Happy April! I think spring has arrived. I love all the blooming flowers and trees on campus. And in case you didn’t know, Missouri State University has been identified as a Tree Campus for the 12th consecutive year and we received the Bee City USA accreditation for the third time in a row. Thanks to our grounds employees for their hard work in creating such a beautiful environment for all of us to enjoy.

As I mentioned in an earlier column, Dr. Dennis Lancaster, our West Plains campus chancellor, announced his retirement effective June 30.

I’m pleased to announce that Zora Mulligan has accepted the position as the new chancellor for the West Plains campus. Zora has an extensive background in higher education in both two-year and four-year institutions in areas of administration, leadership, enrollment management and strategic planning.

She grew up in West Plains and still has family living nearby. I’m confident she’ll continue to build upon the strong foundation of excellence that Dr. Lancaster has created over the last several years.

Search for two key positions

I’ll soon begin a search for a chief of staff who will also serve as assistant to the president for legislative affairs.

Last month, Dr. Rob Hornberger, associate vice president for enrollment management, announced his retirement effective June 30. His last day in the office is May 1. We celebrate Rob’s career at Missouri State.

Higher education has dramatically changed in the last decade with enrollment management growing into a more prominent position. This shift comes as most universities address a national message questioning the decreasing return on investment of a college degree.

Following Rob’s announcement, Administrative Council embarked on a discussion on the importance of enrollment management and the role it plays in a university’s financial success.  Following those discussions, it was determined that this role should be a cabinet-level position where enrollment discussions have taken on more importance.

Given that, we’re opening a search for a vice president of enrollment management. The pool of qualified candidates across the marketplace is small compared with current demand. To attract qualified applicants, the university needs the assistance of an executive search firm that has a specific practice devoted to recruitment of enrollment management personnel. We’ve engaged WittKieffer to assist us in the search process.

Suzanne Shaw, vice president for marketing and communications, has agreed to chair the search. We’ll announce the search committee in the coming weeks. Our hope is to fill this new position by early July.

Groundbreaking ceremony

This afternoon at 3 p.m., we’ll kick off construction of the Clifton M. Smart III University Advancement Center with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new building – across the street from the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center at the corner of National Avenue and Bear Boulevard. Following the groundbreaking, there will be a reception inside the Welcome Center. This is an exciting time on campus. I encourage you to attend.

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

Biff