While the new year brought back some of the same challenges regarding the COVID-19 virus, it also brought tremendous news for the entire UL Lafayette community. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has achieved the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning’s prestigious R1 designation. This new title places UL among the nation’s top-tier research institutions, those with very “high research activity”, according to Carnegie. The University issued the following statement after receiving the elite status:

 “The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is excited to have achieved R1 status and to take our place among the top tier of the nation’s research universities.”

“The designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning in recognition of the strength of our research program. It is a tribute to the faculty, staff, and student researchers whose work has pushed the bounds of scholarship and innovation and drawn significant national and international attention to the University and the region it is proud to serve.”

Carnegie bases a university’s status on several factors, including its annual research expenditures, the size of its research staff with terminal degrees, and the number of doctoral degrees it awards each year. Just 3% of public and private universities in the United States have achieved this status. In his congratulatory message to the UL community, UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie noted:

“Like us, each is a leader in teaching and learning, innovation and research, scholarship and service. I’m very proud, and you should be, too,”

Savoie said. The Center for Postdoctoral Research at Indiana University produces the Carnegie Classification. It has been the leading framework for describing U.S. colleges and universities for nearly a half-century. The latest update includes 3,900 institutions. Only 137 are in Carnegie’s highest level and UL Lafayette is among them. UL Lafayette will mark reaching R1 status at a celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 23, followed by a forum showcasing cutting-edge research the University produces.

By: Faryal Atif, Staff Writer