Langston, UCO receive new research designation from national group
A change in the way two national organizations recognize the research done at universities has resulted in two Oklahoma schools receiving a prestigious designation.
Langston University and the University of Central Oklahoma were among 216 schools that received the new 'Research Colleges and Universities' designation in the Carnegie Classification, which is administered by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Since 1973, the Carnegie Classification has been the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in higher education across the U.S. The classifications are updated every three years and give institutions designations based on their sizes, types of degrees conferred and many other such characteristics.
The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University — the state's two largest universities — long have been considered the state's only research universities, earning a so-called 'R1' rating in the Carnegie Classification. That places OSU and OU among 187 institutions that, on average in a single year, spend at least $50 million research and development and award at least 70 research doctorates.
There's also a R2 rating, for schools spend at least $5 million on research and development and award at least 20 research doctorates. But many smaller schools don't have the resources to spend that much on research or have limited (or no) doctoral programs, or both. UCO and Langston each fall into that category.
But last month, the Carnegie Foundation and ACE released the first phase of the redesigned Carnegie Classifications, to more fully recognize the amount of research underway at institutions without a R1 or R2 designation. They said the change came in an attempt to better account for and reflect what it called 'the multifaceted research landscape within U.S. higher education.'
'A highlight of our work to modernize the Carnegie Classification is the new Research Colleges and Universities designation, which will shed light on institutions that have engaged in research but historically haven't been recognized for it,' said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE. 'Instead of limiting research designations to the select institutions that award Ph.D.s, all types of colleges and universities will now be celebrated for their research contributions. That's great news.'
In academic circles, Langston — a historically Black land-grant university in rural Logan County near the town that shares a name with the school — probably is best known for its E. (Kika) de la Garza American Institute for Goat Research, but it also has research programs for horticulture and agronomy, aquaculture and aquaponics, biotechnology, and agribusiness and rural economic development, among others.
Langston's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center was renewed for a third five-year cycle of funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research in late 2023.
Langston President Ruth Ray Jackson said schools with the Research Colleges and Universities designation spend at least $2.5 million annually on research and development. She said the university spent about $10.5 million on research in fiscal year 2023. The university offers only one doctoral program, the Doctor of Physical Therapy, which is a professional, not a research, doctorate.
'This recognition highlights the hard work and dedication of our researchers, faculty and staff who strive to strengthen the academy,' said Alonzo Peterson, Langston's vice president for academic affairs. 'We have very smart people at Langston University. I am always inspired when I visit the labs or sit down with my colleagues.'
Similarly, UCO fits neatly into the new Carnegie Classifications designation. Located in Edmond, UCO has only one doctoral program, in forensic science, but is in the exploratory/planning stages for other professional doctorate degrees, spokeswoman Adrienne Nobles said.
UCO spent an average of $7.05 million annually on research projects during the past three years.
'Research conducted at University of Central Oklahoma moves our state and nation forward. For years, our faculty and students have engaged in innovative and impactful research on the undergraduate and graduate level,' UCO President Todd Lamb said.
'This new classification formally recognizes and elevates our ongoing mission to transform students through education, preparing them to meet the critical needs of our communities. UCO has the momentum to become a driving force for academic research in Oklahoma.'
UCO offers 115 undergraduate and 78 graduate programs to more than 12,500 students.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Langston, UCO receive new research designation from national group
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