I am pleased to report that Dr. John Jasinski has agreed to continue at Missouri State University as our provost through June 2024.

We will begin the search for a permanent provost in fall 2023. In the meantime, we will remove the “interim” from John’s provost title.

When we hired Zora Mulligan and John last spring, the leadership team and the Board of Governors collaborated to develop a two-year transformation plan. Under that plan, John has focused on academic disruption and modernizing our academic structure.

John was the right person to begin this work, and he is the right person to complete it over the next three semesters. Put simply, John is an expert in exactly the kind of work the board and I have asked him to perform as part of our two-year transformation plan.

Some changes have already been made. We have announced the creation of the Reynolds College of Arts and Humanities. Deans Vic Matthews and Shawn Wahl have worked in earnest as transition co-leads. We also recently began to restructure the units under Missouri State Outreach – and are working through details, currently.

Much more work remains to be done as part of the Academic Affairs Continuous Agility Process (CAP).

Up next

The College Realignment Plan Phase Two is underway. Phase two includes ample opportunities for feedback regarding possible academic structural changes as well as academic advising and student success.

See the Academic Realignment Timeline for details.

Please also note we are conducting a review of our Learning Management System, Blackboard, this spring. With the Blackboard contract expiring, it allows us to step back and review and compare products.

John, Chief Information Officer Jeff Coiner and their teams are gathering feedback and input throughout the spring. More detailed information will be posted to the provost’s website in the coming weeks.

Finally, know that our Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Reaffirmation of Accreditation year 10 comprehensive evaluation is due in early 2025 – followed by a site visit from the HLC Peer Corps. We received a stellar report in 2015 and then again with an Assurance Review in 2020.

John is working with various internal teams to provide for “embedded conversations” as we update our materials, self-assess, provide for collective reviews and submit our report in the first part of 2025. Stay tuned.

Other work is at hand as our academic colleagues address the rest of the transformation plan and elements of the Academic Affairs CAP. Bottom line, opportunities exist through collective impact.

I am pleased with the work Zora and John have completed over the past semester, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to complete the transformation plan.

Farewell reception for Rachel McGinnis

I hope you will join me in congratulating Rachel McGinnis, our director of research administration, as she moves on to a similar position at Middle Tennessee State University next month.

During her 18 years at Missouri State, Rachel has been instrumental in increasing the level of external funding coming to the university. She and her team in the office of research administration have done outstanding work in supporting faculty and staff in research grant applications, and helping the university stay in compliance with grant rules and regulations.

The division of community and global partnerships will host a farewell reception for Rachel from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 23 in the Jay Wasson Idea Loft at the efactory.

Please make plans to attend so you can say thanks to Rachel for a job well done!

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!