Monmouth University was recently designated in the “Research Colleges and Universities” (RCU) category in the 2025 Carnegie Classification update.
In an email sent to Monmouth employees and students, Richard Veit, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, wrote, “As President Leahy shared in his open call, Monmouth University has been officially classified among the nation’s research colleges and universities (RCU) in the 2025 Carnegie Classification update. This designation places us within a select group of 543 colleges and universities recognized for their research activity and spending. Our inclusion affirms the ongoing commitment of our faculty and students to scholarly inquiry, innovation, and research excellence, and places us within the top 14% of U.S. institutions engaged in research, based on Carnegie’s criteria.”
In order to achieve this classification, institutions must spend $2.5 million on research and development within a single year. “The RCU designation brings greater visibility to smaller and mid-sized universities like Monmouth, whose research contributions may have previously gone unrecognized on a national scale. Monmouth now stands among a distinguished group of research institutions in the Northeast, home to approximately 130 Carnegie-classified research universities, including schools from the Ivy League and premier private institutions. We are one of only four private universities in New Jersey to earn this classification, further distinguishing our role in the state’s higher education landscape,” continued Veit.
The achievement reflects the hard work, time, and dedication that faculty, staff, professors, and students put towards comprehensive research here at the university.
“This prestigious recognition as a ‘Research College and University’ by the Carnegie Classification is a testament to the dedicated, innovative, and impactful research supported by our faculty, staff, and students. At the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies, we pride ourselves on cultivating an environment where rigorous inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration thrive. Our faculty consistently secure grants, lead significant healthcare scholarly efforts, and mentors students in research that addresses pressing health innovations and challenges. This recognition acknowledges our collective commitment to advancing healthcare knowledge, improving clinical practice, and preparing our students as future leaders who value collaborative, evidence-based practice,” said Shannon Clifford, PT, Ph.D, MPT, Acting Dean of the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies.
David Golland, Ph.D, Dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor of History, also attributed the honor to Monmouth’s committed faculty, staff, and students, “Three decades ago, under the leadership of President Rebecca Stafford, Provost Thomas Pearson, and others, Monmouth College became a ‘teaching university.’ We remain so, and we remain committed to our students.”
Golland continued, “As a dean, I read the portfolios of candidates for full-time faculty positions, tenure, and promotion. What I usually see is a healthy dedication to all three legs of the ‘academic stool’–teaching, scholarship (meaning research, publication, and creative activity), and service. What has most impressed me about Monmouth faculty is how often their published research includes both graduate and undergraduate students as co-authors and co-investigators. All three legs of the stool are important at a university, and all work together for the benefit of the institution, its students, and its alumni.”
Golland also explained how the rigorous process to become a professor at Monmouth, and the minimum requirements held by all professors, awards students the best opportunities in terms of education and research experience, “All tenure-track faculty (those holding the rank of Assistant Professor) are expected to hold a terminal degree (usually a doctorate) from an accredited institution, so they have already completed a major scholarly project before they become professors. For the award of tenure (and conferral of the rank of Associate Professor), candidates demonstrate mastery of the scholarly craft through a rigorous review process involving faculty, administration, and the Board of Trustees. Beyond tenure, faculty can be promoted to the full rank of Professor only by completing a new scholarly project, maintaining excellence in teaching, and demonstrating leadership (beyond mere service) to their academic department, the School, the university, and their academic field. Students benefit from these qualifications and activities both from their exposure to teachers of the highest scholarly caliber, but also from the opportunity to conduct research of their own with experts in the field.”
Similarly, the importance of research was expressed by other members of the Monmouth community. “Research is fundamental to the mission of higher education institutions, by driving innovation, enhancing teaching excellence, and positively impacting society. Through research, institutions like Monmouth University contribute new knowledge, advance understanding in diverse fields, and address complex societal issues. Specifically, research at institutions such as ours informs evidence-based education, shapes policy reform, improves professional practices, and fosters critical thinking among students,” explained Clifford.
President Patrick Leahy also commented on the responsibility of higher education institutions to carry out research, “One of the responsibilities of colleges and universities is to make original contributions to knowledge. Here at Monmouth, our excellent faculty members typically engage undergraduate students in their research. At bigger schools, these research opportunities are typically reserved for master’s and doctoral students.”
Leahy continued, “This is very significant for Monmouth, as it is the latest evidence of our university’s continued evolution toward excellence. Having this designation allows us to more closely associate with some of the finest schools in the nation. For example, nearly all of the institutions in our current athletic conference (CAA) have a research designation. We are happy to join them.”
Robert McCaig, Ph.D, VP for Enrollment Management and Marketing, Enrollment Management Division, also commented on the recognition’s impact on the university community. McCaig concluded, “Only four private institutions in the state of New Jersey were given a research institution designation in the latest Carnegie Classification update. The other three were Princeton, Stevens, and Seton Hall, which is excellent company for us to keep from a reputational perspective. Quality institutions attract quality students, so this is good from an enrollment perspective also. And from a student perspective, the research designation is another proof point for how we walk the walk of ‘immersive opportunities’ that we’re always talking about. A student doing whale research on one of the Urban Coast Institute’s research vessels, for instance, is having a profoundly impactful college experience—an experience relegated mostly to graduate students at some institutions, by the way—that will matter in a job interview and in opening the aperture of post-college opportunity.”
