Could a medical school at Syracuse University be the ticket the institution needs to radically ascend the ranks of research universities? Or are its uncertain plans to fund the school and a crowded local market too much to overcome? In his year and a half as chancellor, Kent Syverud has prioritized research programs in an effort to raise the university's stature among research universities and in the rankings. Now Syracuse is exploring a medical school that would graduate doctors into the Veterans Administration Hospital pipeline -- a move that, if executed, would likely add significantly to the university's research grant total, reaching levels beyond where it was four years ago when it left the American Association of Universities in order to avoid being kicked out. Syverud’s goals are seen by some on Syracuse’s campus as a tweaking of mission for the university, which in the past decade has tried a number of strategies with different definitions of excellence.

August 31, 2015 ・ From Inside Higher Ed