February 20, 2025
Providence College granted new research classification by Carnegie Foundation
By Vicki-Ann Downing
Significant growth in research efforts across campus means that Providence College will now be classified as a Research College and University by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
The change recognizes the college for its spending on research, which totaled $5.53 million for the year ending June 30, 2023.
Carnegie classifications categorize colleges and universities by the types of degrees they award, the fields of study they offer, and their size. The previous system did not recognize colleges and universities for research unless they also awarded doctoral degrees. PC was classified as a Master’s College and University (larger programs).
The new system seeks to rectify that. The Research College and University class requires institutions to spend at least $2.5 million on research annually. There are 218 institutions in the new Research College and University category, including PC.
Kris Monahan, Ph.D., senior director of sponsored projects and research compliance, said the new classification reflects the talents and hard work of faculty members engaged in research — often assisted by their undergraduate students.
“This is a shared achievement,” said Monahan, whose Office of Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance has secured more than $50 million in grants since its inception in 2011. “Our faculty from across academic disciplines have increasingly become engaged in significant research, and these projects are positively impacting their fields, the college’s reputation, and, most importantly, our students.”
Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and ACE senior vice president, told Inside Higher Ed that Research Colleges and Universities are diverse institutions and include community colleges, tribal colleges, and small liberal arts colleges.
“These are institutions that aren’t trying to have Ph.D. production, especially research doctorates, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t doing research,” Gunja said. “In a lot of these places, there are very robust research infrastructures that are important to the undergraduates and the mission of the organization.”
Carnegie also established new criteria for other research categories. Research 1 includes institutions that spend at least $50 million on research and development in a single year and award at least 70 research doctorates. Research 2 institutions spend at least $5 million a year and award at least 20 research doctorates.
The new institutional classifications will be effective in April 2025.
