Undergraduate Research Internships: Engaging Students in the Co-Creation of Research

Abstract

Higher education is currently in a state of flux, with major funding and policy changes in the last few years shifting the funding of universities towards more free market principles. (Pollard et al. 2013), not to mention the considerable expansion over the last few decades where student numbers have jumped dramatically, despite government funding being steadily cut (Greenaway & Haynes, 2003). In 2010, 45 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 30 entered a higher education institution, up from 39 percent a decade before (Browne, 2010). According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, in 2012/2013 there were 1,803,840 undergraduate students in the United Kingdom, which is a decline of 6.3 percent on the previous year. The trend ‘reflects a general decline across the sector in all modes and levels of study which coincides with changes to the tuition fee arrangements ’ (HESA, 2014). If students are concerned with the extra costs arising from a current degree, it is understandable that they would have concerns about how well the degree will equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete for jobs in the modern economic climate. It is hoped that the strategies and information outlined in this chapter will help to provide a practical student experience that will enable them to compete in today’s challenging job market.