Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Jan. 31, 2023

by

It’s that time of year when much of our external focus turns to Jefferson City and the legislative session.

The Missouri legislative session began on Jan. 4. There are many opening weeks activities as committee assignments are made, bills are filed and the governor delivers a State of the State Address.

We spend time in the fall developing our legislative plan and priorities. Actions during that time included meeting with Gov. Mike Parson and our legislators to advocate for these priorities.

Our plan for the 2023 session

Our priorities for the university include:

  • A 7% core operating appropriation increase.
  • A $2 million one-time appropriation to establish a construction education and training hub through the MoExcels program.
  • A $17.5 million capital appropriation to partially fund the renovation of Roy Blunt Hall and Cheek Hall.

All three priorities were included in Gov. Parson’s budget recommendations.

The budget will now move to the various House subcommittees and committees before heading to the Senate. The budget must be finalized and sent to the governor by 5 p.m. May 5. We will monitor that process throughout the session.

Additionally, as noted above, there are many bills that are filed. Few actually make it to committees and the floor, but we also closely monitor those that impact the university and higher education.

On the federal side, on Dec. 29, President Joe Biden signed all 12 appropriations bills for FY2023.

These bills included the following appropriations for MSU championed by now retired Sen. Roy Blunt:

  • $35 million for renovations to Blunt Hall, Cheek Hall, and other STEM and health facilities on the Springfield campus.
  • An additional $3 million for endowed faculty chairs in CNAS.
  • $1.5 million for the ASCEND program in West Plains.

The bills also include $2 million for the Brewer Science Annex at JVIC. Now retired Rep. Billy Long championed this appropriation.

I’ll be reporting on our proposed budget for FY2024 in the coming weeks. The actions in Jefferson City directly impact this budget.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif

 

 

Clif’s Notes for Jan. 10, 2023

by

On Dec. 29, President Joe Biden signed all 12 appropriations bills for FY2023.

I am pleased to report that the bills include the following appropriations for MSU championed by Sen. Roy Blunt:

  • $35 million for renovations to Blunt Hall, Cheek Hall, and other STEM and health facilities on the Springfield campus.
  • An additional $3 million for endowed faculty chairs in CNAS.
  • $1.5 million for the ASCEND program in West Plains.

The bills also include $2 million to white box the third floor of the Brewer Science Annex at JVIC. Rep. Billy Long championed this appropriation.

Finally, the bills include $36 million in funding for research by our partners at JVIC.

The funding in the FY2023 appropriation package represents a huge investment in our university that would not have been possible without the important leadership of Sen. Blunt and Rep. Long.

Their service in the Congress ended earlier this year. It is an understatement to say that they will be greatly missed.

I hope you will join me in thanking Sen. Blunt and Rep. Long for their work to support MSU and the legacy they left behind as they concluded their service.

The university has strong relationships with our newly elected officials — Sen. Eric Schmitt and Rep. Eric Burlison — and their staff. Work is underway to show them the many great things we do at Missouri State University and to advocate for their support.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 25, 2022

by

Zora Mulligan and John Jasinski will present an update on the university’s two-year transformation plan to the Board of Governors this week.

In 2022-2023, the plan will focus on preparing the university to meet two critical challenges:

  1. The need for academic agility to ensure long-term institutional success.
  2. The need to return to a trend of positive enrollment growth.

The university has created two steering teams to guide and consult on this work — the Academic Disruptors Steering Team (ADST) and the Enrollment Steering Team (EST).

What is the Academic Affairs Continuous Agility Process (CAP)

I tasked Zora, John and the ADST with creating a process to modernize academic affairs.

To meet this challenge, they have created an Academic Affairs Continuous Agility Process (CAP).

The CAP is a systematic and ongoing process to keep academic affairs fresh, relevant and market-savvy. The process is designed to be continuous and agile as work streams can be inserted into the system as needed and cyclically.

Graphic expalining the Academic Affairs CAP.

The ADST will oversee the CAP this year with input from the deans’ team and other stakeholders.

In the short term they will:

  • Provide oversight in adjusting and aligning academic administration.
  • Address academic program assessments.
  • Produce balanced budget recommendations that include cuts and reinvestments.
  • Realign to improve and synergize.
  • Fix some less-than-optimal processes.

You can find more information about the CAP — including guiding principles, base phases for the five CAP work streams, and 2022-2023 CAP outputs — in the handout that will accompany Zora and John’s presentation to the board.

Driving enrollment growth

Enrollment is a critical, immediate priority that must be addressed through a series of initiatives related to admissions, scholarships, employer partnerships and student success.

The culture around recruitment and retention is also a long-term issue that requires system-level transformation.

The EST is leading efforts to develop long-term system-level changes that will:

  • Develop a culture of successful execution and continuous improvement.
  • Get a structure in place to enhance MSU’s ability to meet its annual and long-term goals.
  • Make sure that decisions align with the university’s enrollment priorities.

Given the immediate importance of enrollment, the EST is also a series of strategic enrollment initiatives designed to drive growth this academic year and next fall. You can find a current list of these initiatives on the draft 2022-23 Strategic Enrollment Initiatives Placemat.

