FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In 2011, for the first time, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville obtained the elite classification as a Research I (RI) university.
RI is a top-tier and sought-after status in higher education. It means the UA engages in the highest research activity levels based on its number of doctorates awarded and research expenditures. The list is reviewed and updated every three years by Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, based at Indiana University in Bloomington.
The UA has maintained the RI classification — which currently includes less than 3% of U.S. universities — since 2011. The university’s research expenditures totaled over $175 million in fiscal year 2018, the highest in the university’s history. The number dipped just slightly ($172.6 million) in fiscal year 2019.
“There’s been a steady progression since [2011], I think, to build the university’s research potential,” Steinmetz told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in a recent interview. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve added at least 15% annually to those research expenditures.”
Steinmetz, who succeeded G. David Gearhart as UA chancellor on Jan. 1, 2016, should see the UA further distinguish itself in the research arena during the next decade and beyond. That’s because of a significant financial gift announced Tuesday (July 14).
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