Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for April 17, 2018

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In 2015, our students voted to construct a new health and wellness center on campus with a student fee. Two weeks ago the new 39,000-square-foot, three-story facility opened for business.

In addition to our students who are funding the facility with student fees, I want to thank our donors and supporters who made the new center possible. The Magers family made a naming contribution for the center. The facility has been named the Magers Health and Wellness Center. Other significant contributions include:

  • Richard Biagioni who made a naming gift for the women’s clinic in memory of Dr. Lisa Drabinowicz, an MSU physician who was killed in a car crash in 1994
  • The Sunderland Foundation who made a gift to the support the main lobby in the center
  • The Bee Payne Stewart Foundation who made a gift to support the wellness center suites
  • The Dr. Dave Muegge family

Center sets MSU apart

The Magers Health and Wellness Center demonstrates the value Missouri State places on health and wellness for students, employees and families.

In addition to the services provided at the old center, the new Magers Health and Wellness Center houses the counseling center (formerly located in Carrington Hall), a sports medicine clinic and the Dr. Lisa Drabinowicz Women’s Center.

The Magers Health and Wellness Center features:

  • A full-service pharmacy with drive-through
  • A dedicated travel clinic
  • 33 examination rooms
  • Expanded hours to include evenings and Saturday mornings

I encourage all of our students, faculty and staff to take advantage of the many services offered at the new Magers Health and Wellness Center.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Work to be done on cultural competence

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Today was student appreciation day at the bookstore. What was intended to be a celebration of students was instead a demonstration of how easily and unintentionally we can be culturally insensitive by the incorporation and perpetuation of stereotypes.

As noted by one of our Latinx students, “the overall event diminished the Mexican culture to stereotypes of poncho and mustache-wearing people who own sombreros and love piñatas as demonstrated by the sombrero cookies served, ‘Mexican’ shirts and hats being sold, the giant chili pepper in front of the bookstore, and the people dressed in Ponchos and sombreros.” It did not embrace the complex and beautiful culture of Mexico.

The sad irony of this situation occurring during our Public Affairs Conference is not lost on me. As a university, we tout the three pillars of our Public Affairs Mission at every opportunity because we feel it is so important to the growth of our students, faculty and staff – cultural  competence, ethical leadership and community engagement.

Today we failed our campus in all three areas. And for that, I apologize.

Living our values

We can and must do better in consistently reflecting a deeper understanding and appreciation of the institution’s pillar of cultural competency. The concerns raised regarding the cultural insensitivity displayed at the event, and the negative impact it had on our Latinx community members, will provide an important reminder of how important this is.

Dr. Siscoe has committed to providing cultural sensitivity training to not only the bookstore leadership and staff, but also to leadership and staff within Student Affairs.

I will be working with Wes Pratt, our Chief Diversity Officer, to ensure we aren’t just talking about the three pillars of our public affairs mission, but truly embracing them and living them each day. And when we fail to live up to these standards, let me know – because it’s important to me and to the university.

Clif’s Notes for April 10, 2018

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As I mentioned last week, this week is the annual Public Affairs Conference. I hope you will take some time to look at the schedule and attend some of the sessions.

Dr. Robert Ballard, this year’s featured speaker, will give his presentation tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Juanita K. Hammons Hall. Ballard is the explorer who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985. His presentation will give his personal account of that experience. No registration or tickets are required to attend.

Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame

On Friday evening we will induct this year’s class into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees are Jean Carnahan, Peter Herschend, Lane McConnell, General John J. Pershing and Phyllis Washington.

Jean Carnahan was Missouri’s first lady and our first female U.S. Senator. She has been a life-long advocate for children and families.

Peter Herschend is co-founder and co-owner of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation (formerly Silver Dollar City, Inc). An education champion, Herschend has been instrumental in promoting higher standards for Missouri’s public education system for more than two decades.

Lane McConnell founded the Farmers Market of the Ozarks. The market is home to more than 110 farmers and was named the number six farmers market in the country in 2015.

Gen. John J. Pershing, a native of Laclede, Missouri, led a distinguished military career culminating with his rank as General of the Armies. He is most recognized for his leadership during World War I.

Phyllis Washington is a former vice president of the Missouri State University Board of Governors. She began her career as an educator in 1968 in Kansas City. After just a few years as a teacher, she was named principal of E.F. Swinney Applied Learning Magnet, one of the first magnet schools in the Kansas City school district’s court-ordered desegregation plan.

The Public Affairs Hall of Fame induction ceremony is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s not too late to purchase tickets. I hope to see you there.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

 

Clif’s Notes for April 3, 2018

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Today is election day. I encourage all faculty, staff and students to vote.

In Greene County, we have only two propositions on the ballot that involve the same issue.

Proposition A is a 20-year renewal of a $0.05 tax first passed in 1998. It is used to fund technical and healthcare program operations at Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC). Proposition B is an additional $0.05 property tax with a 20-year sunset that would be used to fund new technical and healthcare programs, including the construction of a Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Technology at OTC.

These propositions are very important to our friends at OTC. The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce (along with many other business and community groups in Greene County) supports both of these propositions.

You can find more information about these propositions on the OTC informational website.

As the state of Missouri’s public affairs institution, it is important that we become educated on these issues and vote today.

Progress on the budget

Last week we made progress on our legislative priorities.

The House passed a budget that restores the $6.4 million cut recommended by Governor Greitens. The budget will now go to the Senate, and we have already begun advocating with leadership in the Senate. You can find more information about the status of the budget in my blog post from last Tuesday.

The legislature also passed the program approval bill. This bill eliminates the prohibitions on Missouri State’s ability to offer new doctorate degrees and replaces them with a statewide framework that includes a pathway for Missouri State to expand its professional doctorate degree offerings. You can find more information about this bill in my blog post from last Wednesday.

Set aside time for the Public Affairs Conference

This year’s Public Affairs Conference starts on April 9. The conference theme is Sustainability in Practice: Consensus and Consequences. Participants will explore best practices for a sustainable future.

The featured speaker is Dr. Robert Ballard, the explorer who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985. His presentation titled “The personal account of how the Titanic was found and a look into the future,” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

The full schedule is available on the Public Affairs Conference webpage. All sessions of the conference, including the presentation by Ballard, are free and open to the public. No registration or tickets are required to attend.

As in prior years, employees may use up to two hours of their work time, in coordination with their supervisors, to attend the conference. I encourage you to attend, and I encourage supervisors to facilitate attendance by individuals in your offices or divisions.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Bill allows more flexibility in offering new programs

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Missouri State University would like to acknowledge the work of the Missouri General Assembly in passing the program approval bill (HB 1465). This was a multi-year effort that required significant perseverance by the coordinating board and our state’s legislative and executive branch leaders.

The bill creates a framework to reform degree offerings and program approval processes for public universities and community colleges throughout the state. The framework eliminates unnecessary and costly program duplication and encourages collaboration. The bill sets the State of Missouri on a trajectory to lead the country in higher education by encouraging streamlining, efficiency and reduction of administrative costs.

Missouri law currently prohibits Missouri State University from offering new professional doctorate degrees. The program approval bill eliminates these prohibitions and replaces them with a statewide framework that includes a pathway for Missouri State to expand its professional doctorate degree offerings.

Special thanks to Commissioner of Higher Education Zora Mulligan, Sen. Ron Richard, Sen. Jay Wasson, Sen. Gary Romine, Rep. Todd Richardson, Rep. Kevin Austin, Rep. Steve Cookson, and Rep. Donna Lichtenegger for their work to reform Missouri’s system of higher education by passing this important legislation.