The following are the requirements for the term paper: It must be 3,000 3,500 words in length (word length does not include bibliography) It must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, with numbered pages and 1 margins. This is a research paper, which means that you MUST cite published research to support the points you make in your paper. Each paper should reflect citations from at least 5 different books and/or published journal articles, all published within the last 10 years. This requirement allows you to demonstrate that the positions you take in the term paper are not merely your own opinion, but are supported by recently published research. Students are expected to use APA style (7th edition) to guide formatting for citations and bibliography. The following are some examples of topics you can address for your term paper. These are NOT the only topics you may address. I encourage you to speak with me about your ideas and get my feedback so that you will know that you are on the right track. How can students benefit from involvement outside the classroom? What co-curricular activities do you participate in at UAlbany? What skills have you gained from those experiences? What are the benefits and challenges of being a student-athlete? How can colleges and universities ensure that student-athletes can balance their athletic and academic responsibilities? What are some of the safety and/or mental health issues currently prevalent on college campuses that are most concerning? How can college administrators effectively handle these issues? What are some of the ways that COVID has transformed American higher education? What are some of the recent changes due to COVID that you would want to persist and what are some that you would want to see end? What are some of the features that you would want to see in higher education that currently do not exist? How can universities bridge the gap between what employers want and how students are being prepared? What is the value of internships, study abroad, service learning and research in preparing students for meaningful work post-graduation? How are online courses similar to and different from face-to-face courses? If you have taken online classes previously, what did you think? What did you like best about the online format? What could have improved your experience? Would you consider a fully online degree program? Why or why not? How can we evaluate the quality of a college or university? How do we know if students are learning? What were some of the courses/experiences that had the greatest impact on your learning gains
