University of Illinois at Chicago

Graduate College

New Pathways to Graduate Study

 Overview

The Graduate College is expanding its current efforts to prepare and recruit more underrepresented minority college students to graduate study at UIC.  Specifically, we have developed the New Pathways to Graduate Study initiative to nurture UIC undergraduates with potential to enter graduate studies. 

The New Pathways to Graduate Study Program strengthens and builds upon institutional relationships both internally and externally to also attract more underrepresented students to graduate study at UIC.  Internally, the program will identify faculty advisors, within UIC, willing to nominate such students to facilitate recruitment and a more successful graduate school experience. Externally, the program will collaborate with other institutions to establish a mutually beneficial relationship to prepare, recruit and enroll talented students. We have demonstrated success and experience in these endeavors. Our Sumer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) and Ronald E. McNair Program have very good graduate placement records over the last 10 years.

Programming

In fall 2008, 10-15 students will begin the New Pathways to Graduate Study Program with a faculty member who supervises the research project.  A research proposal including an annotated bibliography must be submitted at the end of fall term. In the spring 2009 term students will continue their collaborations with faculty supervisors. At the end of the spring term students are expected to submit a 20-page report and conduct an oral presentation. Their projects may be presented at local, regional and national research conferences, and symposia. Publication of these papers will be encouraged. Faculty research supervisors will receive a $300 for materials and expense award for supervising the student’s work during the academic year. 

Also, during the fall and spring students complete a series of introductory workshops on research-oriented and graduate-school oriented topics. The research-oriented topics will be conducted by faculty.  The graduate school-oriented topics will be conducted by program staff.  In summer, the student’s research proposal will accompany their UIC SROP to CIC institutions and other institutions where the student will conduct the research during the nine weeks of the summer at another campus.