The Board of Governors met last week in West Plains.

The Board discussed and approved changes to the employee handbook and the faculty handbooks in Springfield and West Plains. You can read more about those changes in last week’s Clif’s Note.

The Programs and Planning Committee discussed the Preparing Educators and Administrators for Rural Schools project, a grow-your-own pathway for teaching in the West Plains campus service region.

FY 2020 budget include pay increases, inflationary tuition increase

The Financial and Facilities Committee discussed the fiscal year 2020 operating budget and changes to the fee schedule. The whole board then approved the budget in its regular meeting that afternoon.

This year’s budget includes a 1.9 percent across-the-board pay increase for full-time employees. The budget also includes funding for faculty promotions, the full professorship incentive program, 58 cost-center funded equity pay adjustments, $1.8 million in fringe benefit cost increases, increases in stipends and fee waivers for graduate assistants, increases to the student worker minimum wage, and a scholarship and recruitment fund that will be used to develop and implement enrollment strategies.

The board also approved a 2019-20 tuition and fee waiver. With this waiver, students on the Springfield campus will pay only an inflationary increase in tuition and fees over the past two years.

Board approves 2020 meeting schedule, Tobacco 21 resolution

During the regular meeting the board received a presentation on study away programs on the West Plains campus. The board also received reports from the West Plains Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Government Association.

The board also approved a meeting schedule for 2020.

The board also discussed and approved a resolution supporting the City of Springfield’s efforts to enact a Tobacco 21 initiative. This initiative prohibits stores from selling tobacco products in the City of Springfield to anyone under the age of 21. City Council first read the Tobacco 21 bill in its meeting last Monday, so the Board of Governor’s resolution on this important health issue for our students and our community is very timely.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!