Mission Statement
The Student Achievement in Research and Scholarship Program (STARS) is an undergraduate research program designed to prepare high achieving low-income, (potential) first generation and students from underrepresented groups for the next level in their educational continuum through graduate education and professional careers.
Purpose
The Student Achievement in Research and Scholarship Program (STARS) is an undergraduate program designed to prepare high achieving low-income, or (potential) first generation and/or students from underrepresented groups for the next level in their educational continuum through graduate education.
While the immediate focus of the program is to encourage and help undergraduate students successfully enroll and participate in graduate school, the long-term goal of the program is to enlarge the pool of graduate faculty and those in professional careers in Ohio.
STARS alumni who become teaching faculty will strengthen academic and support systems for underrepresented students, serve as role models, and encourage more of these students to pursue and successfully participate in postsecondary education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
History and Background
Over a decade ago, the Regents’ Advisory Committee on Graduate Study (RACGS) recognized the critical need for increasing Ohio’s pool of prepared faculty. Thus, the STARS Program was created in 1991.
Design
The STARS Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct scholarly research with a faculty mentor, receive paid research assistanceships and travel scholarships to attend conferences, and participate in campus-based STARS Student Club workshops and seminars that will better prepare them for the graduate school admissions process and for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Qualified graduating seniors have the opportunity to be considered for financial assistance during their first year of graduate school in some of the Ohio graduate school programs.
Student Eligibility Requirements
Students are referred for participation in STARS by faculty members. However, eligible students interested in the program are encouraged to talk with a STARS campus coordinator or faculty mentor about applying for participation.
In order to be accepted into the Program, freshman, sophomore, junior or senior undergraduate college students must demonstrate that they are goal oriented, highly motivated and high achieving. They must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on 4.0 scale for acceptance into the Program and maintenance of a 3.0 GPA for continued participation. Students must be able to identify a faculty mentor or potential mentor, preferably from the graduate school.
Participating students are required to complete a scholarly research project, attend and present their research project and findings at the Annual Ohio STARS Statewide Student Research Conference. Additionally, STARS students must participate in their campus STARS Student Club or research networking group.
