The Undergraduate Literature Conference

Abstract

Written by the co-chairs of the Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature (NUCL), this article makes an argument for the value of the undergraduate conference: by fostering conversations about student work, undergraduate conferences offer one way of ameliorating the present crisis in the humanities. The writers also explain the more particular disciplinary, institutional, and departmental benefits of the conference, and suggest strategies for implementing such a conference on other campuses.

Reciprocal elucidation: a student-led pedagogy in multidisciplinary undergraduate research conferences

“…Informal conversations at conferences are the places where students 'construct the research process and negotiate the social framework of their disciplines' (Mabrouk, 2009(Mabrouk, : p. 1335) in a marketplace of ideas (Hersh, Hiro, and Asarnow, 2011).…”

Evaluating undergraduate research conferences as vehicles for novice researcher development

“…Elsewhere, the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), the Australian Conference of Undergraduate Research (ACUR), and the Student Research Conference in the Netherlands have growing numbers, increasing the range of learning experiences for students and situating students in a 'marketplace of ideas' (Hersh, Hiro, and Asarnow, 2011). Spronken-Smith et al's (2013) framework for dissemination of undergraduate research and inquiry situates the undergraduate conference at the summit of levels of student autonomy and exposure (a combined measure of "public-ness", extent of activity beyond the taught curriculum, and potential sphere of influence).…”

“…While a number of studies have evaluated student feedback following a conference programme (Helm and Bailey, 2013;Hersh, Hiro, and Asarnow, 2011;Hill and Walkington, 2016), this paper focuses on investigating the significance of participation and socialisation at three BCUR conferences, and the impact on student skills, abilities and professional growth.…”

A Global Conversation: Reflections from the First World Congress on Undergraduate Research

“…The event was an excellent opportunity for Qatar University students to meet student researchers from other countries, to discuss their own research, to share their culture, and to address misconceptions that might be held about the region. As suggested by the literature on undergraduate research and student conference participation (Garde-Hansen and Calvert 2007;Hathaway, Nagda, and Gregerman 2002;Hersh, Hiro, and Asarnow 2011;Hill and Walkington, 2016;Hunter, Laursen, and Seymour 2007;Mabrouk 2009;Kneale et al, 2016;Spronken-Smith et al, 2013; Walkington, Hill, and Kneale 2017), the student feedback and reflections from conference surveys reflect similar positive outcomes for student participants. Students reported that their congress participation allowed them to connect with others, increase their self-confidence, heighten their ability to take risks, and connect with people from other countries.…”