By Stephen George
Though his U of L career is ending, President John W. Shumaker has certainly made his mark. Since being named the university’s sixteenth president on July 1, 1995, Shumaker has redirected the vision of the university toward a goal of national prominence.
Upon his arrival, Shumaker devised the “Challenge for Excellence,” a program that’s main goal was to bring U of L to national preeminence on several fronts, including research and academics. The ten-year plan, which took effect in 1998, laid out a list of visionary goals to be achieved, including gaining a national reputation for quality undergraduate programs, having at least twenty nationally recognized research and graduate/professional programs, being recognized as a national leader for university-community involvement, and raising the total endowment from $183 million (in 1995) to $503 million. A central goal was to make U of L a Metropolitan Research University, of which there are none in Kentucky.
Overall, the “Challenge” has been a success. In 2000, U of L was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, an organization that classifies national institutions based on academics and research, for being among the 3.8% of universities considered Doctoral/Research Extensive.
By 2001, the university had achieved its $500 million endowment goal seven years ahead of schedule and has now set $1 billion as its goal for 2008.
In 1997, the Kentucky State Legislature passed House Bill I, which detailed the Commonwealth’s vision for higher learning, as well as its desire for a shift of focus toward research. According to the President’s website, where all aspects of the “Challenge” are detailed, “this vision, expressed through House Bill I and energized through the state’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (“Bucks for Brains”), has set the University of Louisville on course to become a nationally recognized metropolitan research university by the year 2020.” By last year U of L had gained 47 licenses and U.S. patents based on research, a category that was nonexistent upon Shumaker’s 1995 arrival.
Likewise, Federal funding for research and development in the sciences and engineering has gone from $9.8 million in ’95 to $29.9 million in 2001.
It was also the year that U of L met its goal of seventy-five endowed academic chairs or professorships in various departments. A new goal of 125 has been set for 2008. Shumaker has also been able to increase the number of nationally recognized academic programs at the university from one in 1995 to seven by 2001. The current goal for 2008 is twenty.
“Speed School and the engineering program have really prospered since he’s been on board,” said Dr. Thomas Hanley, Dean of Speed Scientific School.
“President Shumaker moved U of L forward.”
U of L’s medical research programs have seen a large portion of the funds Shumaker has been able to acquire. “Our grant funding has gone up dramatically,” said Dr. David Wiegman, Vice Dean of the School of Medicine.
“The School of Medicine has certainly been able to move forward in research and education. President Shumaker has a vision that we’ve been able realize, and we hope to continue in that direction.”
Brandeis School of Law Dean Laura Rothstein said that Shumaker’s presidency has given U of L enough strength to continue to advance even though he has resigned. “One of the main reasons I came here was his leadership,” she said. “There’s a great deal of momentum here.”
The future of the “Challenge” is unclear at this point, but Shumaker has several expectations. According to the President’s website, “as it approaches the midpoint of its strategic plan, U of L envisions notable progress in developing top-ranked academic programs, attracting and graduating well-prepared students in all disciplines, contributing to new knowledge and economic development through research, and earning the continued support of those who have invested in its progress. Past and future investments of the legislature, donors, community leaders, foundations, federal agencies and others will grow exponentially to make this progress possible.”
In particular, the website cites upgrades in faculty and staff salaries, sustained development of research facilities, continued community and public service through Louisville’s “Community at E-Main” initiative, and further development of the statewide vision of Governor Paul Patton and the State Legislature.
Shumaker graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where he majored in Ancient Greek. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 and 1969, respectively. His career as an academic began in 1975, when he became Associate Dean of the College of Humanities at The Ohio State University. While there, he completed his post-doctoral work at the University of Toronto, Oxford University, and the University of California at Irvine. In 1977 he was appointed Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the State University of New York at Albany. After continually advancing at SUNY-Albany, he became the 10th President of Central Connecticut State University in 1987.
