Student Research Using a Multi-Mentor Model: UCO and the Dutch Church Book Provenance Project in London

Abstract

Engaging students in research, one of the ten high-impact teaching practices described by George Kuh in his 2008 AAC&U report, is an effective way to help students engage actively with the material, learn the skills of the historical profession, and develop a sense of their professional self. Recent research on the structure of mentoring suggest the benefits of moving outside the mentor-protégé model, often used in History research, towards experiences where students work in teams with multiple mentors. In 2016, I worked with colleagues at Lambeth Palace Library and Archives and the Dutch Church in London to create a new student-centered research experience that created a research team experience for History majors. The undergraduate and graduate students join researchers and archivists to work on the Dutch Church Book Provenance Project, an effort to identify and research the historical collection given by the Dutch congregation to Lambeth Palace following World War II. The project introduces students to the history of the book, philanthropy in London, and the role of the Dutch community in the city’s rich history. The poster will discuss their experience and the benefits of the multi-mentor model for history research.