The Stewardship Model: An Inclusive Approach to Undergraduate Research

Creating New Knowledge with Undergraduate Students: Institutional Incentives and Faculty Agency

“…Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds or who are the first in their family to attend college may be less likely to enter college with the intention of conducting research, and they may feel uncomfortable approaching professors. Racial, gender, and personality differences also affect the likelihood of a student reaching out to a faculty member (Becker, Graham, and Zvobgo 2021). Moreover, these same traits also can affect how visible a student's aptitude for research is to a faculty member.…”

“…Multiyear opportunities like this produce “distinct personal, professional, and cognitive outcomes” for experienced student researchers, relative to novices (Thiry et al 2012, 260). The International Justice Lab is concerned especially with recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse body of social scientists: those who will pursue academic careers and those who will pursue careers in policy, nonprofit organizations, and industry (Becker et al 2021). Among other scholars of teaching and learning, Linn et al (2015) found that students from groups historically excluded from higher education generally benefit most from faculty mentorship.…”

Building Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity into Graduate Student Coauthorship

“…Although these issues are not easily resolved, we recommend that faculty members are reflexive throughout the coauthoring process, paying close attention to students' needs and prioritizing their welfare (Becker, Graham, and Zvobgo 2021;Feldon et al 2016). For example, while focusing on coauthoring with undergraduates, Davis (2013) presents a successful case of meeting student-professor goals in which coauthoring is part of a more comprehensive learning process and faculty…”

“…Students face additional challenges during the coauthorship process from the initial idea-generation phase to the publication phase. Drawing from our own experiences, these issues could include the following: Students with ideas outside the mainstream might refrain from sharing their thoughts. Experiences, religious beliefs, and cultural norms can create barriers in professional relationships between collaborators of different genders or sexual orientations. Impostor syndrome and other similar beliefs can prevent students from taking the lead, contributing, or claiming appropriate credit in projects with professors. Financial struggles might limit students’ time and energy to invest in projects beyond coursework that would be beneficial to their professional careers. Students with functional disabilities or neurodiverse students might need more time and patience to complete a project, yet time can be critical in faculty career considerations. Although these issues are not easily resolved, we recommend that faculty members are reflexive throughout the coauthoring process, paying close attention to students’ needs and prioritizing their welfare (Becker, Graham, and Zvobgo 2021; Feldon et al 2016). For example, while focusing on coauthoring with undergraduates, Davis (2013) presents a successful case of meeting student–professor goals in which coauthoring is part of a more comprehensive learning process and faculty members and students alike receive benefits when their needs are acknowledged and addressed.…”

“…First, we recommend adopting inclusive practices in recruiting coauthors. Underrepresented and first-generation students are often less likely to approach faculty members about collaborating, so it is important that faculty members are proactive in encouraging students to think about coauthoring and widely advertise opportunities at their institution (Becker, Graham, and Zvobgo 2021). Students cannot express interest in collaborative opportunities they do not know about.…”