One of the discussion topics at our board workshop was employer partnerships.

We have done a lot of work over the past year on employer partnerships.

Partnering with Amazon

Last month, Amazon selected MSU as an education partner for its Career Choice Program, an education benefit that allows Amazon employees to learn new skills for career success.

The Career Choice Program has a rigorous selection process. We specifically sought out this partnership because of Amazon’s recent addition of 1,800 employees in its Republic fulfillment center, many of whom could benefit from MSU’s robust credit and noncredit pathways for designed specifically for adult learners.

Building the PsyD program with Burrell

In February, we announced a partnership with Burrell Behavioral Health to start a PsyD program in Springfield. MSU will create and operate the program, and Burrell will financially support startup costs for the program and provide clinical opportunities and training support.

The PsyD will be Missouri State’s seventh professional doctorate program. This program will help meet a significant need for mental health professionals in our community.

Building bridges with other organizations

Employer partnerships like our recent arrangements with Burrell and Amazon allow us to fulfill our mission of educating students while also meeting the workforce needs of employers in our community.

These employer partnerships supplement the other important work we have done recently to establish academic and community partnerships, such as:

• An agreement with North Arkansas College for 2+2 transfer plans.
• An agreement with AmeriCorps to address food insecurity.
• Joining the Age-Friendly University Global Network.
• Housing the Springfield Daily Citizen on our campus.

Looking for more partnerships

We have a lot of work left to do. A work group has been meeting throughout the year to discuss how the university should approach employer partnerships. They will bring me recommendations next month.

The academic and administrative leadership team will discuss a pathway forward to implement those recommendations in 2022-23.

I hope you are as excited as I am to see what the future holds as we work to meet the needs of area employers and the Springfield community.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!