If you offer it, they will come: Student research symposia at UNF

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) at the University of North Florida (UNF) has been hosting a student research symposium during spring semesters for almost two decades. Beginning in the fall 2022 semester, the office began offering a research symposium every semester (fall, spring, summer) to capture senior level students who graduate in the fall and as a centralized way to showcase summer research programs. Although the office was excited for these new offerings, buy-in by students and their faculty mentors, as measured by participation in the events, was not a guarantee. Analyses of symposia held from fall 2022 through summer 2024 indicate that while the traditionally held spring symposium (Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship – SOARS – Symposium) participant numbers were similar for both years, notable increases in attendance were observed for the other two symposia, when comparing the inaugural event to the second year. The Undergraduate-Graduate Learning, Inquiry and Distinctive Experimentation (U-GLIDE) Symposium, held in fall, saw an impressive 65% increase in attendance between 2022 and 2023. The Advancements in Research, Inquiry and Scholarship Exhibition (ARISE), held in summer, saw a 45% increase in attendance between 2023 and 2024. Students in the natural sciences are the largest group of presenters at every symposium and form the foundation of each event. Pronounced participation by students in the arts and humanities has also been observed, because of several initiatives at UNF to support creative activities. The data suggest that buy-in by students and their faculty mentors has been achieved.