The University’s Transition Advisory Team defined a mission and tenets that will guide the system through reorganization in a meeting Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of research in the University’s national ranking and reputation.

The meeting’s agenda highlighted a panel of internal experts who addressed the team about the importance of research and innovative technology to set the University apart from peer institutions.

Interim System President and Chancellor William “Bill” Jenkins said research and a focus on a comprehensive student experience would make LSU stand out.

“We’re at the tipping point of going from a tier one to a tier two,” Jenkins said, according to The Advocate.

However, allocating more resources to research is easier said than done, said Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Thomas Klei.

“We have a lot of competition out there, so we have to make sure that wherever we land, we can recruit the best,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell.

The mission, or proposed vision, of the University focuses on three premises: academics, research and public service.

Developing this mission and vision will help the University become one of the top schools in the country, said SSA Consultant Christel Slaughter.

SSA Consultants is the higher education firm hired to assist the University through the reorganization process. The 10-member transition team will work with SSA Consultants to deliver a reorganization proposal to the Board of Supervisors for approval this summer.

The meeting’s agenda also lent time to a discussion about the University’s membership in the Association of American Universities.

The AAU comprises 62 public and private universities that have made substantial strides in research.

Federal academic research conducted by AAU universities totaled $18.9 billion in 2009, or 58 percent of all federal research funds provided to colleges and universities.

“The more we discuss and develop and vision, the better our understanding of how this will work,” Slaughter said. “We’ve got to position ourselves for becoming a top university.”