Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Dec. 4, 2018

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We have done significant work on our campus facilities over the past year. That work was recognized at this year’s Springfield Contractors Association (SCA) Salute to Design and Construction.

For the second time in five years, we received the Developer of the Year award, the top honor awarded at the event. This award recognized the university completing 86 projects at a total value of more than $85.5 million, including renovations to Ellis Hall, Glass Hall, Hill Hall, the Plaster Center and Woods House, and the construction of the Magers Health and Wellness Center.

Thanks to everyone who made this award possible, particularly Mark Wheeler and his team for leveraging the limited resources we have to maximize the positive impact on students and the campus community.

More SCA awards

The university received several other awards at this year’s SCA Salute. Doug Sampson, former Missouri State architect, received a lifetime achievement award. Additionally, three Missouri State teams were recognized for placing in the Associated Schools of Construction Region IV Management Competition.

Public safety awards

The university’s recent awards are not limited to facilities.

David Hall, the university’s emergency manager, received the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s Hall of Fame Award. The award recognizes his years of service as a firefighter and the Springfield Fire Chief. I want to say a special congratulations to David. We are fortunate to now have you on our team at Missouri State.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 27, 2018

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I hope you had a relaxing break last week. I began the week cheering on the Bears at the Hall of Fame Classic basketball tournament. While in Kansas City, I met with many donors and friends of the university and two Coordinating Board members and attended two alumni events. I ended the week attending the Missouri Valley Conference volleyball tournament that we hosted in JQH Arena. In the middle of the week, I celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family.

As we face the three-week sprint to the end of the semester, I wanted to let you know about two upcoming events.

Next Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. I will host the annual President’s Holiday Reception in the PSU Ballroom West. You will receive an invitation to the reception this week via email. I hope you will make time to stop by.

Join me at commencement

On Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., we will have our fall commencement ceremonies. Sen. Jay Wasson will receive the university’s Government Excellence Award at the 10 a.m. ceremony. This award recognizes Sen. Wasson’s support for Missouri State University through his work in support of state funding for the university, legislation that removed Missouri State’s statutory degree restrictions and other critical legislative accomplishments.

Matt Blunt will receive the Bronze Bear Award at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony in recognition of his support for Missouri State University. During his time as Governor of the State of Missouri, Blunt championed the legislation that gave our institution its name — Missouri State University.

Please make an effort to join me at these end-of-year events before we close for winter break on December 20.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 13, 2018

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Our annual Staff Awards Luncheon will start at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 9 in Hammons Student Center. All full-time staff members are invited to attend and encouraged to wear Bearwear.

At the luncheon we will honor four categories of staff:

  • Those who have reached a five-year longevity milestone in their years of service to the university
  • Those who have retired
  • Those who have been selected for the Staff Excellence in University Service award
  • Those who have been selected for the Staff Excellence in Community Service award

Last year’s award recipients

Last year we awarded two staff members with Excellence in Community service awards:

  • Tara Benson, director of student engagement
  • Scott Schneider, director of business and support services at the West Plains campus

We also awarded six staff members with Excellence in University Service awards:

  • Michele Bogart, senior records technician, human resources
  • Bruce Cavitt, academic advisor, WP Student Advisement and Academic Support Center
  • Caryn Cook, academic administrative assistant II, sports medicine and athletic training
  • Nicki Donnelson, assistant director, university communications
  • Corey Tracy, media systems engineer, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Stacey Trewatha-Bach, coordinator of public affairs special projects, public affairs

Nominate a staff member before next Tuesday

The Staff Excellence in University Service Award recognizes excellence in service to the university among staff employees. Through this award, the university recognizes staff who strive to do their jobs well on a daily basis, who go beyond the call of duty in a special situation and who have contributed in a significant way to the success of the university.

Each year six full-time staff receive this award (which includes a one-time $1,500 award).

Currently enrolled students, employed staff, faculty, administrators or groups are encouraged to nominate full-time staff employees for the Excellence in University Service Awards.

The deadline to nominate a staff member is Nov. 20. You can review the selection criteria and complete a nomination form on the Staff Excellence in University Service Award webpage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 6, 2018

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Today is Election Day. I encourage each of you to put the public affairs mission into practice by voting at the Welcome Center or your regular polling location. I am in China this week meeting with government officials and representatives of our partner universities, but I voted absentee before I left.

In last week’s Clif’s Notes, I summarized some of the issues on the ballot and told you how I voted on Proposition D (the transportation funding proposal). If you missed that note, you can find it here.

Setting new goals

When we developed the 2016-21 long-range plan, we also established measurable goals to track our progress under the plan.

I am pleased to report that the university has met two of these goals.

We set a goal of awarding 4,900 degrees and credentials annually. Last year we awarded 4,723 degrees and 461 certificates for a total of 5,184.

