china Archives - Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes Vol. 3, No. 13

May 30, 2014 by Clif Smart

In this issue of Clif’s Notes, I provide an update on this year’s budget, summarize the renovation of Pummill Hall, report on the recent trip to China and draw your attention to the University’s new pouring rights contract.

Fiscal year 2014 budget update

On May 20, Governor Jay Nixon announced budget withholdings from higher education and other state agencies due to insufficient revenues, specifically from lottery proceeds. For Missouri State, that means $1,158,338. This withholding is on top of the $353,017 that was announced a few weeks ago — for a total of $1,511,355 in withholdings for this current fiscal year (FY 2014).

As you would expect, we are disappointed that the withholding was necessary, especially this late in the fiscal year, but we understand the relationship between state revenues and state appropriations. Because this comes so late in the year, there is no reasonable way to adjust the annual budget. We will, therefore, cover this from reserves.

Fortunately, through good stewardship over many years by multiple presidents and all of you, Missouri State has sufficient reserves to cover such emergencies. That is the purpose of the reserves.

As you recall, I have previously committed to fund the first withholding of $353,017 from the president’s reserve. That has not changed. In addition, the president’s reserve will cover half — $579,169 – of the most recent withholding. That means of the $1,511,355 total withholding, the president’s reserve will cover $932,186. The remaining $579,169 will be distributed proportionally to West Plains and the cost centers on the Springfield campus. All will use their reserves to cover their share.

Pummill Hall renovation

Renovation of Pummill Hall will begin in June, with a completion target of July 2015 in time for the 2015 fall semester. The construction contract was approved by the Board of Governors Executive Committee on May 21.

Pummill Hall was built in 1957 and includes 41,948 square feet of space. The renovation budget is $6.9 million, $5.4 of which will be paid centrally with maintenance and repair, classroom upgrades and the president’s budget. The remaining $1.5 million will be shared equally among private donations, the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the College of Health and Human Services.

All four floors of the building will be renovated. The hospitality and restaurant administration department will occupy the top two floors, the School of Social Work will be on the first floor and the second floor will consist of general classroom space. In addition to the interior renovation, the exterior curtain wall and all exterior glazing will be replaced and upgraded to a much more energy efficient system.

We are very excited to get this project under way. Not only will it provide quality space for these units, but it also will free up much-needed space for our health programs in the Professional Building.

China trip

As you know, on May 17, I joined a Missouri State delegation on a 10-day trip to China. It was a very productive trip, and I wanted to summarize it for you.

We had two very good alumni events, with 100 alumni turning out in Jinan and 82 in Beijing. Those attending included alumni of our undergraduate programs, graduate programs and Executive MBA. All are very proud of Missouri State.
Our new International Leadership and Training Center is becoming more well-known and appears to be meeting a need. We were able to identify several potential clients for the Center.
We also met with several potential partner universities who could send us new undergraduate and graduate students, including President Liu of Xian International Studies (at right).
We were pleased that students completing our Study in China Program, who are now living and working in Shanghai, have been instrumental in creating paid internship opportunities at their companies for our students.
We visited with many of our current partners, including a 10-year anniversary celebration dinner with representatives from the Ningxia Forestry Institute and China Agricultural University. Plus, we signed several new agreements:
- Memorandum of Understanding for Collaborative Program of the Master of Business Administration Studies in the U.S. with the Henan University of Economics and Law
- Memorandum of Understanding with Ningxia Forestry Institute (The State Key Laboratory of Seedling Biotechnology)

Missouri State was among the first U.S. universities to work with China 15 years ago, and the University has been a leader in educational partnerships since then. Our China Program continues to be a signature program for Missouri State, thanks to the strong relationshipsbuilt by Dr. Jim Baker, Steve Robinette, Dave Meinert, Brad Bodenhausen and others.

