Missouri State University

Skip to content Skip to navigation
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Presidential Updates

  • Office of the President
  • Follow Clif on Twitter

Clif’s Notes Vol. 1, No. 12

February 14, 2012 by Clif Smart

Pawon Kahol with Girl Scout Brownies

Clif's Notes

In this issue of Clif’s Notes, I want to update you on the budget for fiscal year 2013 and share with you the new Academic Administrators Return to Faculty Policy.

Carrington HallFiscal year 2013 budget

I am sure you heard about Governor Nixon amending his budget recommendation for fiscal year 2013 by adding $40 million back into the overall higher education budget. The funding is part of a lawsuit settlement from which Missouri benefits.

That means the overall reduction for higher education is now proposed to be $66 million (7.78 percent) rather than the original $106 million (12.5 percent). For Missouri State, that means the reduction is $5,988,547 rather than $9,620,332, a difference of $3,631,785.

Based on this new information, we are adjusting our initial plans:

  • First, and most importantly, with a 7.78 percent reduction in state appropriations, we believe we can keep the increase in tuition and fees for undergraduate resident students to 3.1 percent or less, which will not require Missouri State to request a waiver.
  • Second, in an attempt to further protect the quality of our academic programs, we are reducing the amount colleges have to reallocate for fiscal year 2013 by $490,869.
  • And third, since we are reducing the reallocation target for colleges, we are encouraging colleges to consider using as few one-time funds as possible to cover the reallocation.

Here, in admittedly simplified terms, is the summary I shared with the Executive Budget Committee at its Feb. 10 meeting:

Decreased appropriations and cost increases

Decrease of 7.78% in state appropriations
(at 12.5% was $9,620,332.90, difference of $3,631,785.73)
$ 5,988,547.17
Faculty promotions 231,000.00
Mid-year raise with 32.5% fringe benefits 1,923,292.22
Increase in benefits from 32.5% to 33.8% 1,110,046.03
Employee and student fee waiver increase 1,042,608.65
Bad debt increase 600,000.00
Other expense increases 843,592.98
Total  $11,739,087.05

Increases in revenue and expense reduction

Tuition increase (was $6,047,377.94 with 6.2% in resident undergraduate increase, difference of $1,923,869.04) $ 4,123,508.90
College of Business Administration fee (80% of total) 1,120,000.00
Cost center reductions (salary and benefits identified above) 3,033,338.25
Additional non-academic/provost cost center reductions
(was $700,000, difference of $490,869.32)
209,130.68
Reduction in President’s Enhancement Fund            2,000,000.00
Additional transfer from auxiliaries 750,000.00
Facilities and administration revenue from indirect costs generated by grants and sponsored programs — vice president’s percentage only 400,000.00
West Plains contribution 100,000.00
Reduced maintenance and repair and classroom upgrades
(was $1,225,000)
0.00
Total $11,735,977.83

You can tell there are many details yet to be worked out, but this provides a summary that I hope is helpful.

I have presented this plan to the Executive Budget Committee and the Administrative Council, and both groups gave unanimous approval for it. I plan to brief the Board of Governors on it at the Feb. 17 meeting. I believe we are now to a point where the various budget committees, working with the cost center administrators, should finalize their specific reallocation plans. Those plans will be reviewed by the chief financial officer and moved up the academic budget process. The goal is to have a firm plan in the next 45 to 60 days.

2011-12 SGA President and Vice PresidentSpecial kudos to our student leaders

I want to give special recognition to our student leaders.  On Feb. 7, the Student Government Association had a first reading of a resolution that supported the University and indicated the students’ willingness to support an increase in tuition and fees on undergraduate resident students of up to 6.5 percent to help cover the proposed 12.5 percent reduction in state appropriations.  In short, the students chose quality over absolute price.  I am providing a link to that resolution here.  I thought you would want to be aware of this.

Reminders about the budget

Finally, let me provide four reminders.

  • Meyer Carrilon

    First, there have not been any changes to the budget decisions I shared in the last Clif’s Notes. Please review those.

  • Second, remember that our budget model is predicated on recouping the 146 students we lost in the fall of 2011. And, if we are able to increase enrollment, that helps the budget even more. So, enrollment and retention remain a high priority.
  • Third, while it is great news that the reduction has been decreased from 12.5 percent to 7.78 percent, the $5.99 million reduction in state funding is real money and I don’t want to minimize the challenge we will have in filling that hole.
  • And fourth, please note that the $40 million added to the higher education budget is one-time money, which means we will have to revisit that issue next year. The hope is that the state’s economy will continue to improve so that the hole is filled with on-going funding. For now, the one-time $40 million helps bridge the gap for fiscal year 2013.

The legislative session continues through May 18 and I will keep you informed of other developments as the budget moves through the process. Thanks for your patience and understanding as we adjust to new information.

