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Appendix C. A Policy Statement on the Role of Research at Idaho State University

A Policy Statement on the Role of Research at Idaho State University

APPROVED BY:
RESEARCH COORDINATING COUNCIL
IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY
April 10, 1986

APPROVED BY:
FACULTY SENATE
September 22, 1986

APPROVED BY:
PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

The United States owes much of its global prestige to the creative activities of scholars who work in the laboratories, studios, and field stations of universities and colleges throughout the nation. In every institution of higher learning, professors and students are engaged in efforts to expand our knowledge of ourselves and our place in the world, the arts, the sciences, the humanities, and the professions. This creative enterprise is one of our greatest natural resources.

Any university must operate in an environment that fosters creativity; therefore, a university of merit should establish institutional policies that foster the innovative scholarship which is at the root of graduate education. The Idaho State Board of Education, in its statewide plan of 1985, has affirmed that

...A graduate program enriches the academic community at all levels; it is the lifeblood of a university. The Board urges... maintenance of a quality program of instruction, attraction and retention of the best faculty and professional staff available, adequate programs of student aid, and updating of facilities and equipment to support research and instruction of the highest caliber.

A statement such as this expands a university’s horizons and allows the creative process to proceed.

At Idaho State University, there is no written statement concerning the role of creative activities as related to the general educational mission of the institution. Since research1 must be fostered by institutional policies that enhance creativity, the Idaho State University Research Coordinating Council has recommended this position statement concerning the role of research on this campus to the President of the University. The President has accepted the recommendation and presents this document as an official statement of policy regarding research at I.S.U. Teaching is a primary function of I.S.U. and the position of research at this institution must not in any way denigrate the instructional mission of the University. The relationship between research and teaching at a school such as I.S.U. must be seen as complementary, not competitive. Research efforts in any instructional unit enrich the subject matter to be taught. An opportunity to share the creative process with students adds meaning and purpose to the whole endeavor. Accordingly, whenever possible, the Institution will seek to enhance research and scholarly activity by supporting faculty members who are engaged in such activities, through the development of laboratories, institutes, museums, special collections, and studios where research takes place. I.S.U. is well-served by recognizing the importance of planning and consultation activities by supporting faculty who are so engaged. Such activities require considerable research.

It is recognized further that the opportunities for engaging research vary among the many departments. Consequently, uniform standards and expectations cannot be imposed upon colleges and departments. Professors in some departments will be expected to do more research than others, depending upon the maturity of the department and the demands for teaching and public service that exist in that instructional unit.

In light of the foregoing points, the following recommendations regarding the research activities on this campus are offered:

Like many institutions, Idaho State University makes a distinction between graduate faculty members and non-graduate faculty members. Those serving on the graduate faculty are entitled to teach courses at the graduate level and supervise graduate students in a variety of research activities. Accordingly, graduate faculty members should themselves be engaged in research, scholarly, and/or creative activities. However, this is not to suggest that all graduate faculty members must be active researchers. Many faculty members make significant contributions to the institution in areas other than research. Advancement through the academic ranks, receipt of tenure, and the awarding of merit raises should be forthcoming for outstanding faculty. This is not to say that research should be the only means of advancement within the institution.

Those faculty members who are engaged in research should be aggressive in seeking public expression of their creative efforts in the form of journal articles, monographs, public shows, performances, presentations at professional meetings, and other recognized forms of dissemination.

The Institution should engage in continuous self-evaluation with respect to research so that the process of long-range planning is ensured.

It is critical for the University to designate administrative personnel who have as their primary function the coordination of campus-wide research activities. As a part of this administrative structure, the University should continue to provide a Grants and Contracts office to assist faculty in securing extramural support for various programs and research projects.

Faculty members should expect to seek financial assistance for their research efforts in the form of both intramural and extramural funding. I.S.U. is encouraged to provide the best possible guidance and support to faculty members in obtaining external financial support (through the Grants and Contracts Office) and in conducting these projects. It is understood that provision of necessary space and utilities is an expected part of research support.

The Research Coordinating Council views promotion and merit pay increases for faculty members to be partially contingent upon evidence of scholarly activity and/or efforts to secure extramural funding for research and creative activity. (It should be noted that the effort to secure extramural funding is in itself worthy of recognition whether or not it is achieved.)

Instructional units that provide evidence of a lively creative enterprise should expect to enjoy a certain security in the face of financial constraints or any efforts to reduce the scope of programming on campus. It is recognized that opportunities for research vary among the many departments on campus and research activities, while important, should not be the sole criterion for continuation or discontinuation of a program.

Without sacrificing its instructional mission, I.S.U. should seek to provide the relatively long spans of uninterrupted time that are so essential for reading, studying, and thinking about a variety of problems to be solved. This is accomplished through provision of sabbatical leaves, flexible scheduling of teaching assignments, opportunities of release time, and support services and personnel.

I.S.U. should seek to provide the support services so critical to a viable research program. For example, adequate library holdings, technical personnel, laboratory technicians, graduate assistants, and the availability of appropriate computer services, and so on must be planned for, protected, and enhanced.