Coke awarded contract

Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling has been awarded the University’s pouring rights contract. At a maximum duration of 11 years and valued at approximately $6 million, the pouring rights contracts is one of the largest non-construction contracts the University signs. Coca-Cola won the exclusive right to serve its products on campus with a bid more than $500,000 better than PepsiCo for the life of the contract.

I want to thank Chief Financial Officer Steve Foucart, General Counsel Penni Groves, and Director of Procurement Mike Wills, along with the members of the evaluation committee, for their good work on this RFP process. I believe we ended up with a very good contract.

Conclusion

Enjoy your break, no matter how long you have. For some, I know the beginning of summer school will be here shortly.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State University.

—Clif

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Creative marketing campaigns built on sound strategy integrating traditional and emerging media and communications resources — this is the challenge presented to Ad Team each spring.

First-place win

On May 15, Ad Team — a student-run advertising agency within the marketing program in the AACSB-accredited College of Business — won first place in the API (American Petroleum Institute) “Challenge Your Energy IQ Case Competition,” hosted by EdVenture Partners in San Francisco. This is just one year after Ad Team won first place in the national AT&T Campus Challenge for their “inTEXTicated” campaign.

“This year’s API competition presented an opportunity to help increase awareness and encourage education about one of the most critical challenges we face: energy for tomorrow,” said Dr. Melissa Burnett, professor of marketing and Ad Team adviser.

Members

The 2014 MSU Ad Team consisted of these students:

Trevor Collins
Lanae Flatness
Alan Schieber
Brittney Laramie
Whitney Reece
Jessica Ray
Jared Horman
Patrick Cooper
Shea Sullivan
Lucas Eubank
Megan Etter
Ally Gramlich
Ryan Owens

Passion for marketing

The students showcased their drive and passion for marketing and attained an unparalleled real-world, hands-on experience by designing every element of a marketing campaign. They also built on the tradition of success of Missouri State’s Ad Team.

Clif’s Notes Vol. 3, No. 12

May 16, 2014 by Clif Smart

In this issue of Clif’s Notes, I provide an update on the state appropriation and how it affects our budget for fiscal year 2015, an update on the 2014 session of the Missouri General Assembly, the planned reorganization in my office and a preview of my upcoming trip to China.

Budget update

The Missouri General Assembly completed its work on the fiscal year 2015 budget by the constitutional deadline of May 9 (one week before the session concludes). Therefore, we have begun the process of developing our detailed internal operating budget for next year.

The first step was discussing the plan with the Executive Budget Committee, which we did on May 9, where we received unanimous approval. We briefed the Board of Governors at its May 15 meeting and received the Board’s endorsement. The last step is to formally present the final budget recommendation to the Board for its approval at the June meeting.

I wanted to use this opportunity to summarize our budget plan for fiscal year 2015.

5.2 percent increase

The overall increase for higher education was 5 percent. Since the increase was based on performance and since we achieved all five of our measures on both the Springfield and West Plains campuses, the Missouri State increase was slightly higher than the average – 5.2 percent. That amounts to an increase of $4,053,477 for the system – $3,875,879 for Springfield and $177,598 for West Plains. Since the Missouri General Assembly achieved the 5 percent goal, we will be able to keep in-state undergraduate tuition flat for 2014-15 as we had planned.

Chancellor Drew Bennett is working through the West Plains process to allocate the increase there.

For the Springfield campus, I wanted to provide a summary of budget recommendation for fiscal year 2015.

Total revenue increase

With a combination of increases and decreases, we are projecting a net increase in revenue of $4,956,145. The three main sources of increases are as follows:

$4,053,477 – 5.2 percent increase in state appropriations (less the standard 3 percent holdback)
$466,068 — new tuition from modest increases (less than the 2013 rate of inflation) in undergraduate out-of-state and graduate tuition
$971,102 – enrollment growth experienced in Fiscal Year 2014 continued in Fiscal Year 2015

There are anticipated decreases of revenue in several categories, totaling $596,800, for the net increase of $4,893,847.