Academic Administrators Return to Faculty Policy

Committee reports

One of the first things I did as interim president was to ask Drs. Einhellig and Gallaway to appoint an ad-hoc committee to review and improve the Academic Administrators Return to Faculty Policy. That committee was led by Dr. Sue George and included members Drs. Richard Biagioni, Janice Greene, Terrel Gallaway, Tom Kane, and Kent Ragan. The committee completed its report in late November.

Related, the Faculty Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Heads/Chairs completed its report in December. 

Faculty and students in classNew policy

On Friday (Feb. 17), I will report to the Board of Governors that we will soon have a new administrative policy on Academic Administrators Return to Faculty. This policy adopts a significant number of the specific recommendations made in these reports, especially related to administrators returning to faculty.

The issue of administrators returning to faculty remains an important, sensitive topic. One of my first pledges to you was that we would address it. The key was to balance the University’s goal of attracting and retaining outstanding administrators with paying returning administrators appropriately upon their return to the faculty. Thanks to the ad-hoc committee reports and the insights of many, both faculty and administrators, I believe we have found that balance. I invite you to review the new policy and judge for yourself.

We will implement the policy beginning with appointment letters beginning in the fall 2012 and we will monitor it closely to ensure it is achieving the multiple goals we have for it. All of us should reserve the right to revisit the policy if we find adjustments need to be made. I anticipate that many of the principles adopted here will also be incorporated into the contract for the next University president.

I want to thank all of you who contributed to this policy. It is a better policy because of your involvement.

Conclusion

Please be assured that I appreciate all you do and I will continue to keep you informed.

Clif Smart–Clif

Telling the Missouri State story

MJen Kienstra with Girl Scout Browniesissouri State undergraduate physics students assisted approximately 85 second and third graders Jan. 28 as the College of Natural and Applied Sciences hosted the Girl Scout Brownie Science Day. The students led demonstrations and assisted the Brownies as they completed science experiments, which earned them the new “Home Scientist” badge.

Jen Kienstra, a student in Becky Baker’s Physics 123 class, was one of the six students who helped to lead one of the science experiment stations called “Making Things Bubble.” Students at this station gave each girl supplies — vinegar and baking soda — and demonstrated how these two ingredients caused bubbles, or carbon dioxide, to form.

“After part one was completed, we began my absolute favorite experiment: We were going to make root beer from dry ice,” said Jen. “After the demonstration, we used a large bowl of dry ice and added water, sugar, vanilla and root beer flavoring. The mixture instantly began to bubble and produce more fog. They loved being able to see these things occur as well as being able to smell the root beer scent.”

Pawon Kahol with Girl Scout BrowniesIn order to complete the “Home Scientist” badge, girls participated in each of these activities:

  • Be a kitchen chemist — make ice cream and eat it, too
  • Create static electricity — work with balloons and bend a stream of water with the charge
  • Dive into density — eggs in salt water; distinguish between diet and sugared soda cans
  • Make something bubble up — reactions with carbon dioxide and mix carbon dioxide in root beer flavored water
  • Play with science — cornstarch and water

Girl Scout Brownie Science Day was held in Kemper Hall under the leadership of Becky Baker, instructor of physics, and Dr. Pawan Kahol, dean of the Graduate College.

“I would say that you have inspired a whole group of girls to have an interest in science,” said Stefanie McCall, the leadership program specialist at Girl Scouts of the Missouri heartland and one of the organizers of the event.

Filed Under: Clif's Notes, Financial Outlook, Smart Tagged With: band, budget, FY13, policy, return to faculty, salaries, Smart

Clif’s Notes Vol. 1, No. 11

February 1, 2012 by Clif Smart

Carrington Hall

Clif's Notes

In this issue of Clif’s Notes, I want to update you on the budget for fiscal year 2013 and also comment on two recent internal audits we have completed.

Carrington HallFiscal year 2013 budget

The state appropriations picture for fiscal year 2013 remains “fluid.” As you recall, the governor’s recommended budget includes an across the board reduction in funding for all institutions of higher education, both two-year and four-year, of 12.5 percent from the state funding allocated for fiscal year 2012. For Missouri State, the bottom line number from the budget of most importance is that our funding will shrink from $79,342,892 this year to $69,425,030 in fiscal year 2013, a reduction of nearly $10 million.

In subsequent conversations, both the governor’s office and legislators have expressed a desire to reduce the amount of the cut if at all possible. It is early in the legislative session, and we are hopeful that the reduction might be modified before the budget is finalized.

Handling the budget reduction

When we met with the Executive Budget Committee on Jan. 26, we discussed how we might handle the 12.5 percent reduction, as well as options should the cut be less. Once we have more details on state appropriations, we can be more precise in our planning.

However, the Executive Budget Committee did come to agreement on several elements of the plan, and also addressed some rumors that have begun to circulate on campus. I want to share that information with you here.

