Dr. Schmidly discussed the quality of graduate programs and such quality having a direct link with research and the ultimate ranking of the institution. He added that undergraduate instruction quality exhibits almost the same link. The better the performance in research, the better the academic program. One factor which directly impacts this is the work load factor. It has been clearly demonstrated that the more the faculty teach, the less is the performance in research.
Budgetary factors are also a consideration.
Dr. Schmidly acknowledged that Texas Tech must address the faculty work load issue and the problem of funding in order to become a Research I institution. By improving the faculty, Dr. Schmidly further clarified that he means more faculty as well as methods to improve faculty recognition. He observed that no faculty member at Texas Tech is currently a member of a national academy. The work load, too, must be more conducive to research activity. If we can implement all these steps, Texas Tech will become a high-performing research institution and dramatically improve the academic reputation of the university.