Compensation

Of the total $4,893,847 increase, about 60 percent will be allocated to compensation:

$600,000 — on-going funding for new faculty positions approved last fall — the funding for these positions was originally made possible by income from enrollment growth, proving once again that enrollment does matter when it comes to the budget
$1,251,944 — 1.5 percent across-the-board salary increase for full-time faculty and staff who were on the payroll as of April 1, 2014
$433,182 — fringe benefits on the 1.5 percent salary increase
$97,797 — $480 increases for all staff members who are below $30,000 and have a salary less than 90 percent of the mid-point of their range. In addition, salary ranges will be increased by 1.2 percent effective July 1.
$33,838 — fringe benefits on the staff salary increase
$53,045 — 1.5 percent increase in graduate assistant wages
$310,926 — faculty promotions, including fringe benefits
$201,900 — $5,000 salary increases with fringe benefits for 30 recipients of the new Full Professor Program — Provost Frank Einhellig sent letters to the 30 recipients late Thursday afternoon, May 15

Priority increases

In addition to compensation, we have identified these priority increases to be paid from the increased revenue:

$338,386 — restoration to the cost centers of 1.5 percent of the supplies and services portion of the operating budgets
$75,000 — faculty international travel – This was a specific request from the faculty members of the Executive Budget Committee. The Provost has established a faculty committee to develop guidelines for administration of this new fund
$250,000 — increased maintenance, security and grounds
$250,000 — funding a women’s tennis program to comply with Title IX

Increases in expenses

We also are funding $937,752 in items such as increased utility costs, increased services provided by the Disability Support Center (for interpretation services for students with disabilities), increased property insurance and increased fee waivers for employees and their dependents.

Summary

I am extremely pleased and appreciative of Governor Jay Nixon recommending and the Missouri General Assembly approving the 5 percent increase in funding for higher education. I also am very pleased that we are able to allocate a significant portion of the new funds to our number one priority: compensation for our faculty and staff.

As always, the entire budget will be posted on the Financial Services website once it has been approved by the Board of Governors in June.

Capital funding

The General Assembly passed and sent to the governor a bill that would provide “50-50 matching funds” for the Welcome Center, which will focus on student admissions and success. The total cost of the project is estimated at $5.5 million. Of that total, $1 million will be covered by the Bookstore insurance settlement. Of the remaining $4.5 million, half — $2.25 million — will come from state appropriations and then be matched by $2.25 million in reserve gift funds from the Missouri State Foundation. The Welcome Center has been designed and bids have been submitted. Construction is scheduled to begin later this summer and be completed in fall 2015.

With a few hours left in the session — it ends at 6 p.m. Friday — we were still hopeful there might be funding for additional capital projects. As this issue of Clif’s Notes was being distributed, however, there were still significant differences between the House and Senate versions of remaining capital bills. If something changes, I will get a note out about that.

Other legislation

There are some other operating budget highlights as well:

The line item of $1,325,000 for the Occupational Therapy Program in Springfield and health program enhancement at West Plains remains in the budget.
The $2 million line item for the cooperative Doctor of Pharmacy degree program with UMKC remains — and the first class in that program begins this fall. A large majority of the 31 students admitted into the first class have done their prior work at Missouri State.
Funding increased for both Bright Flight (merit based) and Access Missouri (need based) scholarship programs.
There is $750,000 in the budget to support three summer academies, including the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at Missouri State. The exact amount that will be allocated to each of the academies, including the Fine Arts Academy, had not been finalized in time for this communication.
There is $980,000 in the budget to support public television in Missouri, including Ozarks Public Television housed at Missouri State.

The higher education funding formula bill, Senate Bill 492 which Missouri State and the other four-year universities supported, passed. It provides a framework for how higher education will be funded in the future, with the final authority continuing to rest with the General Assembly. The bill calls for no more than 90 percent of new funding to be based on performance measures, with at least 10 percent based on equity criteria. The bill also calls for the performance measures to be revised and updated to include the success of graduates, both in the job market and as graduate-degree seeking students.

