Ohio University's next president said yesterday he would like to nearly double research spending to $100 million during the next five to eight years to propel the school into the ranks of top-tier research universities.
Roderick McDavis, who will replace OU President Robert Glidden in July, said he would pursue more research grants from state and federal agencies and corporations around Ohio to fund the additional research.
In 2003, OU received $54.3 million in research awards and spent slightly less than that because spending lags behind awards, said Jack Bantle, vice president for research. Eight years ago, in 1996, OU spent about $30 million on research.
McDavis's goal to increase research represents a significant step toward a goal OU has been working toward. Bantle said the university is already committing more faculty and resources to enhance research.
It's going to take a lot of effort
but it's do-able Bantle said. It takes us to the next level; we'll have to have more faculty more space to make that happen.
McDavis also promoted increasing interdisciplinary research through partnerships between OU departments as well as between OU and other colleges around the country. He said he is talking with some of his colleagues about partnerships with Virginia Commonwealth University, where he is provost and vice president for academic affairs.
While promoting larger research expenditures, McDavis was sure to emphasize that he did not want to subtract from spending on undergraduate education at OU.
We are not going to sacrifice the quality that we have in our undergraduate programs
he said. We're going to build quality on quality.
Speaking to reporters on a conference call yesterday, McDavis also expanded upon his other goals for the university, including intensifying OU's recruitment from urban areas and increasing out-of-state enrollment.
McDavis said he would absolutely visit targeted schools to recruit students, adding that he would encourage current minority students, faculty, staff and administrators to do the same.
I'm going to be a role model
he said. We're going to be a diverse university
and the president is going to lead the way.
Increasing enrollment, especially from outside Ohio, is another of McDavis's goals. He said increasing enrollment would provide more opportunity for students who want a college education, but he stressed the need to properly plan for additional students.
I also believe in slow
steady growth
he said. I don't believe in growing for the sake of growing.
McDavis also indicated that he likely would not support a proposed switch to semesters in OU's academic calendar. He said that although he preferred a semester system, he wanted to take a fiscally conservative approach and not weaken the university budget by making a costly switch now.
McDavis, who grew up in Dayton, graduated from OU in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in social sciences in secondary education.
The Board of Trustees will bring McDavis to campus early next month to formally vote on his contract and introduce him to the campus as OU's 20th president.
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