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What does it mean to be a Carnegie R1 institution, and do they have a culture distinct from other universities?
Source: NMSU Newsroom
By Luis Cifuentes
Photo: Courtesy
Luis Cifuentes is the vice president of research, creativity and economic development at New Mexico State University. He may be reached at vpr@nmsu.edu.
Shortly after arriving at New Mexico State University in July 2018, I was tasked with guiding the university towards a LEADS 2025 vision of achieving Carnegie R1 status. As I approach retirement next fall, I look forward to the impending Carnegie Classifications announcement, confident that NMSU will join the ranks of close to 170 Carnegie R1 institutions in 2025. For context, there are about 2,800 four year institutions in the U.S.
But what does it mean to be a Carnegie R1 institution, and do they have a culture distinct from other universities?
Carnegie R1 status is awarded to research universities with the highest levels of research activity in the United States. For NMSU, a land-grant institution, Carnegie R1 status is not a trophy left to gather dust on the presidential office mantle; it is a call to make a greater impact locally, statewide and beyond. For NMSU, the hard work of transitioning from an institution recognized in name only to one defined by Carnegie R1 culture, operations and reputation comes with this prestigious designation.
Research and academics thrive together in a Carnegie R1 culture. According to ChatGPT, university research is the systematic investigation conducted within academic institutions to generate new knowledge, solve problems or advance understanding across disciplines. Unlike research performed in government, industry or private laboratories, research at a Carnegie R1 institutions is intertwined with the university’s educational mission. It is in lock step with academic programs, certainly at the doctoral level. Classrooms are often co-located with laboratories. Students are integral to success in research. Exposure to research has a significant, positive impact on student success.
Commitment to continuously improve research, teaching and service defines a Carnegie R1 culture. Innovation, collaboration and inclusivity are cornerstones of progress. Faculty, students and staff are supported through efficient processes, access to resources, mentoring and professional development. Interdisciplinary approaches, open intellectual inquiry and ethical conduct of research are valued. Diversity, equity and inclusion are embraced.
The trope that faculty who focus on research are less effective in the classroom than those who concentrate solely on teaching is dismissed by a Carnegie R1 culture. Faculty members who conduct research at NMSU bring their work into the classroom, modeling lifelong learning through their continuous pursuit of new knowledge. NMSU’s search for research excellence will not detract from teaching; in fact, it will improve teaching and learning outcomes. Finally, NMSU must establish a culture in which research infuses not only teaching but also the other pillar of a land-grant institution, service.
Growing research funding and expenditures is minor facet of a Carnegie R1 culture. With the right leadership and community support, NMSU will evolve an ecosystem that supports growth in public, private and nonprofit sectors primarily through knowledge transfer, talent development and commercialization of research. Research findings will not remain confined to academic papers and scholarly audiences; instead, they will translate to industry innovation, inform public policies and address global challenges with local implications.
Greater impacts beyond university borders are central to a Carnegie R1 culture. For example, meeting workforce demands of a high-tech 21st-century economy is a global challenge with local implications. To address this challenge, talent must flow seamlessly from academia to government, industry and the nonprofit sector. Anchored by a Carnegie R1 main campus, the NMSU system will be able to guide students at all levels toward meaningful careers while contributing to economic development and another LEADS 2025 vision, social mobility.
The LEADS 2025 Goal 2 team, whose focus has been on increasing research and creativity since 2019, spent the past year considering a vital question: How can NMSU become a distinct Carnegie R1 institution? With President Valerio Ferme in place, now is the time for the Regents, NMSU’s leadership, faculty, staff and students to join hands with the Las Cruces community to answer this question. Elevation in teaching, research, and service and greater economic growth in our community and State come with the right answer.
