Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Aug. 17, 2021

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The Board of Governors met earlier this month for their annual retreat.

The board reviewed the final version of the Springfield campus 2021-26 Long-Range Plan and established key performance indicators (KPIs) for the plan.

Goals had already been established for several of our KPIs. The SEM plan provided a goal of 5,800 degrees and certificates awarded. We achieved that goal last year, but continuing to reach that level will be challenging given demographic shifts.

The SEM plan also provided goals for enrollment, retention and student financial obligation.

Along with the SEM goals, the board set several other goals for the university to pursue under the new long-range plan. In addition to the goal already set for degrees and certificates awarded, the board set a goal of sustaining 5,000 degrees awarded each year.

The board set an enrollment target of 3,400 underrepresented students and set a goal of 60% overall graduation rate and a goal of 50% graduation rate for underrepresented groups.

The board indicated we should continue to work toward diversifying our faculty and staff and set a target of 17% of our faculty and staff being international or members of a historically underrepresented group. The board also set a goal of 90% of our recent graduates being employed, enlisted in the military or enrolled in further education after graduation.

The board also recognized additional KPIs that will not have goals or targets associated with them. These include:

  • Number of terminal degree programs and degrees awarded.
  • Number of global partnerships and countries with global partnerships.
  • Tuition and fees.
  • External funds received through gifts and grants.

Review the action items

To achieve these goals, we will all have to work together to put our long-range plan into action. As I said throughout the last year, we will do this with annual action plans at the university and division level.

Following their KPI discussion, the board reviewed the university’s 2021-22 Action Plan. The action plan includes some of the work we will do this year to put the university on a path toward establishing the goals set by the board.

This year’s action items include:

  • A long list of initiatives designed to enhance our outreach, recruitment, retention and completion efforts.
  • Reviewing the university’s scholarship program.
  • Continuing to grow the university’s professional doctoral and MFA programs.
  • Evaluating a subscription model to provide continuing education opportunities to alumni and others.
  • Continuing to implement the international student recruitment plan and promoting interaction between international and domestic students.
  • Expanding the university’s work to improve access, retention and graduation of underrepresented students.
  • Expanding mentorship programs and improving our recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty and staff.
  • Centralizing student internship development, marketing and promotion.
  • Continuing to expand the university’s economic development activities in IDEA Commons.
  • Prioritizing employee compensation in the university’s budgeting process.

Other board decisions

At the retreat and at their July Executive Committee meeting, the board also took action on several important matters. The board:

  • Approved the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan for the West Plains campus and discussed the West Plains campus long-range plan and master plan development processes, which will occur this year.
  • Awarded an $8.1 million contract to Carson-Mitchell, Inc. to renovate Ann Kampeter Health Sciences Hall and a $190,000 contract to Friga Construction Company, Inc. to renovate three rooms in Glass Hall.
  • Approved the university’s contract with the City of Springfield for the Springfield Police Department to continue to provide law enforcement services on the Springfield campus.
  • Received updates on the office of research administration year-end-report, the foundation’s year-end-report, and an update on the name, image and likeness rights of student athletes.

Your role in MSU’s success

I hope you will take a moment to review the KPIs and action plan and consider what you can do to contribute to the university’s success in the coming year. We accomplished a lot last year, but we’re not done yet.

Together we can continue to achieve great things for our university.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for July 13, 2021

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Each June, I provide the Board of Governors with a presentation about our work over the past year at the university. I also provide them with a written report detailing that work.

I hope you will take a moment to review this year’s report and slide presentation.

Over the past year, we successfully responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are coming out of the pandemic without seeing a decline in enrollment and with an improved financial position.

While managing the pandemic was certainly a highlight from 2020-21, our results from this year are extraordinary standing on their own.

  • We grew our graduate enrollment and maintained our overall enrollment despite 600,000 less students enrolling in college nationwide.
  • We implemented a new tuition model that charges the same tuition rate for in-state students enrolled in seated and online courses.
  • We set a new record for degrees and certificates awarded.
  • We set new records on retention and graduate rates.
  • We completed our HLC 4-year Assurance Review with no critical feedback or suggestions.
  • We started our first cohorts in the Doctor of Defense and Strategic Studies program and the MFA in Dramatic Writing program.
  • We expanded our use of LinkedIn Learning in the classroom and for our employees.
  • We expanded the Facing Racism Institute and increased other cultural consciousness training for students, faculty, staff and the community.
  • We began the Multicultural Resource Center expansion and enhanced partnerships with college access programs, including relocating the Student African American Brotherhood to our campus.
  • We started the Bear Bridge mentorship program and had widespread participation.
  • We completed our efactory expansion project, began the Blunt Center expansion, and sold land to the City of Springfield to daylight Jordan Creek in IDEA Commons.
  • We completed the McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall addition and the Betty and Bobby Allison Event Center at Greenwood Laboratory School.
  • We began work on the Springfield Public Schools agriculture magnet school and the John Goodman Amphitheatre.
  • We received more than $50 million in external funding for the fourth year in a row, and the foundation set a new record for gifts received.
  • We won conference championships in four sports, and our student athletes had a combined GPA of more than 3.0 for the 17th straight semester.

I hope you take great pride in what we accomplished together in 2020-21. These accomplishments would not be possible but for your extraordinary work and dedication to our university.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Sept. 15, 2020

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Last week the Board of Governors reviewed and finalized our Action Plan for 2020-21.