These bills also are on Governor Nixon’s desk for approval.

Reorganization planned in president’s office

With Paul Kincaid’s upcoming retirement and Penni Groves’ request to go back to part-time, I plan to reorganize the president’s office staffing effective with the new fiscal year, July 1.

Paul’s current responsibilities as chief of staff and assistant to the president for university relations will be reassigned as follows:

Ryan DeBoef, current legal counsel, will become the chief of staff and assistant to the president for governmental relations. He will have responsibility for governmental relations at the state level.

Dr. Jim Baker, vice president for research, economic development and international programs, will add federal governmental relations to his portfolio.

M. Suzanne Shaw, has been named the new vice president for marketing and communications, following a nationwide search. She will have responsibility for the unit formerly known as university relations, which includes university communications, publications, Web and new media, photographic services and athletics communications.

Penni Groves, current general counsel, will move to the role of legal counsel.

Rachael M. Dockery has been hired as the new general counsel.

For more detailed information, please see the news release we distributed on the reorganization.

China trip

On Saturday morning, May 17, I leave for a 10-day trip to China with Vice President Jim Baker, Associate Vice President Steve Robinette and others. While there, we have a number of activities scheduled, including the graduation for students at Liaoning Normal University in Dalian, several alumni events, and multiple meetings with our education partners, both current and prospective.

When we talk about signature programs for Missouri State, our China program has to be near the top of the list. We continue to expand our partnerships, involve increasing numbers of students and faculty and are now developing alumni ties there.

While I don’t necessarily look forward to the 12-hour flight, I am looking forward to spending time in China to further develop our program there.

Conclusion

I hope this week is a good finish to the year for you, and I hope you will make time to attend one or more of the commencements in Springfield on Friday, May 16, and West Plains on Saturday, May 17. I also wish for you a restful and rejuvenating summer, no matter what you are doing or where you will be.

Thank you for all you have done for Missouri State University during the 2013-14 year.

—Clif

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The staff of The Standard newspaper took home 19 awards – including top honors as the Best Overall Newspaper (Division 1) and first place in Division 1 sweepstakes – from the Missouri College Media Association conference.

“As a transfer student from the University of Iowa to Missouri State in the fall of 2011, working at The Standard has been one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of my college career,” said Nicolette Martin, The Standard’s editor-in-chief. “I’m ridiculously proud of the rest of the staff of The Standard for putting out great work and earning us the title of the best newspaper in Division 1.”

The following Standard staff members received awards:

Nicolette Martin: Journalist of the Year; second place, regular column; first place, page-one design; first place, sports page; and second place, sports column
Megan Gates: first place, news writing.
Kelsey Berry: second place, feature writing
Sam Holzer: third place, sports writing
Tim Godfrey: first place, sports column
Steph Anderson: honorable mention, news photography; first place, feature photography; second place, sports photography; honorable mention, sports photography
Evan Henningsen: second place, feature photography
Brent Rinehart: first place, advertising
Lindsey Howard: first place, editorial/op-ed page
Staff: third place, special section, and third place, website home page

Clif’s Notes Vol. 1, No. 11

February 1, 2012 by Clif Smart

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.

Fiscal 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.

The 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.

Internal 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

Premier 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

Telling the Missouri State story

Laurel in the cage at the bottom of the telescope During 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.

Clif’s Notes Vol. 1, No. 4

August 31, 2011 by Clif Smart

In the 10 weeks I have been in this office, I have been pleasantly surprised and very impressed with the calls I have received regarding our China Programs. I’ve received calls from both public and private Research I institutions in the Midwest asking about how we run our China Programs. They want to know details, not because our program is perfect, but rather because we are so far ahead of them in developing a solid, comprehensive program.

Over the years, Missouri State has received similar calls from state government, from national associations and from scholars doing research on these kinds of programs.

With the recent media coverage on one aspect of our China Programs – the Executive MBA program – I thought it would be helpful to give you a more comprehensive overview of a program that is the envy of many and one of our competitive advantages over other universities.

