Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Dec. 7, 2021

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Following a five-month nationwide search, I am pleased to report that last week I hired Dr. Dennis Lancaster to serve as chancellor of the West Plains campus.

Lancaster, a West Plains native, has worked at Missouri State University-West Plains since 1990, starting as a per course faculty member and eventually serving as dean of academic affairs.

He has been interim chancellor since July 2020. Before coming to the university, he was a reporter for the West Plains Daily Quill.

This was a very competitive search. We received 26 applications and interviewed two finalists.

Lancaster emerged from this rigorous process with a unanimous recommendation from the search committee.

I am excited for him to build on the success he has already had in West Plains and continue the Grizzlies on their pathway of success.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 30, 2021

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The United Way campaign ends on Friday.

As the United Way Campaign winds down, please remember to fill out your pledge forms and help us reach our goals this year.

The United Way of the Ozarks has reworked its investment strategy so that our undesignated funds go to the health, education and financial stability needs of our community.

My interview with Greg Burris outlines these changes and why it’s important for us to take part.

 

COVID updates

November brought two important updates for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.

First, the FDA authorized and the CDC now recommends booster shots for all adults ages 18 years and older who received a Pfizer or Modern vaccine at least six months after their second dose.

Second, the FDA authorized and the CDC now recommends COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 5 and older.

Magers Health and Wellness Center is administering COVID-19 booster shots and COVID-19 vaccinations for children and adults who meet CDC guidelines.

Schedule your appointment today

Supporting mental health

We are nearing the end of the fall semester. For many of our students, faculty and staff, the end of the fall semester ushers in anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges.

Support for the emotional well-being of our students, faculty and staff is a campus-wide responsibility. While our campus health and counseling centers have important roles to play, we must all work to promote and protect the mental health of our campus community.

Did You Know?

  • Students with mental health problems, such as depression, are two times more likely than their peers to leave their institution.
  • 57.9% of students at Missouri State University are experiencing symptoms of at least one significant mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-injury or eating disorders.
  • Among these students, an estimated 45% have not received mental health services within the past year.

How can you help?

You can help support the emotional and mental health of our campus community by reducing the stigma around mental health concerns and increasing awareness of available resources for members of the campus community.

  • The university’s Counseling Center offers counseling to currently enrolled MSU students at no charge. Students can contact the Counseling Center to make an appointment at 417-836-5116 or CounselingCenter@missouristate.edu.
  • Students experiencing a mental health emergency after business hours may call the Counseling Center and follow the prompts to speak with a crisis counselor.
  • You can also contact the Counseling Center to refer a student that you believe could benefit from their services.
  • The university provides an Employee Assistance Program for full-time and part-time faculty and staff. This is a free, confidential service designed to help you and your family with a wide range of problems. It can assist you with crisis management, wellness coaching, mental and emotional challenges, among many other issues.
  • Appointments with mental health professionals are also available through Magers Health and Wellness Center. Call 417-836-4000 to schedule an appointment.
  • Faculty and staff can also contact the Counseling Center at 417-836-5116 or CounselingCenter@missouristate.edu for a referral to area therapy services or other community resources. Employees may visit the Mercy Provider Listing to locate preferred providers for the university’ health insurance.
  • Other community mental health resources can be found on the Magers Health and Wellness Center’s mental health webpage.

Refer a student

Introducing the JED Campus Initiative

As part of our work to continue to enhance the emotional and mental health of our campus community, MSU is participating in the JED Campus Initiative.

This initiative is a four-year, strategic process created by the JED Foundation that helps guide the improvement and enhancement of existing mental health programming and climate on campus.

The four-year JED Campus Initiative process involves data collection, student focus groups, strategic planning, and regular JED Campus team and sub-committee meetings.

We have a series of tools from the JED Foundation to assist us in our work to enhance campus mental health, including a campus dashboard, guidelines and access to JED Foundation partners.

We are excited about our partnership with the JED Foundation as we work to promote mental and emotional health for our campus community.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 16, 2021

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The Board of Governors Executive Committee will meet Wednesday afternoon.

The committee will vote on a resolution to award a $2.7 million contract to John Adams Construction Company for the welding lab renovation at the Broadway Building on the West Plains campus. In addition to submitting the lowest and best bid, John Adams Construction Company is a local general contractor based out of West Plains.

We are excited to partner with a local company to complete this transformative project for the university and the West Plains community.

The committee will also vote on two resolutions for projects on the Springfield campus. The first resolution awards a contract to MTS Contracting, Inc. for repairs to the exterior of Woods House and Wells House on the Springfield campus.

The second resolution hires Clark Huesemann LC as the consultant for infill work at the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center Brewer Science Innovation Annex.

Finally, the committee will vote on two critical procurement contracts.

The first is a contract for reinsurance — or stop loss coverage — for the university’s employee group medical plan.

The second is a contract to purchase $2.3 million in equipment needed to expand capacity of the district chilled water system to more reliably serve the campus and allow for the connection of Kampeter Hall to the system.

