Introduction to the Recommendations of the Research Strategic Planning Faculty Committee
Overview:
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The Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship charged faculty volunteers
from across the university community to recommend strategies that:
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Stimulate Research, Creative activity and Scholarship (RCS)
Reduce barriers to faculty who wish to conduct and fund RCS
Develop metrics for RCS that can be incorporated into funding models for the
university, schools/colleges, departments and programs.
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SCOPE: RCS encompasses all forms of creative activity. It is essential to the educational
mission of the university. One of the four planks of UM’s Strategic Plan 2020 is “Discovery
and Creativity to Serve Montana and the World”; the recommendations of this Research
Strategic Plan could be helpful in actualizing this component of the UM Strategic Plan.
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The recommendations are provided with recognition that implementation would require the
coordinated efforts of the VPRCS, UM faculty governance, and UM leadership as a whole.
Composition of the Committee
The committee consists of volunteers from a broad spectrum of disciplines across campus.
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College of Education and Human Sciences
– Andrea Lawrence (Curriculum & Instruction)
College of Humanities and Sciences
– Ed Rosenberg (Chemistry)
– Solomon Dobrowski (Geosciences)
– Dusten Hollist (Sociology)
– Dave Beck (Native American Studies)
– Steve Sprang (Biochemistry)
College of Forestry and Conservation
– Solomon Dombrosky
– Diana Six
College of Visual and Performing Arts
– Andrew Smith
College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences
– David Shepherd (BMED)
– Andrij Holian (BMED)
– James Laskin (Physical Therapy)
Mansfield Library
– Barry Brown
Mansfield Center
– Abraham Kim
School of Business
– Keith Jakob
School of Journalism
– Lee Banville
School of Law
– Anthony Johnstone
Montana College
– Steve Shen
ORSP
– Judy Fredenberg
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Synopsis of Recommendations
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Evaluate, quantify and allocate: Recognize the economic value of RCS. Develop
quantifiable and qualitative metrics that accurately model the contributions of RCS to
enrollment, retention, student success, the mission of the university and the impact of
these on Montana. RCS metrics should be included as criteria for allocation of
performance-based state general funds to schools and colleges.
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Coordinate and Facilitate: President, VPRCS, Provost, and Deans work
collaboratively with UM faculty stakeholders to support RCS. Where institutional
resources are needed, identifying areas of greatest existing and potential strengths for
major support (e.g., hiring initiatives, construction, new graduate programs; UM
Foundation funding priorities). Identify and pursue sources of support for major RCS
initiatives in a coordinated and directed manner. At the same time, all faculty should be
empowered, encouraged and supported to pursue RCS in areas of their choosing.
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Incentivize: Recognize and reward faculty for their pursuit of RCS. The value of RCS
should be recognized in departmental unit standards. Resources should be made
available to help faculty seek and maintain research funding, to coordinate buyouts to
conduct RCS, to support undergraduate and graduate researchers, and to provide
necessary infrastructure to conduct these activities.
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Publicize: Provide faculty and departments multi-media resources, tools and
guidance to communicate their RCS achievements to potential students, colleagues,
the public and elected officials.
Next Steps
The VPRCS will issue a campus-wide call to faculty at large to participate in the
following task groups, which will recommend guidelines and strategies for the following:
(1) General guidelines for return of indirect costs (SPABA) to academic units,
schools/colleges, centers and faculty.
(2) General guidelines and support mechanisms for Centers, Institutes, and Research
Core Facilities
(3) Strategies for Incentivizing and Publicizing faculty research and creative scholarship
(4) Mechanisms to enhance support for Graduate and Teaching Assistantships
Task group Membership could be subject to approval by ECOS if this is seen to be
desirable. Generally, the participation of faculty, and in some instances, staff, with
specific and relevant expertise will be encouraged.
Each task committee will be charged with obtaining specific input from the faculty at
large, and ensuring broad faculty participation.
Strategies and guidelines developed by each task committee will be broadly disseminated to the
faculty, possibly using the FS as a conduit, and be open for discussion and revision before
implementation by VPRCS or by the VPRCS in cooperation with other sectors of UM
administration and faculty governance, as appropriate.
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