current projects

Measuring Undergraduate Success Trajectories (MUST) Project

The UCI-MUST Project directed by Richard Arum has been following the educational experiences, trajectories and outcomes of undergraduate students beginning in Fall 2019.  The project integrates administrative, learning management system, longitudinal survey, experiential sampling method, and performance assessment data with the goals of improving institutional performance, advancing educational equity, and enhancing knowledge of educational processes.

College-to-Career

In 2024, Richard Arum was awarded $1.95 million in grant funding from the Strada Education Foundation and Ascendium Education Group for research tracking and supporting improved college-to-career trajectories. The research team has been partnering with Northeastern University to study its nationally recognized Co-op experiential workplace learning program. In addition, research at UCI is being conducted on student engagement with career-oriented clubs and campus career services, including advisement, workshop and career fair attendance, and online job application behavior. The development of skills and intellectual dispositions in coursework is also examined.

Intellectual Virtues

Higher education is an opportunity to strengthen intellectual virtues that prepare students for engaging reflectively and thinking critically about the world. While many universities excel at teaching knowledge and theory, less attention has been given to nurturing the intellectual character that underpins lifelong learning. At UCI, this work has been brought to life through the Anteater Virtues program, an online curriculum that introduces undergraduates to skills essential for academic success and for life beyond the university. Led by Dr. Duncan Pritchard, with Richard Arum as co-lead, the project explores how students can engage with curated, evidence-based modules to build four core intellectual virtues: curiosity, integrity, humility, and tenacity.

Richard Arum has contributed extensively to this work, including co-authoring several publications that examine the role of intellectual virtues in higher education.

LIFTED (Leveraging Inspiring Futures Through Educational Degrees)

LIFTED is the first program in the University of California system to offer incarcerated students the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree while serving their sentence. Launched at UC Irvine (UCI) in partnership with Southwestern College (SWC), LIFTED creates a direct pathway for students to transfer to UCI as juniors.

Research has consistently shown that investing in prison education yields significant social and economic returns. Most incarcerated individuals will eventually return to their communities, making it essential that there are effective reform initiatives in place to support that transition.

Richard Arum serves as a member of the LIFTED Campus Advisory Committee, supervises evaluation research on the program, and teaches coursework at the facility alongside other faculty and professors.

Calbright and Zero Cost Textbook Evaluations

Working in collaboration with Dr. Di Xu, Richard Arum serves as co-PI conducting research and evaluation of innovative California community initiatives. Calbright Community College is a fully online, self-paced competency based education focused on providing workforce training for non-traditional students.  The Zero Cost Textbook study evaluates a $120 million state investment in creating zero cost textbook degree pathways in the California Community College System.

ECCLPs (Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects)

ECCLPs are collaborative projects developed with input from educators, researchers, trustees, and the UC and CSU systems, aimed at ensuring all California high school students are literate in fundamental climate change issues and solutions. Richard Arum is involved in a set of community-based efforts focused on better preparing the youth to understand and respond to increasing environmental challenges confronting our planet.

Samueli Academy

Richard Arum has served on the board of the Samueli Academy since 2016. The Samueli Academy is a charter school in Santa Ana with a focus on serving foster youth and the local community. The school features a pedagogical commitment to project-based learning and summer internships with local businesses.