On Feb. 17, the Board of Governors met, which was the first of five meetings held throughout the year. The other meetings occur in May, June, October and December.

In the other months, the board’s Executive Committee meets on the third Wednesday of the month.

The board meetings are held so the governors can vote on resolutions that drive the general control and management of the university. These decisions may include:

• Governing policies.
• Hiring decisions.
• Academic programs.
• Long-range plans.
• Real estate purchases.
• Contracts greater than $250,000.
• Budget.
• Audits.
• And more.

More information regarding the powers, role and responsibilities of the board can be found under governing policy G1.01-3 II.A.

There are 3 main standing committees – Risk and Audit Committee, Programs and Planning Committee and Finance and Facilities. Committee meetings are informational sessions that provide an opportunity for deeper discussions regarding upcoming resolutions.

Decisions voted on during the February meeting

One item the Board of Governors voted on during last week’s meeting was the purchase of property directly west of the Plaster Center (efactory) and south of the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center in IDEA Commons and adjacent to a university parking lot.

This purchase provides the university with the ownership of all property between the Plaster Center and JVIC. This property is well suited for future operational needs of the university.

The board also approved the revised academic calendar FY24 and FY25. As you may have noticed, the recent winter break for students seemed exceptionally long. This was a result of calendar adjustments made in the last several years.

Following a review of the calendar with all impacted constituencies – most importantly, our students – revised academic calendars for 2023-24 and 2024-25 were presented and approved.  This action returns the winter break to approximately four weeks, ending on Martin Luther King Day.

Another important motion voted upon was the establishment of The Center for Transformational Education for Life Physical and Health Science. This is a temporary structure to receive, hold and disburse construction funds throughout the life of the construction projects at Roy Blunt Hall, Cheek Hall and Kampeter Hall.

The center will be dissolved upon completion of these projects.

Updates and presentations

An initial review of the fiscal year 2024 budget was presented to the board. The budget will evolve over the next few months and will be presented for approval at the June board meeting.

I’ll have a more detailed review of the budget in an upcoming Clif’s Notes.

The current status of enrollment for fall 2023 was presented by Zora Mulligan. While it’s a snapshot in time, enrollment numbers are looking positive compared to last year’s numbers.

Athletics was the overall theme of the meeting. It started with a celebration of student athletes and their success on the field and in academics.

It ended with an overall review of athletics at Missouri State as presented by Athletics Director Kyle Moats. This review included a walk-thru of the new NCAA Division 1 rules.

New board member update

Our proposed new board members were scheduled to appear before the state Senate committee for confirmation on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

As a result of the success of the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the hearing was postponed to Feb. 23 so legislators could attend the celebration and parade honoring the Chiefs.

Our proposed new governors, Tim Francka and Jeff Shrag, attended the committee and main meetings in an informal capacity.

Come to a BOG meeting

If you want to see the governing process in action, plan to attend a main meeting or committee meeting in the future. It’s a wonderful learning opportunity.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif