Welcome to the Undergraduate Research Center

MTSU is moving to institutionalize a culture of active learning that engages undergraduate students in research processes and practice.  Students will be exposed to the methods of research in both the classroom and in laboratory or field settings and will then collaborate with professors in adding to the body of knowledge in their major discipline.  The end result is that students graduate with both knowledge in the discipline and experience in solving real world problems.

There are a number of active programs on the MTSU campus where undergraduates are engaged at a significant level in some aspect of research or creative work.  Presently, the Committee for Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activity (URSCA) is the primary avenue through which undergraduate students can receive funding through the URC. There are additional undergraduate research programs on campus:  McNair, CBAS, TLSAMP, and StepMT.

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Opportunities!!

			Fall 2008
	SEPT	OCT	NOV	DEC
wk 1	Mon, 9/1: Labor Day	Wed., 10/1: Chemistry Club, *NASA Internships* DSB 100 5pm - 6pm Thurs, 10/2: McNair Seminar,         VIS 171, 4:30—6pm.		Wed,12/3: Last day of classes
wk 2	Tues, 9/9:  URC Informational Meeting for all,  CKNB 105, 5-6 pm. Thurs, 9/11: McNair Seminar,  VIS 171, 4:30—6pm	Tues, 10/7:  URSCA Proposal Deadline, 4:30 pm Thurs, 10/9: McNair Appreciation Reception, 4:30-6pm. Fri, 10/10: URSCA Paydate #1	Mon, 11/10: Step Tube videos due Tues, 11/11: Posters at the Capitol Entry Deadline-Contact URC Thurs, 11/13: StepTube Awards Th & Fri, 11/13 & 14: TLSAMP Annual Research Symposium, Univ. of Memphis Fri, 11/14: Posters on the    Hill Entry    Deadline,(Online submissions only. Contact URC)	Fri-Th, 12/5-11: Final exams Sat, 12/13: Commencement **The Undergraduate Research Highlights feature of the Spring 2009 issue of the Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly is accepting submissions until 1/9/09.
wk 3	Thurs, 9/18: McNair Seminar, VIS 171, 4:30—6pm.	Sat-Tu, 10/11-10/14: Fall Break Thurs, 10/16: McNair Seminar,         VIS 171, 4:30—6pm.	Tu&Wed,11/18 & 19: TN Undergraduate   Social Science       Symposium, JUB, 8am—6pm Fri, 11/21: URSCA Paydate #2
wk 4	Wed, 9/24: StepMT Proposal Deadline Thurs, 9/25: McNair Seminar,       VIS 171, 4:30—6pm.	Thurs, 10/23: McNair Seminar,         VIS 171, 4:30—6pm. Thurs, 10/30: McNair Seminar,         VIS 171, 4:30—6pm	Wed, 11/26: StepMTProposal    Deadline 11/27—11/30: Thanksgiving

As students and faculty embraced this concept, the Office of Research has formalized the concept by forming the Tennessee Board of Regent’s first Undergraduate Research Center (URC). The URC will serve as an umbrella structure for all the acti4vities on campus that follow the experiential paradigm for teaching and learning. 

The URC will serve a number of purposes, all of which will further MTSU’s commitment to student-centered learning, one of three pillars in our blueprint for progress—the Academic Master Plan. Some of those purposes include:

• Main source of information and assistance for URSCA program implementation for students and faculty
• Facilitator of pedagogy reform
• Proponent for curriculum reform
• Serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research
• Develop inter-and intra-disciplinary grant-seeking coalitions
• Central source of information on opportunities for research by students
• Communicate exciting successes to media outlets and Congressman Gordon’s office
• Foster a research continuum, from undergraduates to postdocs, all inquiring together
• Pursue funding for undergraduate research and expand the campus’s UG research culture                

The URC is located in the Sam Ingram Building on Middle Tennessee Blvd,  Room 123A