Conclusion
- An undergraduate-centered MSCC has been a great boon to the department,
university, and students at NKU, in numerous ways. I can't think of
a downside!
- The MSCC has grown significantly in the last three years, and
currently employs six undergraduate students (including our two CS
"code-monkeys"). We see nothing but a bright future. There is talk
of a full-time Ph.D. statistician director, and a bigger office;)
- the majority of projects handled by the MSCC have been
campus-related; yet a sizeable minority are from the community (business,
schools, non-profits): it's a wonderful instrument of outreach
- The MSCC employs student consultants (almost exclusively
undergraduates) who have benefited from
- honing their skills,
- working with real-world problems from start to finish, and
- making presentations at professional meetings or before boards, and
- opportunities to participate in such activities as contests and
candidate searches, etc.
- We would not have any more of seen some of these students without this
option (e.g. psychology students)! They'd finished their math, and would
have moved on....
- Financially, the center has begun to pay its way (through grants). We
haven't yet been required to charge for our services.
- Just do it!