SENATE RESOLUTION 04/05-05;____Establishment of a Campus Wide Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

WHEREAS, Research is an important component of a "Research University" that UAH
aspires to, and

WHEREAS, Research is an important part of the professional life of faculty
members at UAH, and

WHEREAS, Research is an important part of the undergraduate experience for those
students who plan to pursue studies beyond the baccalaureate,
and

WHEREAS, Research at UAH should address scholarly needs of the diverse population
of all UAH faculty and students, and

WHEREAS, The National Science Foundation has long recognized the importance of
research experience programs for undergraduate students in the sciences
and technology by providing additional funding for such programs for
NSF funded studies, and

WHEREAS, There are examples of successful undergraduate research programs several departments at UAH, such as Physics and Chemistry, and

WHEREAS, There are experienced faculty that could be appointed by the Provost to serve as director of a UAH-REU program having the responsibility to solicit REU faculty-undergraduate team proposals, to convene a REU oversight committee to select proposal winners, to monitor all REU progress, to prepare an annual summary report to the Provost, and to solicit additional funds to contribute to the campus wide REU program, and

WHEREAS, There are other funds that could be obtained from, for example, the Alabama Space Grant Consortium, industry, and foundations that could be used to augment those provided by the University, and

WHEREAS, There is no campus wide program that offers a means for undergraduate
students to gain a research experience in all colleges of UAH.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

That the Faculty Senate requests that funds be made available to establish a
campus wide Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) that would
be administered out of the Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs
Office.