Nine students in SC State’s Business Program recently participated in a one-week intensive Student Research and Writing Institute. Funded through a Title III grant, the institute is a component of the Writing Across the Curriculum in Business (WACB) Program that was implemented in 2009 to enhance students’ ability to discover, refine and communicate ideas in writing. The institute focuses on helping students understand the research and writing process.
During the institute students learned the difference between qualitative and quantitative research and received instruction on each component of the research process to include: selecting a topic, developing research questions and hypothesis, conducting a literature review, developing a research design, methods of collecting data, and analyzing and interpreting data. Other features of the institute included a session at the library on information literacy and how to use the databases to search for information, in addition to a one-day session with writing consultant, Dr. Mildred Rowland, who provided an overview of the writing process, writing with coherence, clarity and conciseness and using correct punctuation and grammar.
“This was a great experience for both faculty and students,” said Dr. Barbara Adams, interim assistant vice president for Programs and Graduate Studies. “This was the first time that many of the students had experienced this type of training. They were all very focused and committed.”
A unique feature of the institute was the pairing of students in teams of two. Students were assigned a faculty coach who worked with them to develop and narrow down a research topic and develop the research design for the project. On the last day of the institute, student teams presented their proposed research projects and will continue to conduct research over the next two months. They will also write a journal article to explain their research findings. Faculty coaches will stay in contact with their team on a weekly basis to provide guidance and ensure they remain on track and adhere to a timetable.
“The institute was an eye opener for me because I wasn’t aware that there were so many outlets and academic levels for me to research and write on,” said David Kershaw, May 2011 marketing major. “It was a really great experience and I encourage the University to hold this program every year while getting more freshmen and sophomores involved,” he added.
Kershaw was joined by eight of his peers for the institute, to include: Tana Isaac, sophomore, accounting major; Oyetayo Omotosho, junior, accounting major; Keisha Glasgow-Pierre, May 2011 MBA graduate; Daria Sekerina, senior, accounting major; Shavone Slocum, May 2011 graduate, business economics major; Lyudmyla Starostyuk, first year MBA major; Charisma Owens, May 2011 graduate, management major and Ruth Uthman, junior, accounting major.
Faculty coaches are: Dr. Barbara Adams, Dr. David Karemera, Dr. Marion Sillah, Dr. Muhammad Mustafa and Dr. Ann Winstead. Dr. Paul Reinstra-Munnicha and professor Anthony Masino were resource persons
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