R1 Our Way Task Force

R1 Our Way Task Force Charge

UNT’s R1 Our Way Task Force will be composed of faculty and administrators, and will be co-chaired by Yan Huang, associate dean for research and graduate studies of the College of Engineering, and Robert Watling, vice provost for academic resources. The task force will formally begin its work in September 2019 and is expected to complete its report no later than December 15, 2019.

The charge to the task force is to recommend answers to the following questions:

  • What plausible resource investment strategies may UNT take to more firmly ensconce itself as an R1 research institution, with an aim of reaching the middle of R1? 
  • What are the costs and benefits associated with each of the strategies identified?
  • Which of the strategies are recommended to advance UNT’s R1 status in the most cost-effective manner that are also aligned with directions that fit our mission and strengths?

UNT has quickly ascended in Carnegie’s rankings, climbing from R3 to R1 in just 25 years. Such rapid movement means, however, that UNT sits in the lowest quartile among the other 131 R1 institutions.  We must strategically invest our limited resources in a way that will have maximum impact on our research culture, and in turn, on our standing among other R1 institutions.

There are many factors to consider in the analysis.  The task force will necessarily have to make a careful assessment of possible investment strategies considering the factors Carnegie uses to classify research institutions. These factors include STEM and non-STEM expenditures; STEM Postdocs and research staff; STEM doctorates; Humanities doctorates; Social Science doctorates; and other research doctorates.

While the task force will examine plausible investment strategies, we must also consider that these investments must make sense for our unique Mean Green culture. That is the essence of R1 Our Way.

Task Force Members

  • Robert Watling (chair)
    Vice Provost for Academic Resources
  • Anat Barnir​
    Professor, Management
  • Warren Henry
    Senior Associate Dean, College of Music
  • Yan Huang
    Senior Associate Dean, College of  Engineering
  • Brian McFarlin
    Academic Assoc Dean, College of Education
  • Billy Roessler
    Senior Director of Graduate Studies, Toulouse Graduate School
  • Jeffrey Rous
    Associate Professor, Economics
  • Ralf Schmidt
    Chair, Mathematics
  • Daniella Smith
    Associate Professor, Information Science
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