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Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center

Mission, Vision, & Values

Mission

We promote scholarly identity, intellectual vibrancy, and the development of social capital by facilitating mentored undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity that is composed of rigorous, authentic, and calibrated scholarly activities by providing first-hand, transformative experiences through innovative and distinctive programs that enrich and broaden engagement opportunities for the campus and tri-county community.

How do we achieve our mission? UROC provides educational advising and assistance through one-on-one sessions, group workshops, relevant courses, and scholar community building activities. To further prepare them for life beyond their undergraduate education, students engage in professional experiences, such as the presentation of their research at professional conferences and the publication of their work in peer-reviewed journals. Students who wish to proceed with their education are also provided with graduate school preparation activities. In all endeavors, UROC works to provide students with an engaged and scholarly undergraduate experience by integrating mentorship, learning, and research.

UROC Scholar Jesse Yamagata presenting her research at the SACNAS conference.
UROC Scholar Jesse Yamagata presenting her research at the SACNAS conference.

In the next decade, UROC anticipates growing both the number of research and scholarly activities offered as well as the breadth and scope of those offerings. This will include programming that further integrates research into the CSUMB curriculum and also combines research activities with other high-impact practices.

Values

Quality

Our programs are designed in partnership with CSUMB faculty, rooted in CSUMB curriculum, and offer different levels of engagement in order to provide access to all CSUMB students. They foster critical thinking, communication skills, and create entirely new prospects by providing participants with a deep understanding of the culture, processes and knowledge generation and dissemination underlying inquiry-based research and scholarly activities.

Campus engagement

The life and vitality of UROC comes from our students,faculty, and staff. Their passion for inquiry-based research inspires our work;their persistence and enthusiasm encourages us to explore and expand programming opportunities available for each member of our campus community. Together we create an abundance of shared successes which illuminate the path and invite future students, faculty and staff to venture forth.

Expertise

UROC strives to understand the needs of our program participants as well as the campus and tri-county communities by infusing our collective experience with new knowledge, planning and action. Our staff builds confidence by ensuring stability and consistency within our programs. We provide a structure around which faculty are able to develop creative programming.

Integration

Our plans, decisions and priorities express alignment with CSUMB’s values, mission, and vision. Our ability to shift in scales, moving from program details to the big picture ensures harmonious operations vertically and horizontally among all programs, departments and levels of administration within CSUMB.

Graduated Scholar Avery Thurston receives his graduation stole.
Graduated Scholar Avery Thurston receives his graduation stole at the UROC Year End Celebration.

In July 2020, undergraduate researchers in the UROC Researchers, UROC McNair Scholars, UROC Scholars and SERE Scholars programs participated in conversations about the intersections between social justice and research. Issues of student and faculty representation of color in research/academe is the focus.

As a start-- and in response to these conversations, UROC has:

  • Organized an ongoing speaker series that invites undergraduates to engage with multicultural faculty who will speak about their journey through academe and their research in a variety of fields including biofuels, linguistics, theater history and performance studies, and environmental science.
  • The recently formed inaugural class of Koret Foundation Scholars focuses on first-generation social science research aims.
  • Continued to build out UROC programming centered on evidence-based pedagogies including culturally relevant (CR) pedagogy, focused on student empowerment and voice in order to support undergraduates in becoming change agents.
  • Our course management CANVAS and iLearn programmatic pages include a number of relevant and inclusive social justice resources on mental health and research, racial bias, consciousness, and equity for students.
  • Collaborative research efforts with the Office of Inclusive Excellence on support for students during the SARS CoV-2 pandemic.

UROC is continuing to explore avenues for addressing these important issues, and welcomes suggestions from all members of the CSUMB community. Interested in hearing more about what other CSUMB units are doing regarding the BLM movement? Explore the Office of Inclusive Excellence page for more information.

How we activate our students

  • Challenge: Cultivate student success through challenging and rigorous research experiences that are grounded in rigorous academic expectations.
  • Develop: Support student development through intensive mentoring and program services.
  • Apply & Calibrate: Enable students to apply and 'calibrate' their skills and knowledge through exposure to the field, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
  • Achieve & Identify: Empower students to develop self-efficacy and identity as scholars and researchers.