A Culture of Inquiry: Creating a Sponsored Programs Office at a PUI

Lewis University Founded in 1932 as Holy Name Technical School Classes suspended during World War II Classes resume in 1944; Women admitted in 1949 Christian Brothers affiliation begins in 1960 Established as a university in Undergraduates; 1800 Graduates

Lewis University in Transition Steady increase in enrollment Increasing number of degrees and certificates Potential for growth in graduate offerings Changing & Challenging environment Recent faculty hires with established research agenda

Culture of Inquiry Task Force Created in 2007 Charged with internal review & benchmarking against peer and aspirant institutions Improve student experience & outcomes Final Report released in 2009

Task Force Recommendations Encourage every program and major to include a research component and/or capstone project. Increase the number of interdisciplinary scholarly projects for students and faculty. Provide release time grants for scholarship. Increase the number of field experiences, internships, and co-ops.

Creation of STEM Task Force May 2011 Co-chairs - Physics Dept. Chair and Special Assistant to the Provost Representatives from all colleges Chose individuals who were involved in research

Peer Review Recommendations Provide centralized leadership for sponsored programs within Academic Affairs. Create position of Grant Accountant within Business Office. Establish policies and guidelines for Responsible Conduct in Research. Create a training program for RCR.

Peer Review Recommendations Create an Intellectual Property Policy. Create a streamlined process to get proposals submitted to prospective funding agencies. Provide incentives to faculty to conduct research and pursue funding. Develop an F&A cost rate

Lewis University Office of Sponsored Programs Job Description / Job Search One person who could do it all Good fit with a relational culture Could get along with me

The Transition: A Personal Journey Size matters The LaSallian Mission Being all things to all people… It’s a marathon, not a sprint

New Office Challenges Policies and procedures Proposals writing responsibilities Institutional approvals Post-award administration Compliance issues

New Office Challenges – Part II Teaching Culture vs. Research Culture Managing expectations Evolving administrative priorities Training and the grants “Learning Curve” Encouraging new projects and proposals

Lessons Learned Be inclusive to a fault Find allies internally; mentors externally Benchmark, Benchmark, Benchmark Enjoy your campus

Thank You! Jeffrey Ritchie, CRA Lewis University Dr. Michele Young Lewis University