Design Features, Impacts & Outcomes of the VIP Model

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Leveraging information provided by the VIP Consortium, consider the following aspects of the VIP model regarding student impacts and outcomes.  Much of the text presented below is available on the VIP Consortium website.

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In VIP programs, undergraduate students - from various academic years and disciplines -  work with faculty on ambitious, long-term, large-scale research projects.

 

Structured as semester-long courses, VIP operates like lab groups or think-tanks rather than the traditional lecturer-class model, giving students direct involvement in the research and innovation while earning academic credit.

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Faculty-Led Teams: Faculty create projects around their scholarly interests, bringing expertise and enthusiasm to each team. The VIP structure is uniquely designed to advance faculty scholarship and research while emphasizing undergraduate learning.

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Collaboration & Mentorship: VIP's long-term nature creates a unique mentorship environment: faculty mentor teams, experienced students mentor new members, and students move into leadership positions as others graduate. Subsequently, students develop leadership and collaboration skills.

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Active Participation: Interested students may join VIP teams and earn credits per semester starting their sophomore year. Students are eligible to participate in the same team throughout the rest of their academic careers.

 

This extended timeline provides the time and context for students to: 

• gain deeper insights into their field of study;

• learn and practice professional and research skills;

• make substantial contributions to real-world projects; and

• experience different roles on large, multi-disciplinary teams.​​

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The VIP Model at UMD - How Partnership Will Work for New VIP Teams

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Launched by the A. James Clark School of Engineering, VIP@Maryland has been in operation for several years and is a guide for implementing future VIP Teams.  The ENGR-based team that leads VIP@Maryland has established a framework that will inform the design of teams, facilities, courses, and student recruitment.​

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The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) will serve as the unit that will catalyze the scaling of new VIP Teams across UMD. 

 

OUR will help campus partners implement these teams by facilitating the following aspects of new VIP Team operations:

• Student messaging & recruitment (including the messaging of undergraduates, facilitation of applications, and team assignments).

• Course creation & scheduling.

• Faculty training, academic community & readiness.

• VIP Team assessment & evaluation.

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Campus partners will need to provide the following for all new VIP Teams:

• Appropriate facilities, equipment, and consumables for research operations.

• A faculty member who can serve as the mentor and instructor of record role for the associated VIP course.

• Appropriate course relief or overload appointment for the faculty member role and course instruction.