. Our URC provides students with explicit instruction in the skills and habits of being a scientist, creates a curriculum that supports the completion of a Associates of Science degree, and ultimately scaffolds the smooth transition of students beyond the two-year college campus. Our efforts to support students involves a substantial and genuine interaction between research-active faculty at the two-year colleges and four-year colleges in the collaborative, including two-way visitations, seminars, and remote access to research-quality instrumentation.