Recommendations
of the Research Strategic Planning Faculty
Committee
• VPRCS charged faculty volunteers from across the university
community to recommend strategies that:
– 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.
• SCOPE: RCS encompasses all forms of creative activity. It is
essential to the educational mission of the university.
“Discovery and Creativity to Serve Montana and the World”
constitutes one of the four planks of Strategic Plan UM 2020.
• Our recommendations recognize roles for not only the VPRCS,
but but also UM faculty and leadership as a whole.
Faculty Participants
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College of Education and Human Sciences
– Adrea Lawrence
(Curriculum&Instruction)
College of Humanities and Sciences
– Diana Six (biology)
– Ed Rosenberg (Chemistry)
– Solomon Dobrowski (Geosciences)
– Dusten Hollist (Sociology)
– Dave Beck (Native American Studies)
– Steve Sprang (Biochemistry)
College of Forestry and Conservation
– Solomon Dombrosky
College of Visual and Performing Arts
– Andrew Smith
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College of Health Professions
and Biological Sciences
– David Shepherd (BMED)
– Andrij Holian (BMED)
– Jamses Laskin (Physical Therapy
Mansfield Library
– Barry Brown
Mansfield Center
– Kim Abraham
School of Business
– Jeith Jakob
School of Journalism
– Lee Banville
School of Law
– Anthony Johnstone
Montana College
– Steve Shen
ORSP
– Judy Fredenberg
Synopsis
• Evaluate, quantify and allocate: Recognize the economic value of RCS
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Develop quantifiable and qualitative metrics that accurately model the
contributions of RCS to enrollment, retention, student success, the reputation of
the university and the impact of these on the Montana economy. RCS metrics
should be included as criteria for allocation of state general funds to schools and
colleges.
Coordinate and Facilitate: President, VPRCS and Provost and Deans work
collaboratively with UM faculty stakeholders to support RCS. Where major
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.
Be strategic, not reactive. At the same time, all faculty must be encouraged and
supported to pursue RCS in areas of their choosing.
Incentivize: Recognize and reward faculty for their pursuit of RCS. Value of RCS
should be reflected in departmental unit standards, resources to help faculty seek
and maintain research funding, allocation of buyouts to conduct RCS, access to
support for students, and to infrastructure needed to conduct these activities.
Publicize: Provide faculty&departments multi-media resources, tools and
guidance to communicate their RCS achievements to potential students,
colleagues, the public and elected officials.