Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for Dec. 17, 2019

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The Board of Governors met last week.

The board approved more than $400,000 in equity salary increases for 125 employees. These are pay raises that cost centers on campus have agreed to fund by reallocating money from their existing budgets.

This is the first time staff and administrators have been eligible for these kind of equity adjustments in more than a year. We went through a similar process in the spring for faculty, and the board approved more than $500,000 in equity salary increases and promotions for 88 faculty members in June.

The board also approved more than $70,000 in raises that we are centrally financing for 48 employees to comply with changes to Fair Labor Standards Act regulations.

Moving forward with JVIC expansion

The board also approved a letter of intent laying out the terms of our public-private partnership with The Vecino Group to expand the Jordan Valley Innovation Center. Under this agreement, Vecino will construct a $14.4 million 30,000 square foot white box addition to JVIC. The university will have the option to purchase the facility for no more than $6.2 million in seven years.

Through a financing model that utilizes $9 million in federal New Market Tax Credits as well as conventional financing, the university will pay $530,000 in annual lease payments. The university anticipates that new revenues the university will receive from JVIC tenants will cover these lease payments.

The university and the Missouri State University Foundation will pay up to $4.6 million when the contract closes (less if additional New Market Tax Credits are secured before closing). The university and foundation will work to recuperate as much of these funds as possible by selling $3 million in state tax credits allocated by the Missouri Development Finance Board for the project and by advocating for funding from the state through the MoExcels program.

This model will allow the university to receive a $14.4 million building for between $7.5 million and $10.8 million. We initially explored this project with a goal of developing additional JVIC space for a substantial discount. I am pleased to report that we are poised to accomplish this goal.

The board is excited to move this project forward. We know this arrangement is not without risks, but the potential impact on the university’s economic development footprint and the development of areas surrounding our downtown campus is outstanding.

Darr gift will grow agriculture programs

The board also approved an agreement to establish a Springfield Public Schools agricultural magnet school and to construct a small animal education facility at the university’s Darr Agricultural Center. These projects will be funded with a $6.5 million gift from the Darr Family Foundation to the Missouri State University Foundation.

The generosity of Mr. Darr and his family through this and other gifts have truly transformed the College of Agriculture and Missouri State University as a whole. Please join me in thanking them for this transformative gift.

Recognizing outstanding students

The board also awarded this year’s Citizen Scholar Award to six high performing students:

  • Cassidy Cunningham
  • Seth Hadley
  • Rachel Prather
  • Robbyn Rose
  • Niyati (Mia) Sethi
  • Stephanie Urich

You can find more information about the award and this year’s recipients in the news release.

The board also approved a commendation to William Miller for his service on the board as student governor. It has been a pleasure working with Governor Miller in this role, and he will be greatly missed.

The board received a strategic enrollment management plan update, viewed a presentation about the Darr College of Agriculture, received a report on the Onward, Upward foundation campaign, viewed a demonstration of the university’s variable data marketing initiative and virtual tour, discussed the Springfield and West Plains campus key performance indicators, and announced and approved board committee assignments for next year.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Nov. 19, 2019

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This year’s Action Plan includes enrollment as a focus area.

We have already implemented a lot of changes designed to improve enrollment. Initiatives we have already rolled out this academic year include:

  • Restructured scholarships
  • Expanded dual credit
  • Waived the application fee
  • Expanded partnerships with college access programs
  • Joined the Common App
  • Implemented a CRM system and an updated marketing strategy
  • Implemented the MSU Messaging platform to communicate with students
  • Developed a campus virtual tour

Data indicates that our work is having an impact — the number of applications we have received for new students in fall 2020 is higher than the last two years.

More work remains to be done, and I would encourage all members of the university community to participate in our enrollment efforts.

Setting SEM goals

The first action item in this year’s Action Plan is to develop a strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan.

Last week our SEM consultant from AACRAO was on campus for three days. She met with the leadership team, steering committee and the councils to help the university develop measurable SEM goals. Once these goals have been established, the councils will begin to develop the strategies that the university should pursue to achieve the goals.

We plan to have the SEM goals established in December, and we will report them to the Board of Governors at their meetings on Dec. 12.

You can find more information about the SEM process (including information about strategic enrollment management, the university’s SEM structure, council rosters and charges, etc.) on the SEM webpage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

 

Clif’s Notes for Oct. 15, 2019

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As we evaluate the university-wide enrollment challenges, I am encouraged by the work of our international programs team led by Jim Baker and Brad Bodenhausen.

Between 2011 and 2016, our international enrollment grew from 1,304 to 1,673. This is an astounding 28.3% increase over a five-year period.

By fall of 2017, international concerns arose and the environment for recruiting students in other countries had changed. Rightly or wrongly, the United States developed a reputation in many countries of being unsafe and unwelcoming to immigrants.

The impact at Missouri State — like other universities throughout the country — was a 206 student (12.3%) decline in international enrollment between 2016 and 2018.

Our international team could have blamed the environmental shift and given up hope. Most other universities did.

Instead, our team doubled their efforts. They explored new countries and new markets. I recently joined them on trips to Bolivia and China to execute agreements and build relationships with new and old partner universities. These kind of trips are difficult, and they require a lot of work. But bending the enrollment curve is labor intensive.

