911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν rises in rank to β€œHigh Research Activity” by Carnegie Classification

Photo of two 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν students performing scientific research

The 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν has risen in the ranks of the nation’s research universities, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in its recently released 2018 update. The classification system, widely regarded as the leading framework for categorizing accredited U.S. universities and colleges, ranked 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν, for the first time, in the category of β€œDoctoral Universities: High Research Activity.”

The reclassification puts 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν among 139 institutions with this status and places it as one of only ten institutions to advance from the β€œMaster’s Colleges and Universities: Larger Programs” category to β€œDoctoral Universities: High Research Activity” status. In fact, 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν is the only institution in all of New England to rise from the former category to the latter.

The reclassification of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν by Carnegie is a testament to our commitment to high-quality research as a key component of the institution." β€” President James Herbert

911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν President James Herbert, Ph.D., attributed the elevation in rank to the growth and increasing integration of research and scholarship at the university. β€œThe reclassification of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν by Carnegie is a testament to our commitment to high-quality research as a key component of the institution,” he said. β€œOur faculty members have done extraordinary work, often focusing their research on real-world problems that impact the region so that solutions can then be scaled to a larger, even global, level. And they have accomplished this, without exception, by deeply involving undergraduate students in their research.”

Dedication to β€œfocused research and scholarship” is one of six priorities outlined by Herbert in his strategic plan for 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν. The document, published in November, notes that the university strives to make research and scholarship β€œan essential part of students’ educational experience.”

Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., said that while 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν offers a wide range of opportunities for research and scholarship at the graduate and professional level, as do many universities,  it is the academic experience at the undergraduate level that most differentiates the university from many others. According to Houseknecht, 41 percent of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν undergraduates participate in faculty research by the time they graduate.

41%

Percentage of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν Seniors who have worked with faculty on research projects, compared with 23% at all colleges surveyed by the NSSE.

β€œAt 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν we strive to provide a diverse portfolio of enriching, scholarly experiences for our undergraduate students, who are hungry for hands-on research experiences,” she stated. β€œWhether they are serving as research assistants or conducting their own research or scholarship, our students are benefitting from faculty who view research mentorship as an integral part of their job – an essential and fundamental component of their mission as professors to cultivate the potential in these students, beginning the very first day they walk into the classroom.”

Whether they are serving as research assistants or conducting their own research or scholarship, our students are benefitting from faculty who view research mentorship as an integral part of their job..." β€” Associate Provost for Research Karen Houseknecht

To achieve the distinction of the β€œDoctoral Universities: High Research Activity” classification, a university must award a minimum of 20 research or scholarship doctoral degrees and invest at least $5 million in research expenditures per year. 

β€œ911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν attracted close to $19 million in external funding for research and scholarship in 2017,” shared Provost Joshua Hamilton, Ph.D. β€œThat represents more than an 800 percent increase from a decade earlier.”

800+

Percent increase in external funding for research and scholarship at 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν from 2007 to 2017. 

β€œAnd importantly, virtually every research project at 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν directly involves students β€” whether graduate, professional or undergraduate students,” he added. β€œThere is no doubt that 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν is deeply committed to research and scholarship as a fundamental component of our education and training programs, and the recognition by the Carnegie Classification is a powerful confirmation of that fact.”

There is no doubt that 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν is deeply committed to research and scholarship as a fundamental component of our education and training programs, and the recognition by the Carnegie Classification is a powerful confirmation of that fact.” β€” Provost Joshua Hamilton

Houseknecht noted that the change in Carnegie Classification is not surprising, given the dramatic rise in both the scope and impact of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν’s research programs in recent years. The university currently has seven centers and institutes dedicated to interdisciplinary research in areas as diverse as pain and sensory function, North Atlantic/Arctic Studies, teaching and learning, and healthy aging. Robust research programs within the university’s graduate colleges, including the College Osteopathic Medicine, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Dental Medicine and the complement undergraduate and graduate research stemming from both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Westbrook College of Health Professions.

The Carnegie Classification was developed by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education in 1970 to support its program of research and policy analysis. Prior to the 2018 update, the classification was last revised in 2015.