An overview

Missouri State’s China Programs began in 1998. Over time, it has grown and matured into several component parts: academic programs, research partnerships, exchange programs and much more. It is this combination of programs that causes other institutions/agencies/offices to call us to find out more.

Another reason we are contacted is that our China Programs generate more revenue than expenses. Said another way, the programs pay for themselves and also generate carry-forward funds. For example, in fiscal year 2010, revenues over expenses at our campus in China were a little more than $200,000. Those monies will be distributed as follows: $42,000 to the College of Business Administration, $24,000 to Missouri State University-West Plains and $134,000 will be transferred into our China Development budget which supports initiatives to further develop our recruiting, education and research activities in China. There is no longer any issue of getting the money home.

Component parts

I want to summarize for you a few of the most significant component parts of the China Programs. You can also learn more on the Office of China Programs website.

Liaoning Normal University-Missouri State University College of International Business in Dalian

This program has been in operation since 2000 and is currently in its second year of a 10-year extension of the partnership between Liaoning Normal University and Missouri State University.
At LNU, the Missouri State University System offers two degrees: Associate of Arts in General Business from MSU-West Plains and a two-year completion program by the MSU-Springfield College of Business Administration which leads to the Bachelor of Science in General Business.
All courses are taught in English, and students must take English proficiency tests before being admitted. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we recently raised the English proficiency standards, which is partly responsible for the decrease of 30-40 freshmen admitted into the program.
MSU-West Plains is solely responsible for the curriculum offered and the faculty selected to teach classes for the initial two years. West Plains’ China AA program is separately accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and there are more than 500 students in the program this fall.
The students receiving the AA degree have the choice of transferring to Missouri State-Springfield or remaining in the program in Dalian. Those remaining in Dalian are taught by our College of Business Administration faculty and the curriculum meets all of the accreditation requirements of AACSB. This fall, about 200 students remained in Dalian for years three and four, while 285 students are in Springfield taking their third year (125) and fourth year (160) courses.
Also, as part of continuous improvement, the College of Business Administration is in the process of hiring two bilingual employees – one employee will be a China Programs Specialist, who provides a variety of support services for Chinese students studying in COBA, and the second will be an advisor working primarily with Chinese students.

Qingdao University

Missouri State University and Qingdao University have had a student and faculty exchange program in place since 1998.
The faculty exchange program supports one Qingdao University faculty member teaching Chinese in our modern and classical languages department while Missouri State sends an exchange instructor to teach English at Qingdao University.
In addition, an active program exists between the music departments of Missouri State and Qingdao University.

Study away in China Programs

Missouri State students are given the opportunity to study at any one of four partner universities in China – Qingdao University in Qingdao, Henan University of Economics and Law in Zhengzhou, Renmin (People’s) University of China in Beijing and Liaoning Normal University in Dalian.

Research partnerships

Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST) – Missouri State and QUST have agreed to promote collaborative research in nanoscale materials, nanoscale devices, nanostructured spintronic materials, biomaterials, materials and metal complexes in hydrothermal solutions, and photovoltaic materials.
Ningxia Forestry Institute and Ningxia University (Yinchuan) and China Agricultural University (Beijing) – Missouri State and these partners have developed a dual master’s degree in plant science and have also established collaborative research projects designed to promote research programs in viticulture, enology, plant pathology, and other agriculture and fruit science related areas. The MSU partnership with China Agricultural University in Beijing (China’s top ranked agricultural university) began in 2004.

