The 杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区 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杏吧专区檚 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 杏吧专区 acts as a steward for the funds awarded to faculty and staff researchers.
Savoie called the $144 million total 杏吧专区渁stonishing.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淎s a public university, in good times and in trying moments, the work we do should benefit the public,杏吧专区 he said before describing projects UL Lafayette researchers launched this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
杏吧专区淭he research being done here does not stay here,杏吧专区 Savoie continued. 杏吧专区淚t is consequential and valuable to our society.杏吧专区
In 2013, the 杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 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杏吧专区檚 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. 杏吧专区淚t is our obligation as a 杏吧专区 to help build a society where the intolerance experienced by one generation is not the inheritance of the next,杏吧专区 Savoie said.
He noted that the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 increased efforts in the past decade to recruit and retain women and students of color are paying off.
The 杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区 history.
杏吧专区淥ur diversity strengthens our 杏吧专区,杏吧专区 Savoie said.
Savoie lauded faculty and staff members for their response to COVID-19 when it forced the 杏吧专区 to switch to remote course delivery and operational functions this past spring.
杏吧专区淭his pandemic has changed many things. But it has not derailed our determination to fulfill the promises we杏吧专区檝e made to our students, to our community and to the future itself. It has not disrupted our success, and that杏吧专区檚 because of all of you,杏吧专区 Savoie said.
In a presentation following Savoie杏吧专区檚, Dr. Jaimie Hebert, provost and vice president for , reiterated the president杏吧专区檚 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.
杏吧专区淲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,杏吧专区 he said.
Most then took advantage of training opportunities or became certified to teach online 杏吧专区渟o they could deliver the best possible instruction to their students.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淭hat杏吧专区檚 both laudable and inspiring, and it杏吧专区檚 that kind of agility and dedication on the part of our faculty that fills me with confidence for the semester ahead,杏吧专区 Hebert said.
Hebert co-chaired the Ragin杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区渋n a way that prioritizes the health, safety and success of every member of our 杏吧专区 family.杏吧专区
The task force issued its 杏吧专区淩oadmap to Resiliency杏吧专区 plan in June. It 杏吧专区渙utlines a journey we杏吧专区檙e taking together as a 杏吧专区 community, and if we continue to work together, as we杏吧专区檝e done throughout this pandemic, we will reach our destination. I杏吧专区檓 sure of it,杏吧专区 Hebert said.