Our international staff also collaborated with academic departments to develop program pathways that allow students to stay in their home countries for part of their education. This was a novel concept that had been dismissed as unworkable for many years. But our academic leaders worked hard and re-approached the issue with an open mind.

Our international enrollment increased by 151 this fall, nearly eliminating the losses we sustained over the past two years. Our hard work and creative thinking paid off.

Graph of international enrollment

Looking to the future

The success in our international enrollment is a model for what we must do here at home.

The environment in the United States has changed. Fewer students are graduating from high school each year. Fewer students are going to community college, making transfer recruitment more difficult. Demographics are shifting.

We cannot rest on our laurels or blame the changes in the world around us.

If we double our efforts and reinvent the way we work to recruit and retain students, we will have a similar story to tell on our domestic enrollment as well.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Aug. 13, 2019

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Last week the Board of Governors met for its annual retreat.

SimpsonScarborough presented the results of the recently completed marketing survey to the board. These results highlight the importance of focusing our marketing efforts on the work we do to connect students with successful careers. We will work in the coming years to highlight more of the career-related success stories of our graduates.

I was assisted by Rob Hornberger and Kelly Wood for a presentation about the university’s recruitment and retention data. As you know, we’re anticipating having fewer enrolled students this fall. We have a lot of work to do to address that issue and ensure enrollment improves for fall 2020.

The board then discussed the Action Plan for 2019-20. Recruitment and retention will be our focus for this plan. We will finalize the plan based on comments received from the board and distribute it to the campus community through Clif’s Notes after the fall semester has started.

The board received a year-end report from the office of research. In fiscal year 2019, the university received more than $32 million in grants and sponsored contracts. This total shatters previous records and is a testament to the expertise and strong work ethic of our faculty.

The board also received a year-end report from the Missouri State Foundation. For the first time, the foundation received more than $20 million in private support for two years in a row. This support will provide a solid platform for our launch of the next comprehensive campaign.

The board also received updates on the website redesign, the IDEA Commons project and the foundation’s comprehensive campaign.

Moving the university forward

The board transacted regular business at the retreat.

The board approved a new agreement with the City of Springfield to provide law enforcement services on campus. The new contract will increase the number of officers on campus and provide a police presence on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The board approved several contracts including housing contracts for cohorts of international students, a new lease agreement with the West Plains Civic Center, contracts for electronic databases, book and shared materials for Meyer Library, a simulator purchase agreement for the School of Anesthesia, a lease agreement for theater and dance classroom space, depository services on the West Plains campus and a renewal with BKD for audit services.

The board also awarded a contract to renovate the auditorium in Meyer Library, approved a contract to develop a master plan for the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, and approved an agreement for preventative parking lot maintenance.

Performance review

Finally, the board completed its annual review of my performance as president. I am happy to report that I received high scores in all categories.

The board gave me a raise, and I have already donated the entire raise to an endowed professorship in the Darr College of Agriculture.

As president, I am frequently given credit for the university’s accomplishments, but Missouri State University has become what it is today because of the hard work and commitment of prior and current faculty, staff, students and friends of the university.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for Aug. 6, 2019

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Recruitment and retention have always been important for Missouri State. Enrollment is critical to the university’s progress toward its mission and vision.

The enrollment landscape has shifted in recent years. The number of Missouri high school graduates has decreased. We also face increased competition, lower unemployment rates and decreased enrollment at two-year institutions (which reduces the size of our prospective transfer pool). Because of these factors, several years ago indicators began to predict an enrollment reduction on the horizon. Since then, we have worked to ease the impact of this reduction.

The fiscal year 2020 budget anticipates an enrollment decline in the fall, reducing the university’s revenue between $4 and $5 million. If we don’t change our strategies and move the needle, indicators project that we will likely face another enrollment decline in fall 2020.

The die is not firmly cast. We still have time to double our efforts and implement new recruitment and retention strategies. It is critical that we all work together to prioritize enrollment in the coming academic year.

Developing a strategic enrollment management plan

This year we will develop a strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan to coordinate our recruitment and retention efforts. This will not be a “top-down” plan developed in a silo by senior administrators. Rather, we want the plan to come from the ground up, incorporating input and feedback from stakeholders throughout the university, many of whom regularly work face-to-face with current and prospective students.

We have developed a framework to create the SEM plan. The framework includes a steering committee that will develop long-term enrollment goals, manage the work being completed by the councils and task forces, and communicate with the president and senior administrators throughout the process.

Four councils will report to the steering committee and develop strategic goals and action plans in the following areas:

  • Recruitment and outreach
  • Retention and completion
  • Academic programs and deliveries
  • Marketing and communications

Numerous ad hoc subcommittees and task forces will be established to develop specific strategies and work through identified issues. A data support team will inform all committees and councils.

Mark your calendar: Sept. 18

We will kick off our SEM planning process with an event from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Darr Center (2401 S. Kansas Expressway). Details about this event will be forthcoming.

We want your input as we develop the SEM plan this year. If you would like to participate on a SEM committee, council or task force, or if you would like to be added to the invitation list for the Sept. 18 SEM planning kick off event, please email me at president@missouristate.edu.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!