Executive MBA

In 2007, COBA partnered with the International Management Education Center (IMEC) to offer the EMBA Program (Executive MBA Option). We respectfully disagree with the Springfield News-Leader’s editorial on our work with IMEC; we believe the partnership has been essential in the development of this program.
This one-year, accelerated, cohort-based, 33-credit hour program is designed specifically for students “sponsored” by Chinese professional associations, provincial and municipal government agencies, and universities.
Since 2007, 10 cohorts totaling 370 students have enrolled in the program. We believe the nearly five-fold increase in student enrollment from 2007-10 reflects student and sponsor satisfaction with the program and growth in the number of sponsoring organizations.
All EMBA courses are taught on an overload basis – 29 COBA faculty have taught in this program since 2007.
While English language skills are critical, experience to date indicates success is equally influenced by a multitude of other factors, including academic preparation, work experience, motivation and other time commitments (e.g., family obligations). We do agree with the News-Leader editorial that English language proficiency deserves on-going improvement and monitoring for quality assurance.
The EMBA Program does help generate additional revenue, which is helpful, particularly in difficult economic times.
The EMBA Program contributes to the University’s long-term commitment to economic development.
The relationships being developed with sponsoring organizations, especially Chinese universities, have and will continue to provide cross-marketing opportunities for other academic programs at Missouri State.

Balancing priorities, challenges and benefits

Operating programs in two very different cultures, with very different education systems, is challenging, at best. We continue working hard on this initiative and to improve the quality of our programs for one reason: We believe there are tremendous benefits, primarily for our students and faculty, but also for the University itself, Springfield and the region.

If we are serious about the importance of and our commitment to diversity, international education and preparing our students to compete in a global economy, then we absolutely must have these kinds of programs. China is just one example. While we have 701 students from China this fall, we have a total 1,296 international students from 76 countries, and we are developing and/or expanding formal relationships in several countries, including Brazil and India.

And, if we continue to offer these programs, differences in culture, trust and language will continue to be challenges – challenges that also represent opportunities for us to address and strengthen our programs.

Should we lower our standards? Absolutely not. That is not the case now and no one is suggesting that. But we should be aware, empathetic, helpful and student-centered in our approach because that’s the right thing to do, and that’s what we expect as our students travel and study abroad.

Comprehensive internal audit

Will we improve each year we have the program? Absolutely. The China Programs are better today than last year or five years ago or in 1998. Most recently, Dr. Jim Baker, who oversees International Programs, asked for a comprehensive internal audit of the China Programs so improvements could be made.

The China Programs are a major financial operation. In 2011-12, for example, the 569 students in the undergraduate and graduate programs will generate about $5.85 million in gross revenue. The EMBA program will generate about $1.3 million in revenues. We must ensure these funds are being handled appropriately.

The audit is being completed in two stages. The first stage of that audit, which dealt with travel, is now complete. It can be best categorized as “routine” – no major findings but several suggestions for improvement. See the full audit. The second stage of the audit, regarding the overall finances of the program, will be available in the near future, and again we will post it on the Web for all to see.

Future commitment

So, we are committed to continuing our very successful China Programs, and we are committed to improving it every year just as we have done since 1998. Further, we are committed to expanding our international programs where it makes sense and where it is economically viable.

I hope this summary has been helpful to you. I wanted you to know what has caused so many to call us for advice.

–Clif

Telling the Missouri State story

Note – This begins a new regular feature of this communication. I also plan to share these stories of faculty, staff and students as I visit with service clubs, alumni groups and others.

A friend introduced Jesse Balami to Missouri State’s China campus. Jesse is from Nigeria and was one of several non-Chinese students at the China campus, although he speaks Chinese fluently. At the China campus, Jesse appreciated the courses being taught in English, and he “loved the way the instructors were so helpful, how they taught their classes, and how they created close relationships with the students.”

Since he is a global studies major, Jesse decided to come to the Springfield campus to complete his degree rather than remain in China. He has appreciated the facilities, the Career Center, student services and the many other resources he found here. Springfield also has made a positive impression on him: “The people were so kind, generous and helpful.” He also liked that “Springfield is a clean and safe environment to study and live.” I am happy to report that Jesse is doing well and will graduate on time. From Nigeria, Africa, to Dalian, China, to Springfield, Missouri, that is the world in which we live in 2011.