Our public affairs mission defines how an education at Missouri State University is distinguished from that of other universities. The university has long embraced ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement as the foundational pillars of our identity and purpose.

From the pre-conference panel discussion on impactful community-employer partnerships held at the efactory downtown to the closing plenary talk by Missouri State alum and author Ethan Bryan, this year’s Public Affairs Conference kept our campus alive with many sessions devoted to helping participants understand the value of engaging with others from different backgrounds. In that regard, this year’s conference theme was perfectly crafted, “The We Factor: Building Connections that Matter.” 

This theme was timely given the focus of our university’s strategic plan and students’ desire to find community. It helps participants learn the value of reaching beyond their comfort zones to make new connections and realize new opportunities.

I was thrilled to see the excellent attendance with many sessions drawing more than 100 participants. They became connected with speakers from six countries and 17 states, including 10 of our alumni. They underscored just how powerful students’ Mo State experiences can be.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, all sessions were held in person on campus. Since we began running sessions on Zoom, we’ve been able to greatly expand the reach and engagement of the conference; in fact, we’ve nearly tripled the attendance.

Participants’ reflections

For this edition, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the participant survey results that strongly ratify our commitment to our institutional mission. These comments represent the opinions of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Mo State:

From Alex Los’s plenary – “I, YOU, WE: Helping Gen Z Build Community in the Workplace”

“I really like the guest speaker as she was stating how the I, We and You statements can help a conversation in the future. I also like how she stated the three steps for implementing the community.” 

“I loved how she engaged with the audience and allowed members of the audience to engage with each other.”

From Pete Davis’s plenary – “Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing” 

“It made me think differently about many things and made me want to join a club.  Before that, I had no idea what it would be about, and literally thought to myself, ‘I’m not a club person,’ but maybe I can be.” 

From Marielle Segarra’s plenary – “Exploring Life with Marielle Segarra”

“I loved it!! As a woman going into journalism, I truly enjoyed Marielle’s talk. She was inspiring, encouraging and made me feel like everything is going to get better.” 

“This session widened my perspective and the advice given will help me think more positive.”

From Ethan Bryan’s plenary – “Catching Community: Throw. Catch. Repeat”

“This was an outstanding presentation! One-on-one communication and listening are vital to humanity. Thank you for this opportunity!”

Sample comments from various panel sessions:

“This session was very insightful and encouraged me to be more present and to keep evolving in my chosen career journey upon graduation.” 

“I enjoyed hearing the different perspectives shared by each panelist and the personal stories they gave.” 

“I love that they emphasized that we need to know how to think for ourselves.” 

“I loved it. I learned so much.” 

“An amazing discussion that gave me the confidence to work to make connections.”

Finally, please join me in commending our public affairs specialists, Mary Ann Wood and Stacey Trewatha-Bach, as well as the planning committee comprising faculty, staff and community members. Together, they develop the panel topics and invite speakers in their areas of expertise.

Bringing people together from around the world is a herculean task — well done! And I know the committee is already planning the schedule for next fall.

Thank you, all.

It’s a great day to be a Bear.

Biff