Access to undergraduate research experiences at a large research university

TL;DR

This study assesses undergraduate research access at a large university, revealing gaps and proposing evidence-based strategies to enhance research opportunities for physics undergraduates.

Contribution

It develops and applies surveys to evaluate undergraduate research access and faculty mentorship, providing a model for institutional improvement.

Findings

Limited undergraduate participation in research programs.

Faculty mentorship experiences vary significantly.

Recommendations for increasing research access are proposed.

Abstract

The American Physical Society recently released a statement calling on all university physics departments to provide or facilitate access to research experiences for all undergraduate students. In response, we investigated the current status of access to undergraduate research at University of Colorado Boulder (CU), a large research institution where the number of undergraduate physics majors outnumber faculty by roughly ten to one. We created and administered two surveys within CU's Physics Department: one probed undergraduate students' familiarity with, and participation in, research; the other probed faculty members' experiences as research mentors to undergraduates. We describe the development of these instruments, our results, and our corresponding evidence-based recommendations for improving local access to undergraduate research experiences. Reflecting on our work, we make several connections to an institutional change framework and note how other universities and colleges might adapt our process.