(01-17-2011 11:17 PM)UHCougar07 Wrote:  BTW, it was a JOKE aimed at SMU due to all of the talk on here about SMU adding more to the Big East. UH just got another bullet in their gun.

Not much of a bullet. More like a .22 or a large pellet gun. This designation means the state gives you a ton of money for research. Your a huge state school. Congratulations.

Seriously though, I'm not trying to downplay the ranking, just putting it in perspective. For the record I think academics should and will have little to do with conference expansion, and would like to have UH and SMU join us in the BE.

From the Carnegie website:

Quote:Level of research activity Doctorate-granting institutions were assigned to one of three categories based on a measure of research activity. It is important to note that the groups differ solely with respect to level of research activity, not quality or importance.

The analysis examined the following correlates of research activity: research & development (R&D) expenditures in science and engineering; R&D expenditures in non-S&E fields; S&E research staff (postdoctoral appointees and other non-faculty research staff with doctorates); doctoral conferrals in humanities fields, in social science fields, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, and in other fields (e.g., business, education, public policy, social work). These data were statistically combined using principal components analysis to create two indices of research activity reflecting the total variation across these measures (based on the first principal component in each analysis).

One index represents the aggregate level of research activity, and the other captures per-capita research activity using the expenditure and staffing measures divided by the number of full-time faculty whose primary responsibilities were identified as research, instruction, or a combination of instruction, research, and public service. The values on each index were then used to locate each institution on a two-dimensional graph. We calculated each institution's distance from a common reference point, and then used the results to assign institutions to three groups based on their distance from the reference point. Thus the aggregate and per-capita indices were considered equally, such that institutions that were very high on either index were assigned to the "very high" group, while institutions that were high on at least one (but very high on neither) were assigned to the "high" group. Remaining institutions and those not represented in the NSF data collections were assigned to the "Doctoral/Research Universities" category. Before conducting the analysis, raw data were converted to rank scores to reduce the influence of outliers and to improve discrimination at the lower end of the distributions where many institutions were clustered. Detailed information about how the research activity index was calculated can be found here.

You cannot compare reseach universities and teaching universities. Outside of a few large privates and old Ivy leaguers, there are very few small private research-focused institutions. It's just a different mission and does not really reflect academic quality except perhaps at the doctoral level where research is huge. SMU, like most methodist-founded schools is teaching-focused. So is TCU although we weren't founded by Methodists. (or in SMU's case, the slaveholder-originating 'Southern Methodist' church)

(01-17-2011 10:42 PM)UHCougar07 Wrote:  

(01-17-2011 10:36 PM)UCF-ENG Wrote:  Congrats!

"Very High Research Universities" as the state's "Flagship" universities. I believe that would now include FSU, Florida, USF and UCF.

Yep! I saw you guys too. Awesome news on the Flagship Status in Florida! We are both up there with Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Pitt, USF, Rutgers, ect. Not too shabby!

We as of today are not a flagship University. Most of the flagships sunk last year so that may be a good thing rather than bad.

This is good news for UH

RU:VHA is one of the 3 generally accepted criteria to be labeled a TX State Flagship school, the other two being USNWR Tier 1 and AAU membership.

As of now, UH and TTU are the clear leaders for next Flagship as they both now have 1/3 of the criteria. UH having the Carneigie ranking and TTU having the USNWR ranking. I can see both of them having 2/3rds done in the next 5 years.

Obviously the most difficult is getting AAU status since it is by invitation only and their standards are MUCH higher than Carneigie or USNWR.

(01-18-2011 10:14 AM)10thMountain Wrote:  This is good news for UH

RU:VHA is one of the 3 generally accepted criteria to be labeled a TX State Flagship school, the other two being USNWR Tier 1 and AAU membership.

As of now, UH and TTU are the clear leaders for next Flagship as they both now have 1/3 of the criteria. UH having the Carneigie ranking and TTU having the USNWR ranking. I can see both of them having 2/3rds done in the next 5 years.

Obviously the most difficult is getting AAU status since it is by invitation only and their standards are MUCH higher than Carneigie or USNWR.

AAU membership realistically needs to be a 50 year goal for both.

Schools added this century: Texas A&M, Stony Brook, Georgia Tech.

