Arkansas State Moves into 'Carnegie Doctoral Universities' Classification for Research Institutions
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University today announced it has received very significant news, especially for its students and faculty members engaged in research.
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education revealed it has elevated Arkansas State to the category, "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity."
In a letter to faculty today, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse provided more details (available online) on the process and its importance to the future of the institution.
"Combined with our level of research activity – which has been growing in the past two years – we have now moved forward. Arkansas State now fits into the 'high research activity,' or R2, category based upon our current level of a minimum of $5 million in research the past two years," the chancellor said.
Over the past year, Carnegie has been working on revisions to its doctoral university category. According to the Carnegie Classification website, 12 universities, including A-State, went from the “Master's/regional” M1 classification to the "Doctoral Universities, High Research Activity," R2 classification.
"We were one of only 12 institutions that moved from M1 to R2 with the change in this methodology," Damphousse proudly noted. "In the 2018 classification, there are 130 R1 institutions and 131 R2 institutions. This new methodology more accurately places A-State among peer R2 institutions such as Baylor, Boise State, Georgia Southern, Marquette, Seton Hall, TCU, Memphis, Tulsa, Wake Forest, Villanova, and UALR (the only other Arkansas R2 university)."
A key factor is the recognition of something Arkansas State has excelled in over the years: doctoral professional degrees. The nurse practitioner program, and those achieving the Doctor of Nursing Practice, are now included in A-State's ranking count along with A-State's other terminal academic doctoral programs.
The change has major positive implications beyond the campus.
"This re-classification is also important for our region. A-State is a research university that attracts faculty and students from around the world and, as such, is an engine for economic growth for the state of Arkansas," Damphousse emphasized. "This new classification also will play an economic development role for northeast Arkansas because it also impacts our region’s ability to attract business and industry, with a Carnegie R2 university calling Jonesboro home."
"To our research faculty/staff members, I want to extend congratulations and a hearty 'thank you' for your work in recent years," Damphousse added. "To our current students and our alumni, the value of your degree programs, especially in our research-oriented areas, has received a definite boost. To our future students, Arkansas State is every bit of what we have told you – the right size for your faculty and staff to know your name but big enough to provide you the tools to go wherever your talents can take you."
The new designation is important for A-State's researchers like Dr. Xiuzhen Huang, appointed last week as an Arkansas Research Alliance Fellow, because of the affirmation of working for a university that not only aspires to, but has achieved, major national recognition.
ASU System President Charles L. Welch also expressed his congratulations to A-State.
“I am so proud of our faculty and staff who have made this designation possible. We have only begun to scratch the surface of what is possible for our university. Thank you all for your hard work. Arkansas State is a university on the rise,” Welch said.
Planning has begun for an academic celebration of our Carnegie classification at the start of the spring 2019 semester.
To learn more about The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s changes, go to http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu.
To see the listing of 131 institutions listed in A-State’s category, go to http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2216%22%7D&start_page=standard.php.
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