Chronicle of Higher Education features Research Learning Experiences
The Chronicle of Higher Education published a story about Research Learning Experiences (RLES) at the University of Maine, which are courses that allow first- and second-year students to engage in research and other forms of hands-on learning at the start of their college careers. Among the RLEs featured in The Chronicle was “Play with Your Food” taught by faculty from the UMaine School of Food and Agriculture. Reporters attended a class in which students were testing pasta recipes in a commercial kitchen. UMaine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, piloted RLEs for the University of Maine System in fall 2021, during which 250 students participated. The RLE initiative is supported by a generous donation from the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of UMS TRANSFORMS, as well as a $50,000 grant from the Coalition of Life Transformative Education (CLTE).