The abilities of people who do not research to teach complex subject matters are really limited. They don t have the experience. Not every class can be taught by national-level scholars, but good schools always have good researchers. It is absolutely essential to have that environment. Without research, I don t think you can have excellent teaching, because you just can t attract excellent people.
Research impacts the classroom in less direct ways as well.
Many of the Freeman School s top junior faculty members were attracted to the school by its support of and opportunities for research. You basically can do whatever kind of research you want as long as it s top-notch academic research. Some schools place a hard wall boundary between the disciplines. At Tulane, the boundary is not there. Not coincidentally, Lesmond and Subramaniam are also among the Freeman School s most honored teachers.