RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012

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INTRODUCTION

Location of Undergraduate Conferences in Canadian Universities

OBJECTIVE

REFERENCES

Thompson Rivers University

Debra Andrews

Undergraduate Research Conferences at Small Canadian Universities

• Undergraduate conferences have become more prevalent in Canadian

universities since the mid-1990s; however, there is little research examining

their impact on undergraduate student engagement and learning outcomes.

• The Undergraduate Conference Research Group (UCRG) is a multi-

disciplinary collaborative research group consisting of TRU faculty,

undergraduate and graduate students researching undergraduate

conferences.

• Disciplines include Biology, Education, English & Modern Languages,

Geography, History, Library and Visual & Performing Arts.

E

Thompson Rivers UniversityKamloops, BC. Pop. 85,000^; Undergraduates: 7360* (98%)**Undergraduate Research & Innovation Conference (2006)**Philosophy-History-Politics Conference(2008)

BD

A

Vancouver Island UniversityNanaimo, BC. Pop. 84,000^; Undergraduates: 6360* (95%)**Celebration of Research Excellence & Knowledge Transfer (CREATE)

B

A D University of the Fraser ValleyAbbotsford, BC. Pop. 141,000^; Undergraduates: 8310* (100%)**No undergraduate conference indicated

*Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada (AUCC). (2014). Retrieved

at http://www.aucc.ca/canadian-universities/our-universities/vancouver-

island-university.

^ Statistics Canada. 2011 census. Retrieved from

http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011.

**University website

E University of Northern British ColumbiaPrince George, BC. Pop. 76,000^; Undergraduates: 2950* (83%)**No undergraduate conference indicated

G

G University of LethbridgeLethbridge, AB Pop. 106,00^; Undergraduates: 7960* (94%)**Research in Religious Studies; RiboWest Conference (biennial) ; Childhoods Conference

H

H

Trent UniversityPeterborough, ON Pop. 119,000^; Undergraduates: 7600* (95%)**occasionally hosts Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC)

K

K

University of ReginaRegina, SK Pop. 228,000^; Undergraduates: 11,530* (88%)**Annual Graduate & Undergraduate Conference

Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay/Orillia, ON Pop. 122,000^; Undergraduates: 8100* (91%)**Research & Innovation Week

J

JL

L Bishop’s UniversitySherbrooke PQ Pop. 147,000^; Undergraduates: 2700* (99%)**U4 League: Annual Research & Innovation Week (2013)

University of New BrunswickFredericton, NB Pop. 94,000^; Undergraduates: 9060* (85%)**No undergraduate conference indicated

M

M

O Mount Allison UniversitySackville, NB Pop. 5600^; Undergraduates: 2680* (99%)**U4 League: Science Atlantic Conference (host) 2012;Annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fair (SURF)

O

N Acadia UniversityWolfville, NS Pop. 4300^; Undergraduates: 3610* (85%)**U4 League: Unlocking the Power and Possibilities of Undergraduate Research 2013

N

R St. Francis Xavier UniversityAntigonish, NS Pop. 4500^; Undergraduates: 4820* (93%)**U4 League: Student Research Day 2013

R

I University of WinnipegWinnipeg, MB Pop. 730,000^; Undergraduates: 9760* (96%)**Annual Prairie Undergraduate Research Conference and Colloquia; Annual Randy Kobes Undergraduate Science Student Poster Competition

University of Prince Edward IslandCharlottetown, PE Pop. 65,000^; Undergraduates: 4250* (93%)**Atlantic University Undergraduate History and Classics Conference

P

I P

Q St. Mary’s UniversityHalifax, NS Pop. 390,000^; Undergraduates: 6910* (91%)** No undergraduate conference indicated

Q

C Royal Roads UniversityVictoria, BC Pop. 345,000^; Undergraduates: 1390* (27%)**Annual RRU International Undergraduate Case Competition

Mount Royal UniversityCalgary, AB Pop. 1,200,000^; Undergraduates: 11,890* (100%)** Annual Student Day

F

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• This preliminary research indicates that most small primarily-undergraduate

Canadian universities hold undergraduate research conferences.

• NOTE: Information found on university websites will contain biased opinions

and reports due to the promotional nature of such sites aimed at

undergraduate student recruitment.

• Undergraduate research conference origins and organizational models will

be further studied through an on-line survey, and through interviews with

faculty, undergraduate and graduate students that have been and/or

continue to be involved in undergraduate conferences.

• Q: Does location matter? Relationship to metropolis proximity.

• Q: Examine community college roots to university transformation.

• This next stage of research is in its developmental stage pending approval by

the TRU Human Ethics Review Board.

MATERIALS & METHODS

RESULTS

CONCLUSION & FURTHER STUDY

SMALL CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

(2,000 – 12,000 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS)

• As a member of the UCRG, my task is to survey Canadian universities to

determine the prevalence and location of undergraduate research

conferences, and to analyze models used as frameworks for planning and

organizing these events.

• An analysis of eighteen small Canadian university websites to determine the

occurrence of an undergraduate research conference.

• A small university is identified as one with an undergraduate population of

2,000 to 12,000 students (excluding distance and open learning students).

• An examination of each university website determined that approximately

78% (14 of 18) of small Canadian universities hold at least one

undergraduate research conference on an annual basis.

FC

Undergraduate Conferences

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