TCU and BRIT’s new agreement will add experiential learning to university curriculum
The Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Texas Christian University announced an education and research partnership that will add plant science and field research to the curriculum for TCU’s undergraduate and graduate programs, according to a news release.
The program, planned to launch in fall 2018, will connect undergraduate and graduate students in TCU’s College of Science & Engineering and College of Education with BRIT’s Ph.D. botanists and research staff to perform plant science and field research to fulfill degree requirements.
“BRIT’s unique experiential learning coupled with its research labs and herbarium add a new learning dimension to our educational programs,” says Dr. Nowell Donovan, TCU Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, in a statement. “Graduates from these TCU schools will be better prepared to make substantial contributions to their employers and to the environment as they enter the fields of their choice.”
Per the agreement, qualified BRIT research scientists will develop and teach classes through appointment as TCU adjunct faculty and help direct undergraduate research, the release says. After gaining Associate Graduate Faculty status, they will also serve on graduate thesis committees.
“In our 30th year, BRIT is realizing its true potential as a regional research and education institution with the signing of this MOA,” says Dr. Ed Schneider, BRIT’s executive director. “We are aggressively pursuing academic and public partnerships that will advance conservation knowledge to the next generation of leaders.”
There is a joint signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Agreement scheduled on October 2, 2017 at 2 p.m. in BRIT’s atrium, followed by a brief reception.
In January, the University of Texas at Arlington and BRIT announced they are going to collaborate to offer expanded research opportunities for graduate level studies.