Dean Jones says:
"Both are important. If I had to choose, I'd say 'teaching' is the more important of the two. However, we also want to be known as a premier undergraduate research institution.
You are well-qualified in both teaching and research. That is why you are here, talking with me. The question I have is this: 'What are you going to do to satisfy these two interests?'
Your reply:
1. I could stay current with the latest research if I got funding for more trips to research-oriented professional conferences. Then I could help the students more. Are you willing to fund more travel?
2. I suppose I could supervise a few independent study-type research projects... How many of those would you like me to supervise per year?
3. I could stay current with the latest research more easily if I had a lower teaching load -- say, one summer session and a two-day-per-week teaching load during the regular semesters. Is that proposal agreeable to you?