Thursday, August 30, 2007
Though research brings more acclaim and more funding in the way of grants, and thus more interested students sniffing around for a chance to join in on the progress, there could be a higher cost. Already, many departments on campus are understaffed, under-funded, and overworked. To add more research to the mix seems disagreeable to the academic health of the Jayhawk undergraduate.
“Graduate programs drive research and research drives graduate programs,” were the words of University Provost Richard Lariviere when he announced in April that the graduate school would be merged with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, creating the Office of Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies.
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Admittedly, the University isn’t at the very top of the academic layer cake, but a push for more research seems dangerous from the point of view of one group of people at the University—namely the undergraduate student body.
Lariviere said at the time that the two programs had so much in common that it made good sense to bring them together with a single, high-priority mandate.The mandate: “Growth of research and growth in the size, scope and quality of doctoral programs at the Lawrence campus.”
This is odd considering the January 2007 address given by Chancellor Robert Hemenway before the Kansas House Education Budget Committee where he said that, “Research at KU is not static” and that, “KU is highly regarded as a top public research and teaching university.”
With $300 million invested in its research labs over the past five years, a ranking of 39th among the nation’s top 162 national public universities according to a U.S. News & World Report survey of undergraduate programs, 24 KU graduate programs ranked 25th or higher among public universities, and two of those programs—special education and public administration—rated number one among all national public universities, one wonders why the administration wishes to up the output when funding from the state isn’t going up and the number of faculty is shrinking in relation to the influx of incoming students.
Admittedly, the University isn’t at the very top of the academic layer cake, but a push for more research seems dangerous from the point of view of one group of people at the University—namely the undergraduate student body. Not only will more money be funneled away from students, but professors who could have spent time advising students will be more concerned with filling a research quota.
One thing the University needs to always put first is the welfare of its scholars. An exemplary university cares about students getting help when they need it. We hate the idea of pupils becoming an inconvenience to an already thin-spread faculty.
It is not our intention to criticize the provost, the chancellor, or the faculty of the University of Kansas. We merely wish to voice our concern. This initiative seems to care more about drawing others to the University, whilst doing little for the ones who are already here.
As students who attend KU, we are inclined to stay. Please ensure that our experience here is beneficial.
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Comments
Editorial: Professors should focus on teaching, not research
This just sounds stupid. More research means more money and KU is a R1 institute. Professors are encouraged to produce a certain amount of research yearly if they're ever going to make it towards tenure.
I don't believe students are really suffering from it because professors are at the top of their game. You're getting the best from these people and they're there to help you when you request for it.
Editorial: Professors should focus on teaching, not research
You do realize that if you want someone to pay you any heed you should tactfully avoid using the word "stupid" in the first sentence of your critique, right?
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