The Board of Governors met last week.
Budget scenarios
The board spent the bulk of its time during the Finance and Facilities Committee discussing next year’s budget. The Executive Budget Committee met two days before the board meeting, and I relayed discussions from that meeting to the board.
Our preliminary budget work shows how critical it is for MSU’s state funding to be increased. Additional state funds will be necessary to avoid difficult cuts, keep tuition affordable, and fund important budget priorities like cost-of-living pay increases, new faculty positions and new academic programs in areas of high workforce demand.
I will travel to Jefferson City next week to continue to advocate for an equity adjustment to Missouri State’s core operating appropriation. You can review our legislative materials and join the MSU Legislative Network if you would like to participate in our advocacy efforts.
Expanding opportunities
During the Programs and Planning Committee meeting, the board discussed the process the university will use to identify and develop new professional doctorate programs. Based on guidance received from the board, the provost’s office will form a committee to prioritize professional doctorate program proposals to better help the board and administration plan how to allocate resources for programs that are likely to thrive.
The board also received an update on the Greater Ozarks Center for Advanced Technology (GOCAT) in West Plains and discussed opportunities for the West Plains campus to take the next step in developing the workforce to meet industry needs.
Maintaining momentum
During its regular meeting, the board approved changes to the university’s healthcare principles policy. This policy was updated in response to questions raised by faculty and staff during discussions about health plan policy changes last fall. The new policy contains a provision establishing that the board must approve increases in the premiums the university contributes to the plan. It also establishes that if healthcare costs exceed the amount of premiums, the university will cover costs with one-time reserves and evaluate whether premiums should be adjusted on a going-forward basis.
The board also approved changes to the faculty handbook on the West Plains campus. These changes include provisions modifying the faculty workload policy. The new policy increases the teaching load from 24 credit hours per academic year to 30 credit hours for all full-time faculty who are hired on or after July 1, 2019, or who opt-in to an incentive plan agreed upon by administration and the West Plains Faculty Senate.
The board also approved contracts for upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems at Blair-Shannon House and for construction of an outdoor amphitheater on the West Plains campus.
Finally, the board discussed Missouri State University’s partnerships with college access programs. Access programs are designed to prepare low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students for college. We currently have four active partnerships with access programs: Kauffman Scholars, Wyman Teen Leadership Program, College Bound and 100 Black Men. We have another partnership slated to start next year: the St. Louis Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP). We will continue to leverage these partnerships to help students succeed and to enhance campus diversity and inclusion.
Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!
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