Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 15, 2019

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As we evaluate the university-wide enrollment challenges, I am encouraged by the work of our international programs team led by Jim Baker and Brad Bodenhausen.

Between 2011 and 2016, our international enrollment grew from 1,304 to 1,673. This is an astounding 28.3% increase over a five-year period.

By fall of 2017, international concerns arose and the environment for recruiting students in other countries had changed. Rightly or wrongly, the United States developed a reputation in many countries of being unsafe and unwelcoming to immigrants.

The impact at Missouri State — like other universities throughout the country — was a 206 student (12.3%) decline in international enrollment between 2016 and 2018.

Our international team could have blamed the environmental shift and given up hope. Most other universities did.

Instead, our team doubled their efforts. They explored new countries and new markets. I recently joined them on trips to Bolivia and China to execute agreements and build relationships with new and old partner universities. These kind of trips are difficult, and they require a lot of work. But bending the enrollment curve is labor intensive.

Our international staff also collaborated with academic departments to develop program pathways that allow students to stay in their home countries for part of their education. This was a novel concept that had been dismissed as unworkable for many years. But our academic leaders worked hard and re-approached the issue with an open mind.

Our international enrollment increased by 151 this fall, nearly eliminating the losses we sustained over the past two years. Our hard work and creative thinking paid off.

Graph of international enrollment

Looking to the future

The success in our international enrollment is a model for what we must do here at home.

The environment in the United States has changed. Fewer students are graduating from high school each year. Fewer students are going to community college, making transfer recruitment more difficult. Demographics are shifting.

We cannot rest on our laurels or blame the changes in the world around us.

If we double our efforts and reinvent the way we work to recruit and retain students, we will have a similar story to tell on our domestic enrollment as well.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 8, 2019

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The Missouri State Way and United Way campaigns have kicked off.  Missouri State University faculty and staff make a difference on our campus and in our community by participating in these campaigns.

You will receive a campaign packet in campus mail this week. You can also find information on the campaign webpage. Please join me in completing and submitting the contribution forms by Nov. 8 to participate.

After you complete your forms, please plan to attend the free Celebration Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 15 in the PSU Ballroom. We will draw for prizes at the luncheon, and everyone that attends will receive a bookstore coupon.

Jessica Silvey joins my office

At the August Board of Governors meeting, Rowena Stone, my current executive assistant, accepted the board’s offer to serve as their new board secretary.

Last week we completed the search to hire a new executive assistant in my office. I am pleased to report that we have hired Jessica Silvey to fill that position with a Dec. 1 start date.

Jessica has worked for the university since 2009 as executive assistant in the office of the Associate Provost for Student Development and Public Affairs. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State cum laude, received the university’s 2019 Excellence in Advising Support Award, and is a member of this year’s University Staff Ambassador’s class.

I am excited for Jessica to join my office and continue to help us move Missouri State forward.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

2019 State of the University address

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Clif Smart and Frank Einhellig will present the State of the University address at 12:15 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, in the Plaster Student Union Theater.

You can view the livestream video here.

Supplemental resources

 

Asking questions

During the speech, President Smart and Provost Einhellig will accept questions in person and online:

Broadcast information

For those who cannot attend in person, the speech will air at 7 p.m. Oct 7 on KSMU and 8 p.m. Oct. 10 on Ozarks Public Television.missouri-state-state-of-the-unversity-2018-presentation sotu-2019-sgf-final

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 1, 2019

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Missouri State University’s vision is to be the university of choice to develop successful students who excel academically and in ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement.

Providing access to higher education for traditionally underserved populations is a critical piece of that vision. Higher education provides tools for those who desire to break the cycle of poverty, transcend socio-economic boundaries, and achieve personal and professional success in the modern world.

Access to higher education in the United States has become more challenging in recent years. Tuition and fees have far exceeded inflation. The backlog of defaulted student loans continues to rise.

Recent news stories have revealed schemes where wealthy people game the system to get side door admission into elite schools and to obtain federal financial aid benefits that should have gone to low income students. These stories are aggravating and heart breaking.

Missouri State University must take a bold stand against this trend. We will make it easier to access an exceptional education for those who meet the standards for admission, regardless of their finances.

New access initiatives

We have initiated several programs over the last two months to address these access issues:

  • We created a scholarship program to allow high school students on free or reduced lunch to take dual credit classes free of charge. This program was implemented for the fall semester in Springfield Public Schools and will go statewide in the spring.  You can find more information in the Springfield and Kansas City press releases.
  • We signed agreements with every Boys and Girls Club in the state to provide scholarships for their students to attend Missouri State. Additional information is available in the press release.
  • We signed an agreement with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (based in St. Louis) to provide scholarships for their students to attend Missouri State.
  • We joined the Common App, which allows students to enter their information one time and apply to many colleges without having to submit separate application information.
  • We will waive the undergraduate application fee.

I encourage everyone in the Missouri State community to join in this effort. Please help us get the word out that our university is committed to access for the underserved, and we provide pathways to a college degree for everyone.

State of the University Oct. 7

This year’s State of the University address is at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 7 in the PSU Theater. We will talk more about Missouri State’s commitment to access. Dr. Frank Einhellig and I will also highlight accomplishments from last year and plans for the year ahead. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Sept. 24, 2019

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The public affairs conference is next week.

The conference theme is “The 21st Century Digital World.” Participants will explore how digital technology has influenced all aspects of our lives.

The featured speaker is Bobby Bones. Bones is an award-winning radio broadcaster and vice-president and creative director of iHeartCountry. His show broadcasts to almost 140 stations and is the No. 1 country morning show with millions of weekly listeners. Bones’ keynote presentation is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Juanita K. Hammons Hall.

The full schedule is available on the Public Affairs Conference webpage. Highlights include:

All sessions of the conference, including the keynote presentation by Bobby Bones, are free and open to the public. No registration or tickets are required to attend.

As in prior years, employees may use up to two hours of their work time, in coordination with their supervisors, to attend the conference. I encourage you to attend, and I encourage supervisors to facilitate attendance by individuals in your offices or divisions.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!