@lostaccount,
At research universities, research is all that matters for faculty trying to get tenure. After getting tenure, there may be pressure to get grants in some departments, but many faculty have a lot of free reign on how to spend their time. As for the student-faculty ratio, be aware of both the numerator and denominator. Different schools count differently. In any case, at a RU, they could vary significantly by department. Speaking of which, in some fields, if you want the grad school experience as an undergrad, you’re better off at a RU.