  • Students in a classroomThe mid-year raise has been approved and is being implemented. This raise is secure and will continue as planned.
  • All cost centers (provost, colleges, CFO and vice presidential units) will not be asked to reallocate more than the $3.7 million originally identified several weeks ago before the 12.5 percent cut was announced. Cost centers can continue to work on plans for funding their pro-rata share of this amount, which covers the mid-year raise and related benefits. The cost center plans may use one-time funds for up to one-third of the amount, provided the plan is approved in advance by the CFO. Any additional reductions required to cover the reduced state appropriations will be handled centrally, through increased revenue and through limited use of the reserves. By using this combination, we help protect the academic programs and essential services provided by the costs centers.
  • As indicated previously, it is unlikely we will be able to fund the additional 2 percent across-the-board raise we had hoped to begin July 1, 2012.
  • Summer school will not only continue, but it will be expanded in areas where there is demonstrated student demand.
  • Faculty sabbaticals, tenure and promotion will be funded.
  • Searches for open positions will continue. I have asked Provost Frank Einhellig and the other cost center heads to review all open positions to determine how best to proceed with searches where the cost center has the positions as the highest priority and also has the capacity to fund them.
  • We will not have another retirement incentive program for faculty or staff in 2012.
  • It is unlikely we will be able to increase the stipend for graduate assistantships as we had hoped.

I will continue to keep you informed, especially as we get more precise information on the state appropriations. Thank you for your continued thoughtful input and support as we work through the budget.

Missouri State Pride BandInternal audits

Internal audits were recently completed on two important programs at the University:

  • Pride Marching Band
  • China Programs

I want to provide some context for you.

It is important to understand what an advantage we have with our office of internal audit. This office reports directly to the Board of Governors and is a key component of our commitment to continuous improvement. The office of internal audit reviews and reports on many University functions each year. The reports provide recommendations for improvement for the good of the programs and the University.

It would be rare — maybe impossible — to have an internal audit (or any comprehensive audit, for that matter) without some recommendations. No one is perfect, and even if we are doing things well, there is always room for improvement. In all cases, the feedback from the internal auditors should be viewed as positive “value added,” not as a negative

Students in a classroomPremier programs

As for the programs most recently audited, they are two of our premier programs.

The Pride Marching Band has been and continues to be a signature program for Missouri State. It has touched the lives of many students, has been a source of pride for our alumni and community, and is an excellent example of the kinds of outstanding music and performing arts programs we have at Missouri State.

Likewise, the China Programs distinguishes Missouri State, not only in Missouri, but nationally and internationally. The mission of the China Programs is to develop educational, research and cultural opportunities and exchanges between Missouri State University and its partner universities, and to promote understanding and friendship between the two countries. When the University made the commitment to develop educational partnerships in China, the Board of Governors and administration understood the University was entering uncharted waters, and they were aware of factors such as cultural differences, time required in building relationships and financial challenges. In the end, however, it was determined that the benefits of developing the China Programs outweighed the risks.

As a result, the China Programs are now among the distinctive features of Missouri State University as evidenced by the number of businesses, organizations and educational institutions that seek advice and assistance from Missouri State. The University’s new long-range plan calls for continued development of the China Programs over the next five years. As such, the China Program continues to be a work in progress.

Findings and recommendations

In the Marching Band audit, there were findings and recommendations related to financial aid, enrollment of students and band fees. In the China Programs audit, the findings and recommendations dealt with finances, planning and budgeting, business purpose of expenses, gifts and accounting policies and procedures. We are committed to following the recommendations and improving in all of these areas.

Conclusion

Thank you for all you do to advance Missouri State University. It is a privilege to serve you as interim president.

As always, I will keep you informed of developments as we move through the process.

Clif Smart–Clif

Telling the Missouri State story

Laurel in the cage at the bottom of the telescopeDuring the fall semester, senior physics major Laurel Farris began an internship with Dr. Mike Reed. He was developing a variation of a 3-CCD photometer to study astroseismology — the vibration of stars — through funding from the National Science Foundation.

In January, she was invited to visit Kitt Peak National Observatory, a mountaintop location with the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth, to assist in assembling the instrument and to record data. While on these observation trips, Laurel spent most of her time observing from an 18-story tall, four-meter telescope.

She credits her work with Dr. Reed for opening up many other opportunities; she can’t help but remember that not long ago, she was working the stock room of a retail chain store.

 

Filed Under: Clif's Notes, Financial Outlook, Smart Tagged With: band, budget, china, FY13, salaries, Smart

Archives

Categories

Tags

academic affairs action plan athletics benefits Board of Governors bronze bear budget Cofer commencement compensation Coronavirus diversity Einhellig enrollment Executive Budget Committee facilities funding FY12 FY13 FY14 fy15 goals governor homecoming IDEA Commons legislative priorities long-range plan Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame Missouri State Foundation open enrollment Provost public affairs Public Affairs Conference realignment safety salaries Smart staff awards State of the University Address students tent theatre tuition united way Wall of Fame West Plains
Make your Missouri statementMake your Missouri statement
  • Last Modified: September 18, 2013
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Disclosures
  • EO/AA/M/F/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
  • © Board of Governors, Missouri State University
  • Contact Information
  • Healthcare MRFs