That means the quality of research at Iowa State is an important factor that attracts students and new faculty to the school. Quality research makes our degrees mean something to the outside world. Take a look at the rankings of various departments at different universities and relate that to the amount of research money they bring in. It really tells the story.
Research equals reputation.
There is obviously a balance to be met for a faculty member between teaching and research. Some are better at this than others. However, the faculty that I was taught by were very good teachers who put a large amount of effort and passion into their teaching, while still spending time on their research work. They also made it clear to prospective faculty members that they should put an emphasis on good teaching. Look at how Iowa State does compared to other institutions and be constructive.