Mission
Student Research Advisory Committee supports the student-centered and interdisciplinary mission of the University by facilitating opportunities for students to engage in faculty-mentored research and creative activities within and across academic disciplines.
Vision
The Student Research contributes to the distinctiveness of CI by supporting the student-centered mission of the university across academic disciplines. The Student Research Center creates opportunities and provides resources for students and faculty to engage in collaborative research and creative activities. A vibrant Student Research operation attracts students interested in “learning by doing.”
Values
Student Research supports the development of: Curiosity (Thinking and Acting Independently, Thinking Within and Across Disciplines, Promoting Continuous Learning); Inquiry (Questioning and Posing Problems, Striving for Accuracy, Thinking Flexibly); Creativity (Applying Knowledge and Perspectives in New Situations, Coping with Ambiguity, Appreciating the Role of Failure in Research and Creativity, Acknowledging the Social Nature of Research and Creativity); Discovery (Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision, Thinking about Thinking— Metacognition/Reflection).
History of SRAC
The Student Research Advisory Committee (SRAC) promotes faculty-mentored student research and creative activities on campus. Student research engages students in a quest to address research questions and engage in creative inquiry and activities. We are located in Broome Library 1740.
First established about 2008 as the Student Research Advisory Committee, SRAC replaced the SRSC, an acknowledgment of the importance CI places on student research. The SRSC primarily focused its efforts on securing funding to support student travel to conferences. Over the course of years, a broader vision of student research as integral to CI’s student-centered mission began to emerge. In 2014 the SRSC received funding from the CI Foundation to incorporate student research into the mission of the university. In 2015 the SRSC initiated an Interdisciplinary Research Learning Community. Acknowledging the interdisciplinary foundation of the university, students engaged in a semester-long learning community with the following aims:
- Allow students to develop their understanding of how research fits into their personal intellectual and educational development;
- Help students develop a variety of communication skills that are common in professional communities;
- Develop an understanding of the research process in disciplines other than the student’s major discipline;
- Help students develop an on-line portfolio of accomplishments that can be used to promote career development.
In AY 2015-2016 SRSC established the Student Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program. SURF began as a first-year student living-learning community focused on curiosity, inquiry, discovery, and creativity.
During Summer 2017, SRAC approved and conducted the first Summer SURF program. Students engage in a paid, faculty-mentored research project, They also engage in an Interdisciplinary Research Learning Community and in professional development activities.
While SRAC continues to provide support for students traveling to research conferences, the scope of SRAC activities is growing rapidly.