With more than 200 students each year pursuing faculty-mentored research, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ is one of the most active research institutions among liberal arts colleges today.
This status has now been formally acknowledged by the Carnegie Classification systems, which rank higher education institutions.
Earlier this month, the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching published the , known as the Carnegie Classifications.
The announcement revealed an updated methodology intended to better account for what it called the “wide-ranging research landscape of higher education institutions in America.” ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ is among 218 institutions now recognized as Research Colleges and Universities (RCU). The new designation applies to institutions that historically have not been recognized for their research activity and that spend more than $2.5 million on research annually. (The other two designations, which are awarded to higher-spending institutions that confer a certain number of research doctorates, are R1 and R2—R standing for research.)
“Before these updates, it was not clear what was required for institutions to earn a research designation. This confusion created distractions and unproductive competition between colleges and universities. Now, the designations are more straightforward, and we are hopeful they will better capture the wide array of institutions whose missions include research,” said Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE. “Research is one of the pillars of American higher education, so it is crucial we have a comprehensive view of how it is reflected at institutions across the country,” he added.
Dean for Academic Affairs Jennifer Scanlon said it was an honor for the College to receive the new RCU designation. “It is truly a testament to the success of our faculty in securing external research support and to the growth of our student research program at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾.”
