We take joy in celebrating who we are as discoverers

Excellence in research leads to excellence in teaching and learning.

We have come to a truly exciting time in Lipscomb’s history. As outlined in the Lipscomb Impact 360 Strategic Plan initiated in August 2022, we are prioritizing an increase in research activity and productivity at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels.

Through a sustained commitment to building and elevating our research environment, we are striving toward the long-term goal of achieving R2 status (doctoral universities with high research activity), as defined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This ambitious goal signifies a substantial movement in the identity of the university, so I do not take on this challenge lightly.

From its founding as a Bible college in 1891, Lipscomb has been resolute in its mission to prepare learners for purposeful lives through rigorous academics and transformative experiences. It grew into a liberal arts college in 1918 and into a university in 1989 when it awarded accredited master’s degrees for the first time. Today, Lipscomb University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation in its R3 category (doctoral/professional universities with moderate research activity), which acknowledges the number of doctoral degrees awarded annually and its current research efforts.

Among our first priorities is to study our existing investment into research and development, so we can fully understand how influential factors such as faculty teaching loads, sabbatical policies, faculty development, incentives, budgets and facilities have been impacting our ability to carry out research. Such an understanding will allow us to develop a more sophisticated approach to identifying and applying for appropriate research grant opportunities based on our own strengths and priorities.

In the coming years, we have to work hard to let people know, both on campus and off-campus, about all the good work going on in research and scholarship at Lipscomb. Improvements, such as the newly formed University Research Council, are vehicles we can use to tap the strengths of every sector of the university in regards to research. The launch of centers of excellence such as the Lipscomb University Health Science Center will fuel additional collaborative, discipline-specific research communities, interconnecting knowledge creators and the resources they need to create.

We have a lot of strengths to build on. We should take joy in celebrating who we are as discoverers, especially as excellence in research leads to excellence in teaching and learning, which have long been intricate pillars of our identity and vision for the future.

The Carnegie R2 criteria has no requirements for lower teaching loads. So, while achieving the next level of research status will expand access to research funding, increase opportunities for collaborations with other top research universities and help to attract and retain top faculty and students, it will not mean less focus on teaching and personal interaction with students.

It will require significant steps to develop a stronger research culture throughout the university but it will not change who we are as a Christ-centered community, dedicated to equipping students to succeed in their vocations. Substantial growth in research will only further our legacy as a community with ambitious service to others and a drive for continuous improvement.

Best,

Dr. Candice McQueen President, Lipscomb University