Monson said he and Malville felt that more CU-Boulder freshman and sophomores should get involved in research, and by starting earlier they can be exposed to a variety of research interests. This ambition prompted them to organize the Baker program. Monson said he hopes to see a positive effect by next year and will be tracking the number of students who go on to do research their sophomore year. Malville said the SURE program changes the nature of the undergraduate experience. To further encourage the establishment of a student research community, SURE students, as well as those who applied to the program but were not accepted, were encouraged to live in Baker Hall.
Ongoing research advising in the dorm is available to all students.
The Baker program lets social connections established during SURE remain intact. Baker Hall is also sponsoring dinners during the school year to bring students and faculty together in an effort to establish connections for research later on. The trips are designed to combine adventure, exploration and discovery. The UROP program is geared to changing the perception that graduate studies are considered more important at big universities than undergraduate studies. Malville pointed out that no other university offers the opportunity to study so closely with faculty early on, a program that fits CU-Boulder well.