Lamborn-Hughes Institute

About the Institute

The Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU) is delighted to invite applications for the Lamborn-Hughes Institute (LHI). Selected teams will be invited to gather over three days on the main campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, to address issues that they have identified as a priority for their respective institutions. Each team will work with a dedicated faculty member as well as benefit from structured opportunities for networking.

In 2019, its inaugural year, the LHI welcomed teams from: University of Virginia; University of Texas at Austin; University of South Florida; University of Nebraska; University of Kentucky; Purdue University; The Ohio State University; University of Kansas; George Mason University; Emory University; and Colorado State University. In 2022, the LHI welcomed teams from: Kansas State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Utah, University of Arizona, University of California, San Diego, University of Delaware, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and Colorado State University.

The Lamborn-Hughes Institute is dedicated to the proposition that superior undergraduate education and broad-based student success require innovative student-centered approaches and myriad effective collaborative partnerships across units. Horizontal collaboration is key. Institute teams are therefore typically composed of leaders from a variety of units (e.g., academic and student affairs; enrollment management; diversity, inclusion, and equity; institutional research, etc.).

The Lamborn-Hughes Institute celebrates the collaboration between Alan Lamborn, former CSU Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs & Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities Executive Director, and Blanche Hughes, CSU’s current Vice President for Student Affairs and Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities Board Member.

Application Process

Teams from Research I (very high) and II (high research activity) universities are welcome to apply. We recommend that teams are led by academic and student affairs leaders, including Provosts, VPSA/SLs, and UVPs (which include Vice Provosts, Associate Provosts, Deans of Undergraduate Colleges, etc.), and that teams be comprised of strategic leaders whose responsibilities are university-wide and include student success and well-being as well as equity and excellence.

While we do not prescribe the size of teams, we recommend 5-to-10 as ideal. UERU leadership and LHI faculty will select up to ten applicant institution teams. We seek to serve those best poised for innovation on behalf of student-centered research universities and pursuit of equity/excellence.

To apply, submit a proposal (5 single-spaced pages maximum; 2 or 3 pages preferred!) to Steve Dandaneau, UERU Executive Director and CSU Associate Provost, with the following elements:

• Primary Contact (including name, title, postal and e-mail address, telephone)
• Proposed Team Membership (including names, titles, and brief position descriptions)
• Context (what factors motivate the applicant institution’s desire to participate?)
• Principal issues (which challenges are of greatest concern to the applicant institution?)
• Desired outcomes (what would the applicant institution most want to achieve?)
• Possible contributions (what might the applicant institution contribute to the Institute?)
• Philosophical Statement (why a student-centered research university? Equity/excellence?)

Appendices are welcome but are neither necessary nor expected. If, however, data or existing studies might help the selection committee better understand the proposal narrative, please feel free to include them as supplements. We also welcome queries concerning the selection process but know that selections will be made based on the overall strength of proposals as well as with a goal of assembling a complementary and thus maximally productive group of teams. The value of the Institute is shaped not only by the faculty and setting, but by the willingness of participants to engage one another and share their expertise and experience. This last is a hallmark of both the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities and Colorado State University.