Open enrollment: Select the right benefit options for you

We are over halfway through November. That means you only have two weeks left to complete open enrollment for your employee benefits.

Open enrollment is the annual period during which you can elect, decline or make changes to your medical, dental, vision and cafeteria/flexible spending plans for the coming calendar year.

The open enrollment deadline is Dec. 1.

You can find more information about open enrollment, including instructions for how to complete open enrollment online or over the phone, on the open enrollment webpage.

Save $360 on health insurance premiums

You also only have two weeks left to save up to $360 on your annual health insurance premiums.

This year’s wellness incentive includes the following vaccination combination:

  • COVID-19 vaccination qualifies for $20 per month discount.
  • Flu vaccination qualifies for $10 per month discount.

Both vaccinations must be completed prior to Dec. 1 to qualify.

Employees who did not complete their vaccination at Magers Health and Wellness Center must contact Magers to submit their vaccination information before Dec. 1 to qualify for the discount.

Thanksgiving break next week

We will not publish Inside Missouri State next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

I hope you take a well-deserved break and find time to relax and recharge before we march forward to the end of the fall semester.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 9, 2021

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I want to update you on several activities on campus over the next week.

Celebrate Veterans Day

On Nov. 11, we will celebrate Veterans Day.

Veterans on and off campus can join us for a complimentary breakfast with live music performed by the 135th Army Band, Windfall, and a presentation by retired Army Col. Thomas Marty at 9 a.m. in the Plaster Student Union ballroom.

A live performance of Taps by the Missouri State trumpeters will follow the breakfast at 11:11 a.m. outside of McDonald Arena.

Find out more

I hope you will join us as we honor our veterans for their military service.

Finalists for West Plains chancellor

On Nov. 9 and 10, we will host the first finalist for West Plains chancellor for on campus interviews in West Plains and Springfield.

Members of the campus community will have several opportunities to interact with the candidate in West Plains on Nov 9.

You can find more details, including a schedule, on the Chancellor Search webpage.

Recognizing leaders in community

At 3 p.m. Nov. 10, the College of Business will host “A Conversation with Steve Edwards” in the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center.

This event will provide a remarkable opportunity for the university to hear from a preeminent healthcare leader and a critical voice that guided (and continues to guide) the Springfield community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is an invitation-only event. However, if you’d like to receive an invitation, please contact me at president@missouristate.edu.

Later that evening, Biz 417 magazine will host a Biz 100 Party at 6 p.m. at Reliable BMW to honor the individuals selected for this year’s Biz 100 list.

You can find additional details about the event, including a link to buy tickets, on Biz 417’s webpage.

MSU names on this year’s list include:

  • Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton.
  • Coach Dana Ford.
  • Lyle Foster.
  • Coach Bobby Petrino.
  • Wes Pratt.
  • Clif Smart.

Cheer for the Bears

We also have several exciting sports and entertainment opportunities on campus.

  • Tonight at 7 p.m., the Bears basketball team will play their home opener against Southeast Missouri State University. The Lady Bears played exhibition games at home last week and will play again Sunday at 1 p.m. at JQH Arena .
  • At 2 p.m. Nov. 13, the Bears football team will play their last home game of the regular season against the University of Northern Iowa. I hope you will join me for the game and for pregame activities at Bearfest Village.
  • Also on Nov. 13, Chicago—one of the longest-running and best-selling groups of all time—will perform at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The band will perform their greatest hits spanning multiple generations. The show starts at 7 p.m. You can buy tickets online, but you need to act soon as the show is poised to sell out and ticket availability is very limited.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 2, 2021

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This week we kickoff our United Way campaign. I encourage you to support our community by participating in the campaign and giving to the United Way.

The United Way has made exciting changes this year in how they will invest our donations in the community. The new strategy focuses on health, education and financial stability needs of our community.

Under the new strategy:

  • 60% of undesignated funds will be allocated to upstream funding.
  • 30% to safety net funding.
  • 10% to innovation funding.

The option to designate your pledge to a specific nonprofit organization will still be available.

We all know that there are many organizations doing meaningful things to improve our community. However, it can be hard to know which organizations will maximize our funds to positively impact our community.

This is exactly why I give to the United Way. The United Way allocates funds to organizations through a competitive process that ensures our funds are achieving their highest possible use in the Springfield area.

Because of the changes United Way is implementing in their investment strategy, and because of the enormous leadership the United Way has shown as COVID-19 rocked our community over the past two years, I am increasing my financial commitment this year.  I hope you will join me by completing the packet you receive in campus mail or pledging online.

Make your pledge

You can find more information about the United Way and the campaign online.

Enroll in benefits plan now

Our open enrollment period for employee benefits began yesterday.

Open enrollment is the annual period during which you can elect, decline or make changes to your medical, dental, vision, and cafeteria/flexible spending plans for the coming calendar year.

Open enrollment for 2022 runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 1.

You can find more information about open enrollment, including instructions for how to complete open enrollment online or over the phone, on the open enrollment webpage.

I encourage everyone to complete the open enrollment process, regardless of whether you plan to make changes to your coverage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!