I am confused. Who says credentials only apply to undergrads?
I said they do more than teach undergrads, to which you re-quoted me questioningly.
Include postgraduate folks and they're still doing a lot more than just teaching and credentialing. Places like Harvard output research, too.
A university research lab is controlled by usually one professor or a very small number of professors. They can decide to move to another university and take the lab with them.