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Student
Involvement
 In
their future careers, Behavioral Science and Sociology majors
will be exposed to research either by conducting research
projects themselves or being consumers of research findings.
For example, most grants for social programs require some type
of program evaluation to document the implementation or
effectiveness of the program.
To prepare our students for their encounters
with research, the Behavioral Science and Sociology majors
require students to take two semesters of research in the form
of Research Methodology I and II.
About 15 years ago, the research classes were
revised to have students engage in applied research projects
in the community. This became a win-win for the students and
the community. The students gained practical research
experience that can be included in their resumes. The
community receives research findings on topics of interest at
a reasonable cost.
 Some research projects had topics, such as
racism in York County,
that applied to other substantive courses at the college.
When this occurred, these other classes like Ethnic and
Minority Studies, also participated in the research.
Often the culmination of these joint research
projects was a Behavioral Sciences college-community seminar.
Students prepared posters which were displayed in the meeting
area. Selected groups of students presented their findings
orally. Panel discussions occurred among community members
about the implications of the research findings. The most
recent seminars included Health Care Accessibility in
York City, Racism in York County, and Social Capital in
York County.
Three years ago, discussions began on
formalizing the research function under an institute. This
would provide a focus for the community. Rather than the
research being conducted by a college class or group of
students, it would be recognized as a project performed by the
institute.
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