Study: Focus on undergrads

The University of Michigan is known as one of the finest research institutions in the country. But a report released yesterday says research institutions have been short-changing their undergraduate students and not giving them their money's worth.

The report, commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, said the nation's 125 research institutions are not meeting some of the needs of students because their senior faculty focus on research, not undergraduate education.

"Tuition income from undergraduates is one of the major sources of university income, helping to support research programs and graduate education, but the students paying the tuition get, in all too many cases, less than their money's worth," the report said.

Shirley Strum Kenny, chair of the Ernest Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University, which completed the report, said that although some generalizations had to be made, the commission found some major problems in the undergraduate education and the report should serve as a "call to arms for universities."

"We do perceive as a problem that senior faculty members ... have not been available to undergraduate students," said Kenny, who is also president of State University of New York at Stony Brook. "These are great institutions, but there are things we can do better."

Lincoln Faller, the University's associate dean for undergraduate education, said the idea that research and education are closely linked at the University and that one cannot survive without the other.

"If you have a university that cared only about research, you'd have to ask why have a university at all. Why not just have a think tank?" Faller asked. "There needs to be a balancing act. We try to maintain that balancing act."

But the commission found that many students do not benefit from that balancing act, and instead they move through the institution, not fulfilling their potential.

"Many students graduate having accumulated whatever number of courses is required, but still lacking a coherent body of knowledge or any inkling as to how one sort of information might relate to others," the report said.

The commission returned a great deal of data on the experience of first-year students at research institutions, saying they suffered most from the problems in such schools.

Chemistry Prof. Thomas Dunn said most first-year students are not ready for major research projects, but the University has done a good job of making these projects available.

"There is a certain degree of expertise you need to do research. There is no way all freshmen are ready for research," Dunn said.

But Dunn said the University is not as problematic as many of the research institutions the report discusses.

Education "did suffer for a period of time," Dunn said. "But now we're a little ahead of the curve."

In a presentation to the University Board of Regents last July, Vice President for Research Frederick Neidhardt said the University must ensure the link between education and research to best maintain the University's reputation.

"As one of the nation's vanguard research universities and leading educational institutions, the University of Michigan assumes a special responsibility for ensuring that our extensive effort in research, scholarship and creative activity adds value to the education of our undergraduate students," Neidhardt said.

In addition to identifying problems, the commission suggested 10 ways to improve undergraduate education at these institutions.

"Our proposal makes research the mode of education for all students," Kenny said. "We would like to see professors spend time with smaller groups of students."

Kenny said some schools offer excellent student-instructor interaction, but professors often do not interact with undergraduates. Another of the commission's suggestions was for every student to have a professor as a mentor, Kenny said.

The University works hard to maintain its undergraduate population because it is the life-line of the entire University, Faller said.

"Without being able to recruit some of the best undergraduates in the country, we wouldn't be able to maintain our excellence," Faller said.

The University has addressed the problems posed by continuing research with many new programs. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and the First-Year Seminar program are two such opportunities for students to work closely with higher level faculty, Faller said.

There are 160 first-year seminars offered to incoming students, all taught by full professors. Faller said these seminars offer more than enough spots for all incoming students.

Although these experiences with professors are important, Faller defended the graduate student instructors who many students deal with on a regular basis.

"We recruit some of the best people possible for our graduate program," Faller said.

But the report said GSIs and other teachers often times cannot stimulate learning among their students.

"Some of their instructors are likely to be badly trained or even untrained teaching assistants who are groping their way toward a teaching technique; some others may be tenured drones who deliver set lectures from yellowed notes, making no effort to engage the bored minds of the students in front of them," the report said.

04-21-98