The next few weeks are important and busy ones for Missouri State. I hope you’ll get involved.

Campus encouraged to get involved in HLC visit, State of the University address and Denim Day

HLC accreditation visit

Missouri State University has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1915. The HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the 19 states of the North Central region of the United States.

Accreditation with the HLC is critical to our work at Missouri State. Accreditation allows the University to award degrees, participate in financial aid programs and engage in other educational activities.

A team of HLC peer reviewers will be on the Springfield campus Oct. 5 and 6 to conduct a site visit as part of Missouri State’s reaffirmation of accreditation process. I encourage each of you to participate.

The Assurance Argument is the major document we submit for reaccreditation. You can review the executive summary for Missouri State’s Assurance Argument or the entire Assurance Argument on the University’s accreditation webpage.

Please also feel free to participate in the open forum meetings with the HLC team:

• Open forum discussion for Criteria 1 and 2 from 10:10 to 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5 in the PSU Theater
• Open forum discussion for Criteria 3 and 4 from 1:25 to 2:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5 in the PSU Theater
• Open forum discussion for Criterion 5 from 9 to 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6 in the PSU Theater
• Drop in session from 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5 in PSU 308
• Drop in session from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6 in PSU 308

State of the University address

Please join me for this year’s State of the University address from 12:30-1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1 in the PSU Theater. You can also livestream the address.

The address will be titled “Our Passion for Excellence.” Dr. Einhellig and I will make brief remarks about the achievements Missouri State has realized over the past year and plans for the coming year.

How to participate

In efforts to increase audience participation, our protocol for questions and answers will be a bit different this year than in year’s past.

• First, you can tweet questions using the hashtag #msuchat.
• Second, you may post a question on the livestream webpage.
• Third, you can write your questions on notecards available in the PSU Theater during the speech.

The questions submitted in these three ways will be answered twice during the address, once at the end of my remarks and again at the end of Dr. Einhellig’s remarks. Additionally, questions may be asked in person at the end of the address with an open microphone.

Slides and a video of the presentation will be available on the office of the president webpage after the address.

Staff Senate Denim Day

Please consider participating in the Staff Senate’s fundraising to support breast cancer research. The week-long drive culminates with the Lee National Denim Day, one of the largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer, a disease that impacts countless lives every year. There are at least 18 known survivors on our campus.

Donate then wear denim on Oct. 2

All employees are invited to donate $5.00 to the cause and wear denim and their BearWear on Friday, Oct. 2 Collection coordinators are in different buildings and are available to accept your donation.

Name	Location
Tammy Dixon	Carrington 311
Kimberly Dixon	Stores and Maintenance 102
Suzanne Moskalski	Craig Hall 375
Jennifer Meyer	Hill Hall 109
Emily Furtak	Meyer Library 215
Lisa Searles	Morris Center for Continuing Education 200
Cindy Elliot	McQueary 204
Denise Baumann	Hammons House 101
Brenda O’Connell	Hammons Student Center 32
Terrill Harvey	Baker Bookstore

Or, if you prefer, you may contact Kelly Bridges, Denim Day Committee chair, at kkbridges@missouristate.edu.

Attend luncheon on Oct. 28

Among the fundraising events is a University-wide luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Plaster Student Union Ballroom.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!