This year we will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion with action items such as:

  • Enhance intervention strategies for the university’s Bias Response Team.
  • Design and develop a facility expansion of the Multicultural Resource Center.
  • Curricular modifications to address cultural consciousness and competence.
  • Expand the Facing Racism Institute and create a Student Diversity Leadership Institute.
  • Review and modify university policies and procedures to ensure equal opportunity.

We will also focus on academic and career initiatives with action items such as:

  • Create a task force to evaluate new academic areas and programs.
  • Enroll students in new professional doctoral and terminal degree programs and develop plans for additional programs.
  • Pursue consortia arrangements and partnerships with national and international employers, higher education institutions and other organizations.
  • Increase career education opportunities through LinkedIn Learning and other resources.
  • Coordinate marketing strategies for academic programs.

We will also focus on managing the pandemic, completing our strategic enrollment management plan, and developing the university’s next long range plan and visioning guide.

Guiding our actions

This year the university will also pursue a wide range of action items in other areas:

  • Support student mental health and other needs through the Counseling Center, Student Success Infoline, the Bear CLAW, and other offices and resources.
  • Implement early intervention strategies to retain students.
  • Begin construction on JVIC building 4 and continue the development and expansion of IDEA Commons.
  • Take possession of the new residence hall.
  • Continue to raise private funds through the Onward Upward campaign.

Please take some time to review the 2020-21 Action Plan. We will follow this plan as we move the university forward this academic year.

State of the University

The Springfield State of the University address is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Sept. 23. The West Plains State of the University address is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 24. I will discuss the university’s COVID-19 response, this year’s action plan and our strategic planning processes.

The West Plains address will be held in the West Plains Civic Center theater. The Springfield address will be virtual. The format will be similar to the virtual employee town hall meetings we held throughout the spring and summer.

You can find additional information about how to participate in this year’s State of the University address online.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for June 30, 2020

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I presented the university’s report on the 2019-20 Action Plan at the board meeting earlier this month. I would encourage each of you to take a moment to review the report and the slides from my presentation.

Report on work during the pandemic

The report begins with a thorough summary of our work related to COVID-19.

Everyone at the university played a critical role in delivering classes to students and keeping the university operational during this difficult time. Because of your work, Missouri State University will emerge from this situation stronger than ever.

Enrollment concerns

We also undertook an extraordinary amount of work to address enrollment concerns. The university:

  • Rolled out a dual credit scholarship program.
  • Executed scholarship agreements with all Boys and Girls Clubs in the state.
  • Redesigned existing scholarship programs.
  • Streamlined transfer articulations with community colleges.
  • Executed 3+1 agreements with international partners.
  • Waived the application fee.
  • Joined the Common App.

These initiatives will have an impact on fall 2020 enrollment.

Unfortunately, the pandemic will also have an impact, so we will probably still have an enrollment decline.

I recently learned that FAFSA filings have declined by 12% in the state of Missouri. Our enrollment indicators predict a decline much lower than 12%.

Headcount and credit hour enrollment for the summer are up, and I believe this is due to the work we have done. We must all continue to work hard to build enrollment through the beginning of the fall semester.

Positive change

Other highlights for the year include:

  • Delivered the most degrees and certificates ever in the history of the university.
  • Increased our percentage of underrepresented faculty and staff to 15%.
  • Created 17 new online degree and certificate programs.
  • Obtained CBHE approval for the Doctorate in Defense and Strategic Studies program (awaiting HLC approval).
  • Established the Center for Academic Success and Transition and the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center.
  • The MSU Foundation raised the most funds ever in its history.
  • Received the most funds through grants and sponsored contracts ever in the university’s history.
  • Partnered with the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) to move their headquarters to Springfield.
  • Historic winning seasons in women’s basketball and men’s soccer.

These are just a few examples of the many accomplishments the university experienced this year.

This was a difficult year for all of us. But through the process of creating the report and presenting it to the board, I was reminded once again that it is a privilege to be a part of this community.

Together, our team of dedicated faculty and staff continues the university on its upward trajectory.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 19, 2019

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This year’s Action Plan includes enrollment as a focus area.

We have already implemented a lot of changes designed to improve enrollment. Initiatives we have already rolled out this academic year include:

  • Restructured scholarships
  • Expanded dual credit
  • Waived the application fee
  • Expanded partnerships with college access programs
  • Joined the Common App
  • Implemented a CRM system and an updated marketing strategy
  • Implemented the MSU Messaging platform to communicate with students
  • Developed a campus virtual tour

Data indicates that our work is having an impact — the number of applications we have received for new students in fall 2020 is higher than the last two years.

More work remains to be done, and I would encourage all members of the university community to participate in our enrollment efforts.

Setting SEM goals

The first action item in this year’s Action Plan is to develop a strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan.

Last week our SEM consultant from AACRAO was on campus for three days. She met with the leadership team, steering committee and the councils to help the university develop measurable SEM goals. Once these goals have been established, the councils will begin to develop the strategies that the university should pursue to achieve the goals.

We plan to have the SEM goals established in December, and we will report them to the Board of Governors at their meetings on Dec. 12.

You can find more information about the SEM process (including information about strategic enrollment management, the university’s SEM structure, council rosters and charges, etc.) on the SEM webpage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!