(01-18-2011 10:19 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  

(01-18-2011 10:14 AM)10thMountain Wrote:  This is good news for UH

RU:VHA is one of the 3 generally accepted criteria to be labeled a TX State Flagship school, the other two being USNWR Tier 1 and AAU membership.

As of now, UH and TTU are the clear leaders for next Flagship as they both now have 1/3 of the criteria. UH having the Carneigie ranking and TTU having the USNWR ranking. I can see both of them having 2/3rds done in the next 5 years.

Obviously the most difficult is getting AAU status since it is by invitation only and their standards are MUCH higher than Carneigie or USNWR.

AAU membership realistically needs to be a 50 year goal for both.

Schools added this century: Texas A&M, Stony Brook, Georgia Tech.

This.

The AAU takes it's sweet time before considering new members with the current trend of reviewing new members every 4-5 years (and if no one at the time meets their standards then no is invited).

(01-18-2011 01:39 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  The AAU takes it's sweet time before considering new members with the current trend of reviewing new members every 4-5 years (and if no one at the time meets their standards then no is invited).

If only the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held such high standards. As though there are really three or four legendary performers to induct every year.

(01-17-2011 10:42 PM)UHCougar07 Wrote:  

(01-17-2011 10:36 PM)UCF-ENG Wrote:  Congrats!

UCF was also classified as a "Very High Research University" in the new 2010 Carnegie Classifications. This is very important in Florida because the state legislature recently pushed legislation which would deem state universities that have been classified as "Very High Research Universities" as the state's "Flagship" universities. I believe that would now include FSU, Florida, USF and UCF.

Anyways good news for both UH and UCF.

Yep! I saw you guys too. Awesome news on the Flagship Status in Florida! We are both up there with Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Pitt, USF, Rutgers, ect. Not too shabby!

Not sure if the legislature's designation makes it so. Flagship has more meaning than this. That said, achieving VH status is an extremely impressive achievement, and the legislature's action only reinforces its significance. Because they are ultimately run by college presidents, Conferences care verrrry much about the academic status of the schools that they invite to join. BCS AQ conferences are comprised, across the board, of state flagships, land grants, and leading research universities. Achieving VH status confirms UCF's and UH's academic qualification to be part of this group.

(01-18-2011 02:31 PM)orangefan Wrote:  

(01-17-2011 10:42 PM)UHCougar07 Wrote:  

(01-17-2011 10:36 PM)UCF-ENG Wrote:  Congrats!

UCF was also classified as a "Very High Research University" in the new 2010 Carnegie Classifications. This is very important in Florida because the state legislature recently pushed legislation which would deem state universities that have been classified as "Very High Research Universities" as the state's "Flagship" universities. I believe that would now include FSU, Florida, USF and UCF.

Anyways good news for both UH and UCF.

Yep! I saw you guys too. Awesome news on the Flagship Status in Florida! We are both up there with Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Pitt, USF, Rutgers, ect. Not too shabby!

Not sure if the legislature's designation makes it so. Flagship has more meaning than this. That said, achieving VH status is an extremely impressive achievement, and the legislature's action only reinforces its significance. Because they are ultimately run by college presidents, Conferences care verrrry much about the academic status of the schools that they invite to join. BCS AQ conferences are comprised, across the board, of state flagships, land grants, and leading research universities. Achieving VH status confirms UCF's and UH's academic qualification to be part of this group.

Like I've said in other posts. The "flagship" status is some bs that Florida state legislature pushed through. It was fought hard by many, including UCF when it was introduced because it gave more state funding to the "flagship" schools and in theory making it harder for those left out (like UCF at the time) to ever get enough funding to reach that VH classification. Apparently that isn't the case since UCF finally achieved it and is now classified with UF, FSU, and USF as a "flagship" school. Which means more state funding for research.

I still disagree with it and up and coming schools like FIU and FAU will now have a harder time reaching that VH classification if they are pursuing it since the "big 4" as far as the state is concerned will now get the biggest cut of research funding.

I honestly believe that there can only be one flagship school per state. Its brand recognition in my eyes. Schools like the University of Florida and the University of Texas will always be the "flagship" schools of the state.

I don't think being "flagship" will matter as it pertains to BE invitiation.