The Rensselaer Plan, the guiding vision behind many of the changes and additions taking place at RPI, makes mention of revolutionizing the undergraduate academic programs through student involvement in research opportunities and the introduction of new interactive pedagogies in the classroom.
To that end, Prabhat Hajela, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, is spearheading an initiative called The Undergraduate Plan—the goal of which is simply to specifically implement initiatives and improvements promulgated by The Rensselaer Plan. The Undergraduate Plan has three primary sets of goals. They are in undergraduate research, international experiences, and living and learning initiatives.
To achieve any of the above goals, however, Hajela indicated that several prerequisites, or “under-girding initiatives,” were necessary. Academic advising, an area frequented by complaints, particularly in the School of Engineering, is a top priority. Hajela sees advisors taking less of a role in interpreting the catalog and a much more significant role in advising students in research opportunities and career prospects. The advising of undeclared students, dual degree, dual majors, and URP students have been identified as key areas for improvement.
Enhancing the undergraduate program also involves retaining the students involved in it. To that end, the Advising and Learning Assistance Center will be taking a greater role in raising the student retention rate (currently 92.4 percent) and expanding the implementation of the early warning system to identify and help students experiencing difficulty with course material.
In the past, a dearth of summer courses has frustrated students in dual majors or co-op programs and has probably contributed to RPI’s resultant little undergraduate student involvement in research. The Provost’s Office has called for proposals on the matter, and a significantly increased number of credited summer courses are expected next summer, with more to come.
Undergraduate research experiences are a major focus of The Undergraduate Plan. Currently, only about six percent of RPI students participate in research annually at a rate of pay one-quarter that of comparable institutions. To bring those numbers up significantly, Hajela plans to make a list of currently available UROPs on the web and offer opportunities for participation in externally funded research. Additionally, the formation of an Honors College to recognize independent inquiry and research may serve to arouse student interest in actively pursuing research opportunities.
International exchange programs have long been a familiar experience to some students at RPI, particularly to architecture and management students. Hajela, however, sees international experiences as an extremely important component of an RPI education, as it gives students experience in collaborating in work or study in an international setting. Currently, several international exchange agreements are in the works with many institutions including some located in South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, and India.
These agreements will also affect life back in Troy, N.Y., with the future addition of degree programs in foreign language, international relations, and other related fields. To support these international efforts, President Jackson’s trip to Asia last year identified possibilities for RPI satellite campuses in that region.
One of the other significant components of The Undergraduate Plan, and the initiative that many of the aforementioned programs support, is the Living and Learning Communities. These are groups of students, possibly in a diversity of majors, that have interest in a particular type of research or related areas of interest. These students would live in a single residence area and participate in academic work, seminars, field trips, and other activities related to their area of shared interest. Hajela believes that these communities will accommodate different learning styles and create lasting contact between students and faculty in some of the “theme areas” being considered—such as Biotechnology, Electronic Media and Arts, and International Affairs and Public Service.
