Let's tell them what they've won: Assessing an undergraduate research award

Abstract

Library-sponsored undergraduate research awards are a popular way for libraries to cultivate and celebrate undergraduate student research on their campuses. However, there is a lack of library and information science literature on ways of assessing these types of awards, particularly related to their impact on winning students. Using a multi-pronged assessment approach, the librarian creators of the Paul Robeson Library Undergraduate Research Award surveyed undergraduate students and award winners to determine ways of improving the general award announcement and application process while also developing a deeper understanding of the impact the award had on the recipients. In addition to identifying ways of elucidating the application process and removing barriers to applying, findings showed that winning the award impacted student success: winners self-reported being more likely to pursue additional academic opportunities and feeling more confident in their ability to perform academic tasks. Although piloted at Rutgers University-Camden on a small scale, these efforts could be easily scaled to assess programs that have existed longer or that include a greater number of awardees.