Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 16, 2021

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The Board of Governors Executive Committee will meet Wednesday afternoon.

The committee will vote on a resolution to award a $2.7 million contract to John Adams Construction Company for the welding lab renovation at the Broadway Building on the West Plains campus. In addition to submitting the lowest and best bid, John Adams Construction Company is a local general contractor based out of West Plains.

We are excited to partner with a local company to complete this transformative project for the university and the West Plains community.

The committee will also vote on two resolutions for projects on the Springfield campus. The first resolution awards a contract to MTS Contracting, Inc. for repairs to the exterior of Woods House and Wells House on the Springfield campus.

The second resolution hires Clark Huesemann LC as the consultant for infill work at the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center Brewer Science Innovation Annex.

Finally, the committee will vote on two critical procurement contracts.

The first is a contract for reinsurance — or stop loss coverage — for the university’s employee group medical plan.

The second is a contract to purchase $2.3 million in equipment needed to expand capacity of the district chilled water system to more reliably serve the campus and allow for the connection of Kampeter Hall to the system.

Open enrollment: Select the right benefit options for you

We are over halfway through November. That means you only have two weeks left to complete open enrollment for your employee benefits.

Open enrollment is the annual period during which you can elect, decline or make changes to your medical, dental, vision and cafeteria/flexible spending plans for the coming calendar year.

The open enrollment deadline is Dec. 1.

You can find more information about open enrollment, including instructions for how to complete open enrollment online or over the phone, on the open enrollment webpage.

Save $360 on health insurance premiums

You also only have two weeks left to save up to $360 on your annual health insurance premiums.

This year’s wellness incentive includes the following vaccination combination:

  • COVID-19 vaccination qualifies for $20 per month discount.
  • Flu vaccination qualifies for $10 per month discount.

Both vaccinations must be completed prior to Dec. 1 to qualify.

Employees who did not complete their vaccination at Magers Health and Wellness Center must contact Magers to submit their vaccination information before Dec. 1 to qualify for the discount.

Thanksgiving break next week

We will not publish Inside Missouri State next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

I hope you take a well-deserved break and find time to relax and recharge before we march forward to the end of the fall semester.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 9, 2021

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I want to update you on several activities on campus over the next week.

Celebrate Veterans Day

On Nov. 11, we will celebrate Veterans Day.

Veterans on and off campus can join us for a complimentary breakfast with live music performed by the 135th Army Band, Windfall, and a presentation by retired Army Col. Thomas Marty at 9 a.m. in the Plaster Student Union ballroom.

A live performance of Taps by the Missouri State trumpeters will follow the breakfast at 11:11 a.m. outside of McDonald Arena.

Find out more

I hope you will join us as we honor our veterans for their military service.

Finalists for West Plains chancellor

On Nov. 9 and 10, we will host the first finalist for West Plains chancellor for on campus interviews in West Plains and Springfield.

Members of the campus community will have several opportunities to interact with the candidate in West Plains on Nov 9.

You can find more details, including a schedule, on the Chancellor Search webpage.

Recognizing leaders in community

At 3 p.m. Nov. 10, the College of Business will host “A Conversation with Steve Edwards” in the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center.

This event will provide a remarkable opportunity for the university to hear from a preeminent healthcare leader and a critical voice that guided (and continues to guide) the Springfield community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is an invitation-only event. However, if you’d like to receive an invitation, please contact me at president@missouristate.edu.

Later that evening, Biz 417 magazine will host a Biz 100 Party at 6 p.m. at Reliable BMW to honor the individuals selected for this year’s Biz 100 list.

You can find additional details about the event, including a link to buy tickets, on Biz 417’s webpage.

MSU names on this year’s list include:

  • Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton.
  • Coach Dana Ford.
  • Lyle Foster.
  • Coach Bobby Petrino.
  • Wes Pratt.
  • Clif Smart.

Cheer for the Bears

We also have several exciting sports and entertainment opportunities on campus.

  • Tonight at 7 p.m., the Bears basketball team will play their home opener against Southeast Missouri State University. The Lady Bears played exhibition games at home last week and will play again Sunday at 1 p.m. at JQH Arena .
  • At 2 p.m. Nov. 13, the Bears football team will play their last home game of the regular season against the University of Northern Iowa. I hope you will join me for the game and for pregame activities at Bearfest Village.
  • Also on Nov. 13, Chicago—one of the longest-running and best-selling groups of all time—will perform at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The band will perform their greatest hits spanning multiple generations. The show starts at 7 p.m. You can buy tickets online, but you need to act soon as the show is poised to sell out and ticket availability is very limited.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 2, 2021

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This week we kickoff our United Way campaign. I encourage you to support our community by participating in the campaign and giving to the United Way.

The United Way has made exciting changes this year in how they will invest our donations in the community. The new strategy focuses on health, education and financial stability needs of our community.

Under the new strategy:

  • 60% of undesignated funds will be allocated to upstream funding.
  • 30% to safety net funding.
  • 10% to innovation funding.

The option to designate your pledge to a specific nonprofit organization will still be available.

We all know that there are many organizations doing meaningful things to improve our community. However, it can be hard to know which organizations will maximize our funds to positively impact our community.

This is exactly why I give to the United Way. The United Way allocates funds to organizations through a competitive process that ensures our funds are achieving their highest possible use in the Springfield area.

Because of the changes United Way is implementing in their investment strategy, and because of the enormous leadership the United Way has shown as COVID-19 rocked our community over the past two years, I am increasing my financial commitment this year.  I hope you will join me by completing the packet you receive in campus mail or pledging online.

Make your pledge

You can find more information about the United Way and the campaign online.

Enroll in benefits plan now

Our open enrollment period for employee benefits began yesterday.

