Reflections on the Evolution of Undergraduate Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Over the Past 25 Years

Undergraduate research (UGR) has grown in prominence and stature over the past 25 years as it has been embraced at institutions of all types. The enormous changes that have been made to support these endeavors have led to many success stories but also have created many challenges for faculty operationalizing these activities. In this article, the successes and challenges of institutionalizing UGR at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) are described, and the concerns that still need attention are addressed. Assisting faculty in remaining student-oriented rather than becoming research-oriented, the primary reason to do research at PUIs and valuing the process of doing UGR along with the products of the work are probed. The creation of scaffolded, backward-designed, research-rich curricula is discussed, and some of the remaining challenges to institutionalizing UGR are considered.