Montana State University Bozeman - Montanan Yearbook (Bozeman, MT)

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Controversy Education vs Research Although teachers, researchers and administrators alike agree that research is a vital component to the advancement of any science, they disagree on the proper degree of emphasis that should be placed on research and teaching at MSU. According to Dr. Peter Brussard, biology department head, “Teaching and research are of equal importance and in fact, are complementary.” However, as Dr. Don Collins, a professor in the biology department sees it, “Not only at MSU but all institutions of higher education are emphasizing research over teaching. Furthermore, all over the U.S., administrators are equating academic excellence in terms of numbers of grants received and graduate programs offered rather than undergraduate teaching.” These two comments represent two divergent philosophies concerning the role of research and teaching in higher education. Further complications arise with the idea that those primarily involved in teaching and those primarily involved in research could see teaching and research as pursuing separate, independent goals. Collins describes the goal of a teacher as one that would present established knowledge with updated applications and examples as they pertain to the student. The goal of a researcher is, according to Dr. Gary Strobel, a leading researcher in the field of plant pathology, “to push back the frontiers of ignorance by seeking out novel ideas and pursuing them. This apparent distinction carries over to the perception of the role of MSU as an institution of higher education. President William Tietz would like to “reaffirm MSU as the leading comprehensive research institution in Montana. This doesn't mean that teaching will be neglected. As evidence to MSU’s committment to undergraduate instruction, he cited the core curriculum, honors program, general studies, counseling efforts, and learning labs for writing and other skills. “Nevertheless, it is important that we consider this institution the home of scholarly research efforts in Montana,” he concluded. In opposition, a retired MSU biology professor said this: “Research is becoming increasingly emphasized, more so than teaching at MSU. The bottom line is that college where students are taught secondhand, sometimes out-of-date information. In disagreement, Colins asserts that the educational needs of undergraduate students couldn't possibly be satisfied by information solely generated at MSU. Everyone teaches someone else’s work — even researchers. Additionally, the subjects that need to be emphasized in the teaching of undergraduates aren’t necessarily the same as the areas of fruitful research. “Those areas that should be emphasized are the basics,” Collins said. Money and where it should be spent are always valid questions. According to Brussard, “Because of the financial set-up of the university system, it is best to maintain a balance between research and teaching. Research isn’t profitable because of the overhead. Although it's most profitable to have that balance, MSU also needs the reputation and prestige associated with research to attract students.” Collins, however, said, “The goal of the university as public, land grant institution should be to give undergraduates a basic, comprehensive education, not financing Montana is a rural state. In Montana, teaching is essential to the students. Teaching is getting the shorter end of the deal and ultimately, it is the students who are getting short changed. The question of emphasis surfaced a whole series of questions concerning what the role of the university is, quality of education, the issue of productivity, and rewards. Given that there is a degee of prestige associated with the publication of research activities, Strobel sees this as vital to the reputation of a university. He says that universities are ranked according to their graduate programs which will in turn affect a school’s ability to recruit new faculty members and students. Furthermore, Strobel describes a strong research program as that which will segre gate universities and community colleges He says, “First-rate institutions don’t deal in second-rate information,” meaning that at universities which have research programs students arc taught the more current information by those working on the cutting edge of science. This can be contrasted, he says to the education received at a community