The 小蝌蚪APP set a record with $144 million in research and development expenditures last year.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, announced the milestone during his State of the 小蝌蚪APP address. The annual presentation to faculty and staff members marks the start of the fall semester and the new academic year. Classes at UL Lafayette began Monday.
The address typically draws nearly a thousand members of the 小蝌蚪APP community to the Angelle Hall auditorium on campus but was presented virtually this year as a result of state restrictions on large indoor gatherings.
Last year was the third in row that UL Lafayette expended more than $100 million on R&D, according to the Higher Education Research and Development Survey. The HERD Survey is the National Science Foundation小蝌蚪APP檚 annual index of research spending at U.S. colleges and universities.
UL Lafayette competes against other universities for federal and state government grants, and private sector contracts. The 小蝌蚪APP acts as a steward for the funds awarded to faculty and staff researchers.
Savoie called the $144 million total 小蝌蚪APP渁stonishing.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淎s a public university, in good times and in trying moments, the work we do should benefit the public,小蝌蚪APP he said before describing projects UL Lafayette researchers launched this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
小蝌蚪APP淭he research being done here does not stay here,小蝌蚪APP Savoie continued. 小蝌蚪APP淚t is consequential and valuable to our society.小蝌蚪APP
In 2013, the 小蝌蚪APP set a goal of $100 million in R&D expenditures by 2020. It reached the threshold in 2017. The following year, it spent $124.7 million.
That 2018 figure placed UL Lafayette among the top 23 percent of the 647 research universities the HERD survey included.
The 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 ranking for 2019, based on the $144 million figure, has not yet been released by the NSF.
During the presentation, Savoie also reaffirmed UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 commitment to building a more diverse campus community and meeting the goals established in .
The plan is a framework for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in course offerings, hiring, student services and recruitment, and community outreach. 小蝌蚪APP淚t is our obligation as a 小蝌蚪APP to help build a society where the intolerance experienced by one generation is not the inheritance of the next,小蝌蚪APP Savoie said.
He noted that the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 increased efforts in the past decade to recruit and retain women and students of color are paying off.
The 小蝌蚪APP awarded a record 3,610 degrees in the 2019-2020 academic year. Among the recipients were an historic number of women, Black, Hispanic and Asian graduates. The Spring 2020 graduating class was the largest and most diverse in 小蝌蚪APP history.
小蝌蚪APP淥ur diversity strengthens our 小蝌蚪APP,小蝌蚪APP Savoie said.
Savoie lauded faculty and staff members for their response to COVID-19 when it forced the 小蝌蚪APP to switch to remote course delivery and operational functions this past spring.
小蝌蚪APP淭his pandemic has changed many things. But it has not derailed our determination to fulfill the promises we小蝌蚪APP檝e made to our students, to our community and to the future itself. It has not disrupted our success, and that小蝌蚪APP檚 because of all of you,小蝌蚪APP Savoie said.
In a presentation following Savoie小蝌蚪APP檚, Dr. Jaimie Hebert, provost and vice president for , reiterated the president小蝌蚪APP檚 sentiments.
Hebert noted that faculty members moved more than 2,100 in-person courses to remote delivery in five days midway through the spring semester.
小蝌蚪APP淲hat may get overshadowed by the enormity of that number and the speed in which this Herculean task was completed is that most faculty had never taught remotely before,小蝌蚪APP he said.
Most then took advantage of training opportunities or became certified to teach online 小蝌蚪APP渟o they could deliver the best possible instruction to their students.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淭hat小蝌蚪APP檚 both laudable and inspiring, and it小蝌蚪APP檚 that kind of agility and dedication on the part of our faculty that fills me with confidence for the semester ahead,小蝌蚪APP Hebert said.
Hebert co-chaired the Ragin小蝌蚪APP Cajun Resiliency Plan Task Force. The panel of administrators, students, faculty and staff members established guidelines for the safe resumption of on-campus courses, residential life and activities 小蝌蚪APP渋n a way that prioritizes the health, safety and success of every member of our 小蝌蚪APP family.小蝌蚪APP
The task force issued its 小蝌蚪APP淩oadmap to Resiliency小蝌蚪APP plan in June. It 小蝌蚪APP渙utlines a journey we小蝌蚪APP檙e taking together as a 小蝌蚪APP community, and if we continue to work together, as we小蝌蚪APP檝e done throughout this pandemic, we will reach our destination. I小蝌蚪APP檓 sure of it,小蝌蚪APP Hebert said.