Among the most significant early actions are the decisions to:

  • Establish the MoState Access Scholarship, a Pell Grant gap-filler aimed at recruiting students from Springfield and the Ozarks region.
  • Hire new enrollment management consultants.
  • Update the university’s strategy for buying the names and contact information for prospective students.

You can find more information about the EST’s work and the university’s strategic enrollment initiatives in the handout that will accompany Zora and John’s presentation to the board.

Nominate a staff colleague by Nov. 11

Finally, I want to encourage you to recognize your colleagues who have done exceptional work.

The Staff Excellence in University Service Award recognizes excellence in service to the university among staff employees. Through this award, the university recognizes staff who strive to do their jobs well on a daily basis, who go beyond the call of duty in a special situation, and who have contributed in a significant way to the success of the university.

Each year, up to six full-time staff receive this award (which includes a one-time $1,500 award for full-time staff).

We have made a recent change to the award. This year, up to three part-time staff will also receive this award (which includes a one-time $750 award for part-time staff).

Currently enrolled students, employed staff, faculty or administrators are encouraged to nominate full-time and part-time staff employees for the Excellence in University Service Awards.

The deadline to nominate a staff member is Nov. 11. You can review the selection criteria and complete a nomination form on the Staff Excellence in University Service Award webpage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 11, 2022

by

I presented fall 2022 census enrollment data at the State of the University address.

Highlights include:

  • We are down 311 (1.3%) in total headcount enrollment, and our freshman class is down 253 (10%) students.
  • We continued on a trend of declining undergraduate enrollment. We are down 3,810 undergraduate degree-seeking students since 2017.
  • We are up 17 (0.5%) underrepresented students, 258 (16.1%) international students, and 433 (9.8%) dual credit students.
  • Our first to second year retention rate — 75.9% — is higher than last year but still well under the 77-79% rates we experienced before the pandemic.

Due to changes in our “mix” of students, the decline in our credit hour enrollment (3.6%) is larger than the decline in our headcount enrollment.

Reduction in revenue

This enrollment decrease will reduce revenue this year by an estimated $6 million.

When we account for increases in interest income and other unbudgeted revenue and expenses for FY23, we anticipate being down $3.3 million in net revenue this fiscal year.

While we cannot ignore this decline, we are fortunate that no immediate budget adjustments are necessary. We are managing the revenue decline this year with nearly $6 million in open positions.

Additional expenses

As we begin to plan for next fiscal year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), some changes will be necessary.

In addition to the $3.3 million mentioned above, we anticipate more than $5 million in other additional expenses next year, including:

  • $2.9 million in MOSERS contributions that are currently funded with a one-time state appropriation.
  • $1 million in new MOSERS contribution increases.
  • $1.2 million in new transfer required to meet auxiliary bond covenants.

Between now and when the Board of Governors approves the FY24 budget in June, we will identify reductions and reallocation opportunities to balance the budget while reinvesting in initiatives and programs designed to grow enrollment and improve processes.

Zora Mulligan and John Jasinski will lead this effort.

I would encourage our entire university community to be mindful when making hiring decisions this year. Given the budget assumptions for next year, preserving open lines will be important when developing the FY24 budget.

Revenue growth opportunities

Even more important, however, is the work we are doing to grow revenue.

Work is underway to:

  • Reexamine recruiting strategies.
  • Explore new markets.
  • Develop and expand partnerships.
  • Reassess retention efforts.
  • Start new academic programs.
  • Invest in programs that have potential to grow.
  • Reinvigorate under-performing programs.

The MoState Access Award announced last week is one of the strategies we have implemented to grow revenue.

I hope you will join me in promoting this important new award and working to increase enrollment and grow revenue.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for July 19, 2022

by

Last week Gov. Mike Parson was on campus to sign the Fast Track bill.

The Fast Track program was created in 2019. The program addresses workforce needs by helping adults pursue a certificate, degree or industry-recognized credential in an area designated as high need.

Fast Track is an important tool for educating non-traditional students. For students who qualify, the program can provide them with the opportunity to obtain a degree at little or no cost.

For our students who are working full-time, taking care of a family and managing a full slate of life responsibilities, this program can make the difference between getting by or earning a degree and getting ahead.

This year’s bill extended the sunset and made significant improvements to the Fast Track program. Improvements include increasing the number of eligible training providers and removing forgivable loan components, making Fast Track a true grant program.

I want to thank Gov. Parson for his leadership in renewing and improving the Fast Track program. I also want to thank Sen. Lincoln Hough for sponsoring this important bill and supporting students in need.

Many programs, priorities and projects funded this session

The Fast Track bill is just one example of the successes for higher education this legislative session.

Other examples include:

  • Fully funding state scholarship programs.
  • A 5.4% core funding increase for colleges and universities.
  • $31.5 million for MoExcels grants.
  • $460 million in capital projects at colleges and universities.

The state’s budget includes more than $40 million for projects on MSU’s Springfield and West Plains campuses.

This level of support for higher education would not have been possible without the leadership of Gov. Parson and our legislative delegation. I hope you will take the opportunity to thank them for their work.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!