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Impact & Influence: Why R1 Matters By Charlie Bier | Illustration by Courtney Jeffries

Photo credits: Doug Dugas

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s R1 designation cements a university’s position as a top-tier research institution, punctuating academic excellence, scholarship, research, service, innovation and global impact. It’s a designation just 146, or 3%, of the country’s public and private universities have earned, a lofty perch the University of Louisiana at Lafayette grasped at the close of 2021. The University’s R1 status brought notice in Washington D.C., applause from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and state lawmakers in Baton Rouge, and merited a campus research showcase. R1, indeed, is a very good place to be. Topping a long list of reasons why? Its capacity to empower.

The R1 designation, which Carnegie evaluates every three years, provides a springboard for a university to expand the cutting-edge research and scholarship that propelled it to R1; strengthens its ability to attract exemplary students and faculty members; and fans its role as an engine for economic and workforce development. Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, said the designation places a resounding stamp on the University’s longstanding reputation as an international hub for teaching, learning and research. It also offers a gateway to opportunity. “R1 is a testament to our faculty, staff and students who, together, have proven dedicated, capable stewards in the University’s decades-long mission to create an environment that fosters student success and where life-changing research happens,” he said. “That’s cause for immense pride and confidence, especially as we move forward. As with those who came before us, it is our obligation to make certain that those who come after us can reach even greater heights.”

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, vice president for Research, Innovation and Economic Development, said the University is well-positioned to leverage R1 status. His reasoning is straightforward: “R1 opens doors.” The designation provides access to external funding a university otherwise wouldn’t be eligible to pursue; paves the way for new academic degrees and programs; gives additional heft to graduates’ degrees; spurs partnerships with industry seeking established sources of intellectual capital; influences policymakers and lawmakers; and inspires philanthropy. “Research isn’t done on an island, and we’re engaging with collaborators who might not have sought us out before. I’m seeing it from industry. From federal funding agencies. In interest from the community,” Kolluru said.

“R1 opens doors.” Dr. Ramesh Kolluru

It all amounts to self-generated opportunity. The University’s research and development expenditures, a key metric in attaining R1 status, increased by $119 million between 2013 and 2021. UL Lafayette also secured $65 million in federal R&D funding, the most in history. And, for a second consecutive time, it is the nation’s seventh-best university for research funded through collaboration with business and industry. “We intend to sustain that momentum,” Kolluru said, “and keep moving forward.”

Photo credits: Doug Dugas

Graduate School growth, another factor in the attainment of R1 status, has also been substantial. From Fall 2010 to Fall 2021, overall graduate enrollment rose 73%. The increase among doctoral students was 47%. That has translated into a record number of graduate degrees awarded since 2010; master’s degrees climbed by 81% and doctoral degrees by 120%. Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, dean of the Graduate School, attributes the growth to “our faculty members, who perform at a very high level, and our graduate programs, which offer tremendous opportunities for our students to succeed in the classroom and seek high-demand jobs once they graduate.”

Farmer-Kaiser envisions continued progress as a result of the R1 designation, which is influencing a push to develop additional graduate programs, degrees and initiatives, particularly at the doctoral level. That will happen as a function of the same sort of intentionality that has helped guide Graduate School successes and earned R1 status for the University, she explained. “Neither has been accidental, nor happened overnight, but are the result of comprehensive strategic planning and step-by-step gains.”

Following the R1 designation, the University created a $400,000 dissertation fellowship fund through a partnership with the UL Lafayette Foundation. The fund will support doctoral students in their final year of study, enabling them to focus solely on researching and writing their dissertations. That’s significant for students and, as with R&D expenditures, is important to R1 status.

Carnegie considers three weighted values in according the designation: R&D expenditures reported through the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey; the number and caliber of research staff; and the number of doctoral degrees awarded. Expenditures are measured in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and areas such as business, education, humanities, public policy, social science and social work, Kolluru said. “R1 is proof positive that we perform at a high level, across campus, and that’s exciting, because it will enable us to strengthen our research infrastructure, and strategically create new academic programs and full-time faculty positions across all colleges.”

