Last week the Board of Governors had its annual planning retreat at Shealy Farm. The Board spent a great deal of time providing input on the university’s action plan for the coming year as well as the focus areas and measurable goals that will guide us as we implement the long-range plan over the next five years. Once we have finalized these documents, I will discuss them in a later edition of Clif’s Notes.

In the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight several other important discussions and action items from the retreat.

Reflecting on an outstanding year

The Board received year-end reports from the Foundation and from the office of research administration. The university had a record-breaking year, receiving nearly $25 million in grants and contracts for sponsored research and programs.

The university also had another great year for private support through the Foundation, receiving more than $18 million in gifts. These two sources represent $43 million in external support for our university.

The Board received an update on the rebranding campaign and discussed the way data directs our marketing strategies. You can find more information about the university’s brand and the status of the rebranding campaign on the brand website.

The Board’s major action item was to award the contract for the renovation of Ellis Hall to the lowest bidder, Carson-Mitchell, Inc. The contract provides for the completion of the project by fall 2017 as scheduled and within the budget established by the university.

After the retreat, members of our Board of Governors joined faculty and administrators to congratulate our newest graduates at the summer commencement ceremony. I am happy to report that we awarded 576 degrees, approximately half of which were master’s and doctoral degrees.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!