Academic news from this morning

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Originally Posted by DocRaginCajun

As reported in the NSF listings - which is a yes. UL is in the Top 100 Public Universities - and without a Med School. UL came in just over $205M this past year - and, there are more big things happening.

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And that’s the fun part. The incredible hard work by our researchers and the way they work collaboratively with other institutions have positioned UL for an exciting future in research. I look forward to future announcements.
Interestingly, a few years ago, UL’s research was double that if all of the rest of the UL system. Latest numbers, 4X. That is astounding. Not the same school I attended.

Now we just need an drive for a $1B endowment and we could completely change the narrative.

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Originally Posted by DocRaginCajun

As reported in the NSF listings - which is a yes. UL is in the Top 100 Public Universities - and without a Med School. UL came in just over $205M this past year - and, there are more big things happening.

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So, why is UL not the Flagship of the UL System? How can LSU be the Flagship of the UL System and LSU System? Is LSU also the Flagship of the Southern University System? If not, the UL System should claim autonomy and name UL its Flagship university.

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Originally Posted by HoustonCajun

So, why is UL not the Flagship of the UL System? How can LSU be the Flagship of the UL System and LSU System? Is LSU also the Flagship of the Southern University System? If not, the UL System should claim autonomy and name UL its Flagship university.

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You know the answer to that.

Don’t like flagship. Says you’ve reached your goal. Our goals are still way out there. Gotta keep working.

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Originally Posted by CajunFun

So many of you insist that we need big-time athletics to succeed. So riddle me this, Batman:

How is it that we are already succeeding?

I remember a friendly, but animated, disagreement with a UL administrator who was insisting to me that we have to have big-time athletics to succeed.

I replied that I know of an academic area, at a public university, that was succeeding without big-time athletics.

He wrinkled his nose in doubt, and asked me, Where?

I pointed at him and said, "In your area." He didn't take it well.

But it was true. He and his people were succeeding -- like gangbusters -- even though we didn't have big-time athletics.

So in response to your comments about public attitudes and perceptions, let me offer a few questions:

Do you think we should try to change those attitudes?

Do you think, as I do, that in fact it is our mission to change those attitudes?

Well, do you think that UL is capable of changing those attitudes?

And if not UL, can you name another school in the South who even has an interest in trying to change them?

With great apologies, I will never agree with those who equate t-shirts with success.

The Bhagavad Gita contains one of my favorite quotes: "Better one's own path, though imperfect, than another's well-made."

I don't want UL to be as good as LSU, or Florida, or even Texas, UNC or Virginia.

I want us to be better.

And if some of you folks would stop waving your pom-pons for a minute and look around, you would see that we are on track to be better. We are blazing a different path forward, we are re-thinking what a university is, what a university does, and what a university could do.

UL has the potential to grow into more than colleges who simply surrender their ideals, and pander to the opinions of an ill-educated public.

And once you consider that possibility, why would we strive for anything less?

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While I agree that academics is and should be the primary mission of any university, why can't UL also focus on athletics as its primary marketing tool? Why do academics and athletics have to be mutually exclusive? AAU schools like Michigan, Texas and Florida, for example, achieved the highest level of academics AND athletics. Everyone knows that these universities are among the most recognized in the country because of athletics. How many people know they are AAU schools, right alongside Harvard and Yale, of which there are only 71 in the country? UL achieved R1 and Top 100 R&D status...and continues to grow. Dr. Savoie once said that athletics is the front porch of the university. If so, now that we are achieving academic success, why not elevate athletics to a similar level and create a greater awareness of UL statewide and nationally?

It says Iowa state "left" AAu last year. Also Nebraska and Syracuse recently. Or maybe kicked out.

Also says invitation only and a vote of current members, required.... and All 69 U.S. members of the AAU are also classified as Highest Research Activity (R1) Universities by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, as are three of the five former AAU members....

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Originally Posted by HoustonCajun

While I agree that academics is and should be the primary mission of any university, why can't UL also focus on athletics as its primary marketing tool? Why do academics and athletics have to be mutually exclusive? AAU schools like Michigan, Texas and Florida, for example, achieved the highest level of academics AND athletics. Everyone knows that these universities are among the most recognized in the country because of athletics. How many people know they are AAU schools, right alongside Harvard and Yale, of which there are only 71 in the country? UL achieved R1 and Top 100 R&D status...and continues to grow. Dr. Savoie once said that athletics is the front porch of the university. If so, now that we are achieving academic success, why not elevate athletics to a similar level and create a greater awareness of UL statewide and nationally?

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…….So we need to do da Boat of dem!!!…..llWell the academic side of the university didn’t wake up one day and say….”Hey, we are R-1…..there was great planning and just think that Coach’s relationship with J Ben John got us the research center and that helped us get the new New Iberia deal with solar panels…..damn how many years since then? I guess we can add the apes to the discussion, but that has gotten its rewards! We have done the ground work with facilities for athletics almost there (thank you Senator Mouton)….we must start a quest for P-5 just like we did for R-1…..Now!!!

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Originally Posted by Crawfish

Thanks

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I was told this morning by John Blohm 204 million.

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Originally Posted by MelRock

I was told this morning by John Blohm 204 million.

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That is a nice number . . .