But hiring faculty is just the beginning, he said. Institutions need to nurture the careers of junior faculty and help them establish themselves as scholars, he said, while some in mid-career need flexibility to adjust the focus of their research. It takes a long time. But whom you hire and whom you promote is the most tangible evidence of how deeply you care about the institution and its mission. As BC 's focus on scholarship continues, Neuhauser said he recognizes the inherent tension that comes with maintaining an emphasis on excellence in teaching.
Good scholarship tends to reinforce good teaching.
Though he said he understands the competition for time this implies, there may be steps the University can take to help faculty manage their research and teaching responsibilities, such as increasing opportunities for undergraduates to assist in faculty research efforts. As BC continues its academic development, Neuhauser said tough funding decisions will need to be made among worthy initiatives. He added that BC can expect to see the emergence of more institutes and centers - supported largely by external funding. These offer the advantage of allowing researchers to carve out or strengthen particular scholarship niches, while minimizing added cost to the University. The faculty's success in gaining external research funding has created problems of physical space on campus for them to conduct that work, Neuhauser said.