Open enrollment is the annual period during which you can elect, decline or make changes to your medical, dental, vision, and cafeteria/flexible spending plans for the coming calendar year.

Open enrollment for 2022 runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 1.

You can find more information about open enrollment, including instructions for how to complete open enrollment online or over the phone, on the open enrollment webpage.

I encourage everyone to complete the open enrollment process, regardless of whether you plan to make changes to your coverage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 26, 2021

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The Board of Governors met two weeks ago. Last week I told you about their approval of a $4.1 million contract to design the renovation of and addition to Temple Hall.

The board took several other important actions during their committee and regular meetings.

Natalie McNish named internal auditor

The Risk Management and Audit Committee interviewed finalists for the position of internal auditor. I am pleased to report that after those interviews the board hired Natalie McNish.

Natalie began working for the State of Missouri in the State Auditor’s office in 2006. She has worked in the university’s office of internal audit and risk management since 2017, serving as the interim director since December of last year.

The board and I look forward to continuing to work with Natalie, and I hope you will join me in congratulating her.

Update on graduate programs

In the Programs and Planning Committee, the board received a presentation about graduate education at MSU.

The presentation focused on our dramatic growth of graduate degree programs, enrollment and awards.

The board discussed next steps in MSU’s Graduate College, including efforts to emerge as a state leader in professional doctoral programs.

Welcoming an emerging news organization

The board approved an agreement with the Springfield Daily Citizen. The Springfield Daily Citizen is a nonprofit news organization emerging in our community.

The Daily Citizen will provide consistent in-depth public affairs journalism published online.

Under the agreement, the Daily Citizen will be located on campus in Freudenberger House at no cost.

Naming Bronze Bear and Government Excellence awards

The board approved a resolution to award the Bronze Bear Award to Tim and Judy Reynolds and the Government Excellence Award to Clay Goddard.

Tim and Judy Reynolds attended MSU, and Judy worked for the university for many years. They have financially supported numerous programs and initiatives at Missouri State.

Most recently, they were responsible for a significant gift to support scholarships for students in the College of Arts and Letters, resulting in the board naming the college the Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts and Letters.

Clay Goddard, a two-time alumnus of Missouri State University, invested his entire career in public service with the City of Springfield and the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

As the director of health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided extraordinary leadership to protect our community, mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

The Bronze Bear Award and the Government Excellence Award will be presented at our commencement ceremonies this December.

Showcasing points of pride for MSU

I provided updates to the board on COVID-19 and enrollment and showed them the new What’s New At MSU Video.

Frank Einhellig presented the new Mind’s Eye publication and highlights from the fall 2021 Bears Care survey.

Elizabeth Walker, this year’s public affairs fellow, presented a report on the Public Affairs Conference.

The board also received presentations on the student emergency fund and on MarCom’s award-winning success in supporting university advancement with video, writing, design and events.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 19, 2021

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In April I told you about our plans to construct an addition to and renovation of Temple Hall. Today I am pleased to report that we are making progress on those plans.

Last week the Board of Governors approved a $4.1 million contract with BNIM to design the first two phases of the project. The first phase envisions a 65,000 to 90,000 square foot addition that will house research laboratories.

The second phase will renovate the existing building. Combined, the two phases will cost at least $60 million.

Design will occur this fall and continue through next year. Work is scheduled to begin on the project in fall 2022.

We are using university reserves to fund this design work. Meanwhile, we continue to advocate for funding for the project.

Advocating for federal funding

Sen. Roy Blunt was on campus to tour Temple Hall and meet with faculty last week. Sen. Blunt is leveraging the congressionally directed spending process in Washington, D.C. to advocate for federal appropriations to fund the project.

Our government relations team and I have worked closely with Sen. Blunt and his staff on this process.

Sen. Blunt has a strong affinity for Missouri State University. He is a proud alum of MSU, graduating with a master’s degree in history in 1972.

He was born and raised on a farm about 40 miles from the university. In more recent years, Sen. Blunt has lived just a few blocks north of campus and can regularly be found at various campus events and activities.

Sen. Blunt has actively supported many of our operations at Missouri State University. Many of the university’s grants and external contracts are thanks, in whole or in part, to Sen. Blunt’s work.

Beyond funding, he has worked tirelessly to promote our faculty, staff and students domestically and abroad. This work is exemplified by his decision, as chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, to invite the MSU Chorale to perform at the inaugural ceremony for the 45th president of the United States.

In addition to his strong support for MSU, Sen. Blunt has been a fierce advocate for higher education and the sciences.

Sen. Blunt is the top Republican on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Education as well as Health and Human Services. In that role, he has prioritized funding for the National Institutes of Health.

Under Sen. Blunt’s leadership, NIH funding increased 43% — $12.85 billion — over the last six years. He also championed funding increases for STEM and computer science education, apprenticeship programs, TRIO, and the Pell Grant program, including support for year-round Pell.

I have had the pleasure of working with Sen. Blunt throughout my presidency. Whenever I have called upon Sen. Blunt for help, he has zealously and eagerly taken up our cause. I am glad to call him a friend.

Seeking state support

In addition to federal funding, we are advocating for state funding to support the project.

In September Gov. Mike Parson requested proposals for matching capital to fund transformational higher education projects. We submitted a request for funds to expand our STEM facilities on campus.

Like Sen. Blunt, Gov. Parson has loyally supported MSU and championed the cause of higher education and workforce development.

We are grateful to have partners like Gov. Parson, Sen. Lincoln Hough, and others in Jefferson City to advocate on our behalf. Our elected officials are well aware of our campus needs, and they work tirelessly to position Missouri State University for success as funding decisions are made.

Similar to the federal funding process, we will not know the fate of state appropriations for several months.

In the meantime, we will press forward with designing the Temple Hall project to ensure that it is shovel-ready as funding decisions are made.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!