It’s time for a Jeff City update and wow, do we have news!

Good budget news

The budget was finalized on May 9. Top of the list is core funding. In January, Gov. Mike Kehoe recommended a 1.5% core increase for all higher education in his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. The final budget as voted out of the conference committee was a 3% core increase, which translates to $3 million.

As you know, we’ve been working hard on trimming our expenses over the last four months. Our proposed FY2026 budget includes a 1.5% core increase. A 3% core increase will provide welcome wiggle room for the coming year as we monitor our incoming enrollment.

A positive development for degree legislation

Now for the really exciting news: the Missouri Legislature passed three bills with near-unanimous support allowing Missouri State University to independently offer PhD programs if the bills are signed into law by Gov. Kehoe. Currently, the University of Missouri System institutions are the only public universities authorized to offer PhD programs.

I confess, when I joined Missouri State last July, this outcome seemed like a remote possibility. However, since then, I’ve been repeatedly in awe of the collaborative spirit of the southwest Missouri business and elected communities. It’s inspiring to observe representatives of both parties working together in Jeff City for the good of our community. They truly are a force. The passage of this bill is just another example of the success that results from their collaborative work.

Rep. Melanie Stinnett (R-Springfield) sponsored the original House bill and Sen. Lincoln Hough (R-Springfield) sponsored the original Senate bill. We had the active and vocal support of many of our local legislators as the two bills worked their way through the legislative process of each governing body.

Missouri State alum and local attorney Tom Strong planted the seed several years ago when he and other community members created the Missourians Improving Higher Education (MIHE) advocacy group to work toward this goal. This wouldn’t have happened without them.

This legislation marks a significant milestone for Missouri State. The ability to independently offer doctoral programs will help us better meet workforce needs across southwest Missouri and the state. This will create new educational pathways for students and allow us to respond more effectively to the evolving demands of employers, industry partners and our communities.

This bill joined other bills awaiting Gov. Kehoe’s signature. We hope to be able to truly celebrate before the end of June.

At that point, our incoming provost Dr. Clarenda Phillips and I will work with faculty and university leaders to identify programs that can develop into successful doctoral degrees. The timeline will depend on the selected programs and the need for the programs within our community and state.

In the meantime, thanks again to Sen. Hough, House Majority Floor Leader Alex Riley, Rep. Stinnett and the many local legislators who supported the bill. And a big thank you to Tom and MIHE members for their leadership and support of this big idea.

I also want to thank those on our campus who helped prepare our testimony. Many of the legislators highlighted our willingness to support the bill and advocate on behalf of our faculty, staff, students and community made a distinguishing difference in moving this legislation forward.

Thanks for checking in. It’s a great day to be a Bear!

Biff