Photo credits: Doug Dugas

For Kolluru, the University-wide advantages of being an R1 university – the validation it offers, the opportunities it affords, the potential it engenders – rest heavily on one word: investment. “Our R1 success has resonated so widely, and is so essential, because it affirms what we and others have long known – we are a good investment,” he said. “The community knows we’re a good investment. Industry knows we’re a good investment. Our supporters, whose generosity helps to propel student and faculty success, know we’re a good investment. Employers know our graduates are a good investment.”

“So now, as much as at any time in history, we are poised to become an exponentially stronger investment. And that will happen as it always has, by redoubling our commitment to our core foundational values, our dedication to academic excellence and our pursuit of research that has global impact,” Kolluru said.

R1: 3 Things to Know

What is R1?

It is the highest designation bestowed by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the leading framework for describing colleges and universities in the U.S. Only 146 of them, 3%, have attained R1 status, or those with “very high research activity” – the top tier of public and private research institutions.

Why is R1 important?

It is synonymous with academic excellence, scholarship, research, service, innovation and global impact, empowering a university’s capacity for spurring economic development and attracting high-quality students, faculty and staff. It provides a framework for administrators, policymakers and researchers and impacts federal and state funding decisions.

How do you become R1?

Carnegie bases a university’s status on several factors, including its annual research expenditures, the size of its research staff with terminal degrees, and the number of doctoral degrees it awards each year. Carnegie evaluates the designation every three years.

Photo credit: Rachel Rafati

In recognition of the University’s R1 designation, the Louisiana State Capitol was lighted red and white on April 12, 2022.

In Other Words

Destiny Broussard, Student Government Association president

“An R1 university provides an academic environment that is of value to students because it offers opportunities for them to take part in a range of research programs and initiatives that put them directly on the cutting edge of their field of study. Students also benefit in the classroom, too, where professors share knowledge and research findings.”

Kiwana McClung, UL Lafayette chief diversity officer

“The implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is not only advantageous but also critical for Carnegie Research 1 institutions. The impact that R1 universities like ours have on communities is significant. By providing equal opportunities for all students, faculty and staff, regardless of their background or identity, R1 universities foster vibrant societies that are relevant, impactful and beneficial for all its citizens.”

Mandi Mitchell, Lafayette Economic Development Authority president and CEO

“UL Lafayette’s Carnegie R1 designation is important, not only for the University, but it is also tremendously valuable for the entire region. Achieving R1 status has ignited our region’s innovative ecosystem and will help fuel our community’s ability to attract talent and grow its creative class. As LEDA’s mission is to strengthen and diversify our community’s economy, serving as home to a leading research institution gives us a major competitive edge as we seek to attract new companies and help existing employers grow.”

Daryl Joseph Moore, College of the Arts dean

“The University’s Carnegie R1 status is a timely opportunity for the College of the Arts’ faculty and staff to develop and expound on research across our outstanding professional programs’ many disciplines. From architecture and design to music and the visual and performing arts, the ground is fertile for discovery and knowledge creation with a research culture and a creative process that embraces the exchange of ideas.”

Dr. Dianne Olivier, associate vice president for Academic Affairs

“UL Lafayette’s R1 designation shines a spotlight on faculty and student excellence. It signifies alignment across all colleges and divisions and the integration of research within teaching and learning. Our efforts to sustain R1 reflect a commitment to maintaining the highest quality and standards while valuing collaborative efforts within the University and community that result in the continued evolution of the University.”

Dr. Geoff Stewart, B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration professor and director of its Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center

“Our University’s research production has always been grounded and informed by public-private collaboration, whether it’s in energy, life sciences or business. We do research for a reason. It’s not just something we say. Our research progression stems from and will continue to be driven by great societal challenges and the needs of industry and public partners. This, in turn, positions us to lead and contribute through scholarship and workforce and economic development.”

This article first appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of La Louisiane, The Magazine of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Photo credit: Doug Dugas