Aggressive communication between researchers at I.S.U. and their respective professional reference groups must be encouraged both for the professional development of the researcher and the image enhancement of the Institution. To that end, the administration should seek to support enthusiastically faculty involvement in journal editorial review boards and editorships, committee assignments and other work of national professional associations, the institutional hosting of professional meetings and conferences, and like activities that require the University to provide space, time, and other resources.

I.S.U. is encouraged to seek to provide the level of institutional support essential for faculty research activity. In the face of financial shortfalls, state appropriated funds for research and departmental indirect cost returns from external sources should be protected.

I.S.U. should encourage the development of research institutes by providing the resources (e.g., computer support, secretarial services, laboratory and office space) necessary to ensure continuation of these enterprises.

The University is encouraged systematically to pursue opportunities for research partnerships with industrial and government agencies consistent with the role and mission of the University.

I.S.U. should be responsive to the public it serves. Therefore, increased public awareness about the creative activities on the campus becomes very important. Extensive, well-coordinated, and focused use of the media to increase the public’s understanding of the research character of the institution should be a high priority.

1Research is defined as any extracurricular activity of an intellectual or professional nature which extends knowledge, understanding, and appreciation, or facilitates the extension of knowledge, or contributes something of scholarly value. This definition is understood to include those activities which involve or are preparatory to the production of creative works. On the other hand, the definition is meant to exclude projects which aim primarily at the training of students or at the development of courses, curricula, or instructional materials unless an experimental component is involved.

Guidelines of the Faculty Research Committee - 1985

Recommended by: Research Coordinating Council

Approved: Sept. 22, 1986

Addendum to Idaho State University Research Policy as Recommended by the Research Coordinating Council

November, 1995

Idaho State University sponsors and supports research as required by its role and mission. It “engages in research consistent with its state and regional public service mission and its undergraduate and graduate programs.1" “Through its programs in pharmacy and health-related professions, Idaho State University is a center for Idaho for education in the health professions. Its programs in education, business, and engineering respond to a variety of current and emerging demands with the state and region. It serves as a national center for the Doctor of Arts degree programs.¹” The University has been designated by the state as the lead institution for health professions and the associated biological and physical sciences² and a lead institution in teacher preparation³, and is directed to continue its emphasis in business, education, and engineering². “In housing and sponsoring the Idaho Museum of Natural History, the University also has a legislative mandate to expand and improve collections and data, past and present in anthropology, botany, geology, paleontology, and zoology for research and interpretation of the state’s natural heritage^4,5.”

Idaho State University serves numerous constituencies and performs many functions to meet its role and mission. It serves as a regional university for eastern Idaho, it serves as the primary undergraduate educational institution for the region, it provides the majority of the masters degrees available to the population in eastern Idaho, and it offers doctoral degrees as well as terminal degrees in Art (MFA) and the professional colleges. In addition, it meets the community college needs of the region. Therefore, the responsibility to support research for its faculty and students must be balanced with its teaching mission and its obligations to serve the public. However, as the lead institution in health professions, having a primary emphasis role in teacher preparation and by continuing the development of its graduate programs, the University must provide a base of support for research commensurate with a state institution given such responsibilities. The natural outcome of providing research support consistent with its role and mission is the development of centers of excellence which display the preeminent role in those disciplines to which the institution has been given leadership.

Nationally, Idaho State University is classified as a doctoral institution and is approved by the state to offer masters and doctoral programs. Within the context of its overall mission, the institution is committed to providing masters and doctoral graduates of high quality. These graduate programs require faculty to perform a significant amount of research and/or creative and scholarly activity to be credible and to provide the quality which advanced degrees represent. This faculty obligation carries with it the institutional duty to provide a climate which honors and fosters research, and rewards faculty and students who engage in it. Research should neither be a neglected stepchild nor a prominent, overbearing parent.

The University shall provide faculty and students the resources necessary to accomplish the research part of its mission. Therefore, the University should formally establish as one of its priorities the fostering of environmental factors necessary for faculty to perform research and for students to develop the individual and team skills to perform research and scholarly activity. Necessary environmental factors include, but are not limited to the following: technical and secretarial support; time for performing the research; equipment, facilities and library to enable the work to be performed; support for infrastructure such as accounting, purchasing, transportation, equipment and instrument maintenance, design and construction of research facilities; and funds to attend professional meetings. These factors need to be coupled with a basic budgetary strategy to insure a consistent, committed funding of research activities.

In order to insure that consistent support for research exists, the University should assign a percentage of its state-appropriated budget for research and scholarly activities commensurate with its doctoral status and its role and mission. Strategies to facilitate research with this budget should be developed to address the primary factors necessary for a productive research climate and to meet the needs of a growing university.

1. From “Role and Mission Statement: Idaho State University”, Idaho State Board of Education, 1983.

2. “Primary emphasis and continuing emphasis areas: Idaho State University,” Idaho State Board of Education, 1984.

3. “Teacher education primary emphasis: Idaho State University,” Idaho State Board of Education 1994.

4. Senate Bill No. 1478, 1986

5. Mission Statement adopted by the Idaho State Board of Education June 16, 1989.

Recommended by: Research Coordinating Council
Approved: September 22, 1986