Dear Colleagues,
Many of our students engage in meaningful research and creative work outside of formal coursework - yet these experiences often do not appear on the academic transcript.
Beginning in Fall 2026, URCA 290 (Mentored Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity) provides a simple, standardized way to address this. This zero-credit course allows students to receive transcript recognition for mentored scholarly or creative work, while also enabling faculty to formally record and report their mentoring contributions. While this course would not count toward teaching load, it will be recorded in the productivity record in Faculty Success, giving faculty a great way to demonstrate the mentoring and individualized work they are overseeing with students.
Enrolling students is a quick process:
- Ask your department Administrative Coordinator to create a URCA 290 section (special permission required)
- Have your student request permission to enroll in that section
URCA 290 is flexible by design - expectations and workload are determined by the faculty mentor and tailored to the project. Students participating in programs not otherwise for credit, such as the Teacher-Scholar Program or the Pepsi Grant or other similar opportunities, may enroll in this course so that their research activity appears on their transcripts for these experiences as well.
More information will be available soon on the Undergraduate Research website. A brief primary syllabus is available for those who would like additional details.
Best regards,
Stephanie Simon-Dack, PhD
Vice Provost for Research
Professor of Psychological Science