Forging on-campus connections to enhance undergraduate student reasoning, writing, and research skills

Research and writing are critical components of an undergraduate education. Partnerships between economics faculty and campus resources can improve student research and writing skills. Here, the authors describe programs at three different campuses that bridge department and campus resources: the Empirical Reasoning Lab at Barnard College, the Writing Program at Carleton College, and the Library's Data Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. The authors describe each program's mission and structure, provide examples of its impact on student learning, and discuss administrative factors (and hurdles) to consider in implementing similar programs elsewhere.