It’s that time of year when I receive feedback on my job performance from my bosses – the Board of Governors.

While we follow a calendar year performance review process for university employees via the annual appraisal and development plan (ADP), my review covers the fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30.

So, each year, I prepare a list of my accomplishments that I compare with my set goals and then I review this with my bosses. Hopefully, you’ll follow the same process with your supervisor.

Admittedly, my list includes the high-level accomplishments of the university, which I’m sharing with you in the following paragraphs.

Key highlights

A major accomplishment for the university has been the academic realignment. One highlight is the creation of the Reynold College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

This college demonstrates our continuing commitment and support of the arts and humanities when universities across the U.S. are cutting these programs. I’ve presented a detailed review of the realignment in the last several Clif’s Notes.

Strategic enrollment management was another focus over the last year as we recover from hits to our enrollment resulting from the pandemic. While we never say “success” until we have our census data in late September, enrollment for the 2023-24 academic year is looking like a strong comeback – primarily driven by our MoState Access Award, which results in $0 tuition and fees for our Pell-eligible students. I’ll keep you updated on these results following the first day of classes.

Another very important goal this year has been employee retention. We’ve made several changes in our policies and practices that focus on employee satisfaction:

• An enhanced remote work policy.
• Enhanced employee flextime and work scheduling policies.
• Accelerated vacation accrual for non-exempt employees.
• Reduced time required to be eligible to receive shared leave benefits.
• $1,000 retention bonus awarded last December.
• 5% across the board raise July 1.

The university completed its most successful comprehensive campaign in university history, raising $274 million through the Onward, Upward campaign. It was supported by more than 60,000 donors! We also raised $1.6 million by engaging 2,179 unique donors during the university’s second annual Giving Day March 1-2.

We also successfully advocated for and received over $77 million in federal funding for capital improvements, endowed chairs, the ASCEND program in West Plains and funding for research and renovations at Jordan Valley Innovation Center.

Many campus construction projects were completed, including Kampeter Hall (Phase 1), the John Goodman Amphitheatre, Heitz House and the Grand Street Underpass.

And finally, we capped the year off with our organization of and participation in this summer’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which focused on the history and heritage of the Ozarks. It took place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

While everything I’ve noted are presented to the Board of Governors as my accomplishments, we certainly couldn’t achieve them without the dedicated work of university faculty and staff.

Thank you for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif