WHEREAS, Undergraduate research is recognized as a "High-Impact Practice" by the Association of American Colleges & Universities, proven to significantly increase student engagement, critical thinking skills, and information literacy, while being highly desirable among colleges; [1]
WHEREAS, Students who participated in undergraduate research were twice as likely to graduate in four years, and these programs significantly increase student transfer confidence, and scientific literacy; [2][3]
WHEREAS, Access to research opportunities across the state is currently inequitable, often limited to students in honors programs or those with outside resources, thereby excluding first-generation, low-income, and non-traditional students who would benefit most from research experience; and
WHEREAS, Substantial barriers to participation exist for both students and mentors, including a lack of centralized information, the financial inability of students to perform unpaid labor, and high faculty teaching loads that lack institutional support or reassigned time for mentorship; Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges recognize undergraduate research as a vital component of expanding educational equity and academic success for all 2.1 million California community college students;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges to encourage colleges to establish centralized "Offices of Undergraduate Research" or designate specific faculty coordinators to aggregate and disseminate research opportunities;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for the allocation of state funds to create a "Student Research Stipend" program, ensuring that financial need is not a barrier to participation in time-intensive research projects; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges pursue collaboration with the University of California Student Association and the Cal State Student Association to advocate for formal research bridges, allowing community college students access to university library databases, labs, and mentorship programs prior to transfer.
Resources:
[1] Association of American Colleges and Universities. "High-Impact Practices." https://www.aacu.org/trending-topics/high-impact
[2] Haeger, H., Bueno, E. H., & Sedlacek, Q. (2024). "Participation in Undergraduate Research Reduces Equity Gaps in STEM Graduation Rates." CBE–Life Sciences Education. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38306615/
[3] Swanik, J., et al. (2023). "Mentored Undergraduate Research at Community Colleges." Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research. https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10541028