Abstract
Greater access to college education, owed in part to technology and globalization, has the potential to prepare students to thrive in the competitive job market. Competition for careers in the U.S. requiring highly educated, innovative employees is increasing. Hence, undergraduate education offerings must change to prepare U.S. students for both a competitive workforce requiring advanced research and analytical skills and as a stepping-stone towards successfully completing post-baccalaureate degrees. Several universities recognize the critical need for undergraduates to engage in research where they participate in real world experiences that cultivate the academic and professional aptitudes required for the global workforce. This empirical study examines the value of a strategy (i.e., mentorship in undergraduate research) operationalized at a southeastern public liberal arts university to optimize such aptitudes. The study presents the unique voice of participants of this methodology, as their perspectives are significant in identifying the value of this pedagogical model.
Location
Room 115
Publication Type and Release Option
Event
Recommended Citation
Sams, Doreen; Lewis, Robin; Richards, Rosalie; McMullen, Rebecca; Bacnik, Larry; Hammack, Jennifer; and Powell, Catlin, "Mentorship: Competitive Advantage in a Global Marketplace" (2013). SoTL Commons Conference. 94.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2013/94
Mentorship: Competitive Advantage in a Global Marketplace
Room 115
Greater access to college education, owed in part to technology and globalization, has the potential to prepare students to thrive in the competitive job market. Competition for careers in the U.S. requiring highly educated, innovative employees is increasing. Hence, undergraduate education offerings must change to prepare U.S. students for both a competitive workforce requiring advanced research and analytical skills and as a stepping-stone towards successfully completing post-baccalaureate degrees. Several universities recognize the critical need for undergraduates to engage in research where they participate in real world experiences that cultivate the academic and professional aptitudes required for the global workforce. This empirical study examines the value of a strategy (i.e., mentorship in undergraduate research) operationalized at a southeastern public liberal arts university to optimize such aptitudes. The study presents the unique voice of participants of this methodology, as their perspectives are significant in identifying the value of this pedagogical model.
