I cannot tell you how excited Deborah and I are to be in Springfield and at Missouri State University. We are fast learning the best routes to navigate Springfield, finding all the buildings on campus, and meeting lots of new friends. If we have not already done so, we look forward to meeting you soon.
We are quite confident it will be a whirlwind 60-90 days for us, but we also are positive that it will be an exciting, challenging, and rewarding time. The strength of the faculty, staff and students; the sound financial condition; the powerful potential of the public affairs mission; the Springfield community and Ozarks region; and much more, position Missouri State University very well to meet the challenges of the next several years. These are the factors that made Missouri State attractive and drew Deborah and me here.
I will use these “Dear Colleague” letters to stay in touch with the campus community. I hope you find them useful. It will be just one of many communication tools we will use to stay in touch with faculty, staff and students. I welcome your comments.
I want to use this first letter to introduce myself and to identify the greatest challenges facing us this year.
My core values
It is important that you know that I base all of my decisions on a set of personal core values. It is equally important that you know and understand what they are and why I weigh the choices I am faced with against each of them. The three core values that guide me are:
- Academic Excellence – academic excellence is approached through diligent effort, both individual and collective.
- Respect – mutual respect, respect for one’s self and for others, is the foundation of honor and the basis of integrity. It is respect that embraces the diversity in our society.
- Responsibility – accepting responsibility and acting responsibly are interrelated virtues. Personal responsibility requires first a careful, honest reflection on one’s moral obligations.
Students first
When it comes to making decisions, please be prepared for me to ask questions like: “How will this affect students?” or “How will this improve the educational experience for our students?” I will insist that we always keep students at the forefront as we deal with issues. If we do, I am convinced we will stay focused on our priority and make the best decisions possible.
Shared governance
I believe in shared governance. Specifically, I believe in the concepts as stated in the 1966 Joint Statement on Governance of Colleges and Universities, which clearly includes faculty in the governance process and emphasizes their role and expertise in matters of academic standards and curricula. However, it also states unequivocally that the faculty recommends to the President who then, in turn, recommends to the governing board. In matters affecting students and/or staff, it is equally important that their collective and individual voices be heard.
Challenging budget
There is no doubt that the budget over the next 2-3 years will challenge us. Having come from another state that is worse off than Missouri, I can tell you two things: 1) thanks to the good stewardship of the Board of Governors, Dr. Michael T. Nietzel, and all of you, Missouri State University has a solid financial foundation upon which to build, and 2) the projected cuts are coming, they are real, and they are going to be challenging.
Having said that, even in these difficult budget times, it is imperative that we find a way to move the University forward. This is possible if we focus on priorities and work together toward common goals. This is the challenge not only for the central administrative team, but for all of us. To succeed, we will need the best thinking we have on campus, plus a significant amount of cooperation and understanding.
We are going to have to build a budget for Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013 – and probably beyond – that will reflect some reductions and reallocations. I need and expect your help in developing that budget. We have to solve our budget problems and we have to do it together. Many of you have solutions that are probably better than mine. But to do any of these new initiatives, we have to address the immediate budget challenges and continue to attract increased numbers of qualified students.
Complete the strategic plan
At the same time we are dealing with the immediate budget issues, we also need to be effective in developing a long-range vision and strategic plan for Missouri State University for 2015 and 2020 and beyond. These two are related, but very different.
Groundwork has been done on the strategic plan, but there is much more to do. When we have more precision in our thinking, we need to involve the Board, the campus community, our alumni, the community leaders, legislators, and others in the discussion of what Missouri State should be in 5-10 years. Ultimately, this plan will guide our actions and inform our funding. That is why we must do well with our plan.
Central administration
I will confirm what many of you already know: I do not intend to make any immediate changes in the executive team at Missouri State. Everything I have heard and seen so far leads me to believe that the team that is in place is a strong one and prepared to meet the challenges we face. I have indicated to the central administration that my No. 1 priority is that we do excellent work. That will be the basis for my evaluation over the next year.
Again, thank you for welcoming Deborah and me so warmly. We are excited to get started. We wish you a great fall semester and success in all of your ventures in the classroom and outside.
Sincerely,
James E. Cofer, Sr.
President
- Dear Colleague Vol. 1, No. 10 - June 21, 2011
- Fiscal Year 2012 Operating Budget Approved - June 17, 2011
- Dear Colleague Vol. 1, No. 9 - June 10, 2011
- Fiscal Year 2011-12 Operating Budget Summary - May 13, 2011
- JQH Arena Task Force Report - May 10, 2011
- Dear Colleague Vol. 1, No. 8 - May 5, 2011
- Dear Colleague Vol. 1, No. 7 - February 24, 2011
- Missouri State responds to governor’s budget recommendation - January 20, 2011
- Dear Colleague Vol. 1, No. 6 - December 17, 2010
- 2011 Voluntary Retirement Incentive Plan - December 17, 2010