Case Study of a World-Class Research University:

The University of Michigan

Constance E. Cook

Associate Vice Provost

Professor of Higher Education

Executive Director, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT)

My Plan

• Introduction to the University of Michigan and where it fits in the landscape of U.S. universities

• Discussion of what makes Michigan a world-class university

• Focus especially on teaching improvement

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The State of Michigan

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Information About the University of Michigan

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• Public university• 3 campuses

– Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn

• Ann Arbor campus is the big one– 19 schools and colleges

• In 2017, our campus will be 200 years old!

University of Michigan Students

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• 60,000 students on 3 campuses• Annual degrees

– 6,500 undergraduates– 5,300 graduate students

• 42,000 students on the Ann Arbor campus

Rankings

• The University of Michigan was ranked 12th globally in the 2013 Times Higher Education world reputation rankings.

• Michigan is always ranked among the top 3 public universities in the U.S.

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Institutions and Enrollments:Public and Private

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Number of Institutions, by Control Total = 4,064

Enrollment in All Institutions, by Control Estimated Total = 16.46 million

Adapted from Digest of Education Statistics, 2000.

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Institutions and Enrollments:Carnegie Types

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Source: 2005 Carnegie Classification: National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS Fall Enrollment Survey

38%

28%

23%

8% 3%

Institutions Enrollments

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What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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UM-Ann Arbor Endowment 2009-2010

• Endowment including UM Health System:$7.7 billion

• Endowment excluding UM Health System:$5.0 billion

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What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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UM Research ExpendituresFY1980-2009

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$1.24 B

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What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much

federal funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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U.S. Ph.D. Degrees 2008-09

Total number of U.S. Ph.D. degrees awarded: 67,716

•About 60% awarded by 100 Research Universities

•25 of the top Ph.D.-producing Research Universities award 25% of the degrees

•Top 10 Institutions Conferring Ph.D. Degrees in 2008-09

Source: NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, 2010 Tables

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University of Minnesota: 879 University of Southern California: 803

University of California, Berkeley: 869 Univ of Wisconsin, Madison: 794

University of Michigan: 842 Univ of Illinois at Urbana/Champ: 784

University of Florida: 841 Nova Southeastern University: 772

University of Texas at Austin: 824 Univ of California, Los Angeles: 760

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What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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Schools and Colleges at UM

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− Architecture and Urban Planning − Kinesiology

− Art and Design − Medicine

− Business − Music, Theatre and Dance

− Dentistry − Natural Resources and Environment

− Education − Nursing

− Engineering − Pharmacy

− Graduate Studies − Public Health

− Information − Public Policy

− Law − Social Work

− Literature, Science, and the Arts

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What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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U.S. News and World Report

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- In 2012, 95 Michigan programs ranked in the Top 10.

- That was more than any other U.S. university except Harvard, Berkeley, and Stanford!

What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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UM Faculty Honors

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• National Academy of Science members - 24• Institute of Medicine members - 43• National Academy of Engineering members -26• Nobel Laureates (faculty and alumni) - 9• National Medal of Science - 6• National Medal of Technology - 1• Guggenheim Fellows - 63• MacArthur Fellows - 19

What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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Global Perspective

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UM is one of the U.S. universities honored with the Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization– Strategic integration of international, intercultural and

global dimensions into the ethos and outcomes of higher education

– Full engagement of the academic community in global networks and partnerships

Global Perspective

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• Faculty research collaborations with colleagues all over the world

• Institutional collaborations with universities all over the world

• Large number of international students– Currently, 8% of student

body (5,600 out of 42,000)– UM students studying,

interning, and doing researchall over the world

Saudi Students at the University of Michigan

• This year, we are proud to have 171 Saudi students on our campuses– Ann Arbor: 9 undergraduates,

23 graduate students(32 total)

– Flint: 108 undergraduates, 8 graduate students (116 total)

– Dearborn: 6 undergraduates, 17 graduate students (23 total)

• We have 250 Saudi alumni!

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What Makes Michigan a Top- Ranked U.S. Research University

• Large endowment• High research expenditures, with much federal

funding• Large number of Ph.D.s• Large number of fields• Fields highly ranked• Prestigious faculty• Global perspective• Organizational culture supporting research and

teaching

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Research Support

• Substantial funding for faculty research

• Strong staff infrastructure to support faculty research endeavors

• Encouragement of interdisciplinary collaboration

• Support for technology transfer

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Teaching Support

• Top leaders’ commitment to teaching

• Availability of professional development

• Frequent faculty interaction and collaboration around teaching

• Teaching is an important part of the faculty evaluation system

• Teaching is an important part of the faculty reward system

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Top Leaders’ Commitment

to Teaching

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• Frequent mention of the importance of teaching and learning in speeches

• Design of effective classrooms and learning spaces• Resources for faculty to improve teaching• Effective system for evaluating teaching• Hiring process that

includes review of teaching

• Prioritization of teaching for raises, promotions, and prizes

Support for Faculty Professional Development

• Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT)– First teaching center in the world (1962)– Has always been the model U.S. teaching

center– Excellent resources: 13 Ph.D.s, 30 part-time

grad students, one Faculty Associate, 4 post-docs, 12 support staff for computing, budget, events

– Part of the central administration but working with all 19 schools and colleges

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Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

(CRLT)• Individual consultations for faculty and graduate student

instructors• University-wide workshops and programs• 9 grants competitions• Discipline-specific programs and services for individual depart-

ments and colleges• Evaluation of curriculum and

curriculum design• Assessment of student learning• Theatre program• Publications and website:

http://www.crlt.umich.edu

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Frequent Faculty Interaction and Collaboration Around

Teaching

• CRLT programs• CRLT theatre• Teaching circles• Lots of interdisciplinary

programs and courses• Frequent program reviews

and curricular reforms• Curriculum committees in each school and college

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Teaching is an Important Part of the Faculty Evaluation System

• Annual merit raises for faculty based in part on teaching• Use of student ratings and other measures• Faculty coming up for tenure and promotion must be good

teachers (above average)– 1996 Faculty Survey showed that 43% of faculty

agreed that one must be a good teacher to secure tenure at UM.

– 2010 Faculty Survey showed that 80% if faculty agree that teaching is valued in the tenure process.

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Teaching Is an Important Part of the Faculty Reward

System

• Teaching prizes come with money• Named professorships• Prestige

– Administrative positions– Speakers at events– University publicity

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Conclusion

• The University of Michigan is not only an important research university; it also provides a high-quality education for its students.

• We have excellent students who deserve to be taught excellently.

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