Potential Topic

At the moment I think I want my topic to ask the question of, Is it possible for a research university to excel in research while still holding on to it's mission as a public university? I've been reading a few articles about Rick Perry and his attempts to get his states universities to hold on to their missions of enriching the state but the administrators of those universities say he is doing it by sacrificing their elite status and lowering their standards. I would like to know if a university can truly excel while staying true to it's state.