We also set a goal of having 14 percent of our faculty and staff be international or members of historically underrepresented groups. In fall 2018, 14.5 percent of our faculty and staff were international or members of historically underrepresented groups, a nearly 4 percent increase over the past 5 years.

The board discussed this progress, and the university established new goals.

The board recognized the flat trend in numbers of high school graduates in Missouri. The board also recognized that our future enrollment growth will be more focused on targeted areas of high workforce demand. Accordingly, we have established a goal of awarding 5,200 degrees and credentials annually by 2021.

The board and the administration agreed that it was important that we continue to press forward on our work to diversify the university’s workforce. Accordingly, we have established a goal of having 16 percent of our faculty and staff be international or members of historically underrepresented groups by 2021.

Room to improve

We have not yet reached our goals with regard to retention and graduation rates.

We have a goal of achieving an overall six-year graduation rate of 57 percent and a first-to-second year retention rate of 82 percent. Our 2018 rates were 54.5 percent and 78 percent respectively.

We also have a goal of increasing our retention and graduation rates for underrepresented, Pell-eligible and first-generation students to 79 percent and 50 percent respectively. Our retention rates for these groups of students range from 64 to 76 percent, and our graduation rates range from 38 to 57 percent.

We are doing a lot to achieve our retention and graduation goals. We continue to expand our designated GEP 101 sections. We are in the process of implementing the Center for Academic Success and Transition (CAST), creating an academic care team for students in academic trouble, encouraging more students to create and utilize four-year plans, providing training on proactive advising and undertaking numerous other initiatives designed to support student academic needs.

In December, the board will discuss the retention and graduation data and the initiatives currently underway.

I am proud of the work we have done, and I look forward to the work that lies ahead to achieve each of these important goals.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 30, 2018

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The general election is next Tuesday, Nov. 6. I encourage each of you to become educated on the candidates and issues and cast your vote.

In addition to elections for U.S. Senate, state auditor, Greene County presiding commissioner, and other federal, state and local offices, there are several issues on the ballot:

  • Constitutional Amendment No. 1 would change the way boundaries for legislative districts are drawn. It would also establish a series of changes to the state’s ethics laws.
  • Constitutional Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 and Proposition C would modify or remove the state’s prohibitions on medical marijuana. Each issue is slightly different than the others, so it would be worthwhile to research each of these medical marijuana ballot issues before you vote. News-Leader reporter Steve Pokin gave thoughtful analysis in a column he wrote recently on these three ballot measure, which you can find here.
  • Constitutional Amendment No. 4 would modify laws that limit bingo games.
  • Proposition B would incrementally change Missouri’s minimum wage each year until it reaches $12 per hour.

Why I support the fuel tax

I would encourage you to carefully consider one ballot issue in particular. Proposition D would increase the motor fuel tax by two and one half cents per gallon annually for four years. Proponents of this measure worked to put it on the ballot because:

  • Missouri significantly underfunds its transportation system, and this threatens the safety of our roads.
  • Missouri has the 7th largest highway system, but the state’s motor fuel tax is 49th in the United States.
  • The motor fuel tax has not been increased since 1996. During that 22-years, inflation has eroded 60 percent of the tax. Today the 17-cent tax approved in 1996 has 7 cents of purchasing power.

Proposition D would address these concerns by generating $28 million in funding for roads and bridges and $124 million for city and county transportation projects.

While I recognize that none of us like to pay more taxes, I have been vocal about my personal support for Proposition D. You can find my letter to the Springfield News-Leader about Proposition D online.

In addition to all the reasons cited above, I will be voting for Proposition D because each year Missouri State University faces significant competition for state funds. If the transportation gap is not funded with designated revenue under a proposal like Proposition D, state funding for critical transportation projects will make it ever more difficult to receive funding for higher education.

You can see the full list of candidates and issues that will be on the ballot in Greene County on the county clerk’s webpage.

Cast your vote at Welcome Center

We will be partnering once again with the Greene County clerk’s office to utilize the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center as a central polling location. If you are registered to vote anywhere in Greene County, you can vote in the Welcome Center instead of at your regular polling location.

The Welcome Center will be open for voting 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Nov. 6.

The Greene County clerk’s office anticipates a large volume of voters on Election Day, so plan accordingly and, if you don’t want to wait in a long line, avoid heavy traffic times (right before the workday, the noon hour and right after the workday).

Convocation speaker shares experience

This year’s Public Affairs Convocation will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. This year’s speaker is Fredi Lajvardi. Lajvardi captivated the country when he led a team of disadvantaged teenagers in a university-level underwater robotics competition, where they defeated leading schools, including top-ranked MIT.

I encourage all members of the Missouri State community to attend this year’s Public Affairs Convocation lecture and be inspired to put the public affairs mission into practice.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!