Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for June 28, 2016

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Clif's Notes

The end of June will mark the end of our 2011-2016 long-range plan. This was the fourth long-range plan at Missouri State University. As you know, our fifth long-range plan has been developed, and we will begin to implement that plan on July 1.

19299-8969-Carrington-700x394Celebrate our successes, plan for the future

The theme of the 2011-2016 long-range plan was “Fulfilling Our Promise.” We thought the end of one plan and the start of another provided a great opportunity to report on the university’s progress over the past five years. You can see the full report on the website, and a full printed version of the report titled “Promises Fulfilled” will be available throughout campus and mailed to university stakeholders.

Highlights from the report include:

  • The Springfield campus grew enrollment in each of the past five years, setting a new record each year
  • An increase from 21.87 percent to 46.35 percent in undergraduate students who participated in High Impact Educational Experiences like active research with a faculty member, study away, internships and service learning opportunities
  • An increase from 2,323 students to 2,726 students from historically underrepresented groups as well as an increase from 18 percent to 20 percent in students that are international or from historically underrepresented groups and from 12 percent to 14 percent in faculty and staff that are international or from historically underrepresented groups
  • An increase from 42 to 72 degree programs offered through alternative pathways and an expansion of online programs to constitute 14 percent of Missouri State’s annual credit hours
  • Adding nine new graduate programs, including two professional doctorates and a cooperative PharmD program with UMKC
  • A major redesign of the general education program, emphasizing the public affairs mission and integrating student learning outcomes
  • Restructuring the honors program to include opportunities for upper division coursework
  • Completing a campus and community climate study
  • Missouri State faculty produced 156 books, 1097 journal articles, 251 chapters and 255 creative works
  • Achieving a ten-year reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission
  • Significant upgrades to the university’s physical plant, including projects like the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center, Bond Learning Center, Foster Recreation Center, O’Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center, McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall, Brick City, Greenwood Science Scholars Lab, and renovations of Ellis, Glass, and Pummill halls as well as Plaster Stadium and athletic and recreation fields throughout campus
  • An increase in networking bandwidth on campus from 413 Mb to 6 Gb, in the percentage of buildings with wireless coverage from 35 percent to 100 percent, and in Level III technology enhanced classrooms from 113 to 283
  • Tuition has risen less than inflation, meaning it is less costly to attend Missouri State University now than it was when the 2011-2016 long range plan went into effect

These kind of successes do not come without important contributions from everyone on the team. I want to personally say thank you to each and every member of our faculty and staff for working hard and remaining committed to the University’s mission.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

 

Clif’s Notes for June 21, 2016

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Clif's Notes

Early in the fall I told you about the Nine Major Goals for 2015-16 that the Board of Governors and our senior administrative team developed. Those goals were publicized on the university’s website, and they guided our efforts over the past year.

Missouri State University seal in front of Carrington HallAccomplishments noted in all goal areas

At the Board of Governors meeting earlier this month, I presented the board with the report on this year’s goals. I would encourage you to take a moment and look through the report.

Review Report on the Nine Major Goals for 2015-16

Highlights include:

  • We developed a report on the university’s progress under the 2011-16 long-range plan, completed the strategic visioning project and developed a 2016-2021 long-range plan
  • We successfully completed the Higher Learning Commission accreditation process
  • We set overall, freshmen class and underrepresented student enrollment records
  • We implemented the new Bachelor of General Studies program, resulting in over 40 graduates
  • We increased the first time freshman retention rate from 75.22 percent to 78.24 percent
  • We submitted over 300 applications resulting in more than $22 million in grants and sponsored research
  • We partnered with Mercy to develop the MSU Care Clinic, a low income primary care facility, on campus
  • We secured a $1.3 million grant to address poverty in northwest Springfield through Missouri State’s Center for Community Engagement
  • We executed a five-year agreement for $1.4 million each year to provide educational services through the International Leadership and Training Center for the Ningxia Province
  • We provided a 2 percent cost-of-living pay raise to all fulltime employees and targeted other high-performing and underpaid employee groups for additional compensation through a staff pool and the Full Professor Salary Incentive Program
  • We met our 20 percent diversity hiring target
  • We obtained a historic level of state appropriations for Missouri State University

We have much to be proud of, but we’re not done. At our administrative planning retreat in early July, the administrative team will begin to develop action plans and priorities for 2016-17, using the 2016-21 long-range plan as the foundation for implementation.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

 

Clif’s Notes for June 14, 2016

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Clif's Notes

Last week the Board of Governors had its June meeting in West Plains. I wanted to update you on several of the board’s actions.

Students on campusNew budget includes variety of wage increases

The board approved the university’s fiscal year 2017 budget. Under the budget, there will be no increase in tuition for in-state undergraduate students. The budget includes:

  • A 2 percent across-the-board raise for fulltime employees
  • A $250,000 staff pool for additional raises based on merit and equity
  • A graduate assistant wage increase
  • More than $250,000 for faculty promotions
  • The third year of pay raises under the Professor Salary Incentive Program
  • $900,000 for new faculty positions
  • $60,000 in increased diversity investment

Board approves long-range plan

The board approved the 2016-2021 long-range plan. As you know, the university engaged in a two-year process to establish a campus-wide vision and to develop the final plan document. Thanks to Gloria Galanes who chaired the long-range plan steering committee and everyone who worked with Dr. Galanes to develop the plan. This summer we will begin the first stage of implementing the long-range plan by developing our action items and priorities for 2016-2017.

Other board actions

The board also approved our fiscal year 2018 capital appropriations request. This request is a vehicle the university uses to request state investment in certain facilities on our campuses.

The board approved a revised contract with Coach Kellie Harper. The revised contract extends the term of her employment to 2021, includes a $12,500 salary increase and includes a $100,000 incentive payment that will be paid if Coach Harper stays through April 2019. The salary increase and incentive payment funded are completely with private gifts.

The board also approved changes to the Faculty Handbook. The revisions clarify the employment status of faculty on sabbatical, clarify when a faculty member has professional responsibility with regard to a student, and make several technical changes to the Academic Personnel Grievance Process and the Professional Practices Review Process.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

 

Clif’s Notes for April 26, 2016

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Clif's Notes

 

 

 

 

In August 2015 I announced that we had formed a long-range plan steering committee and I asked Dr. Gloria Galanes to serve as the chair of the committee.

Plaster Student UnionLong-range plan development nears completion

Using the Missouri State Vision: Our Passion for Excellence report as a starting point, this group has spent the past nine months developing a long-range plan that, starting this fall, will guide the university for the next five years.

The steering committee has reached out to faculty, staff and students throughout the process. They have regularly engaged with the Board of Governors, Administrative Council and Academic Leadership Council to obtain input on what the plan should include.

The process of developing our next long-range plan is nearly complete. You can see the draft language for the plan on the Developing the 2016-21 Long-Range Plan webpage.

carrington18431_0056Annual plans will identify priorities within framework of long-range plan

Our goal from the outset of this process has been to develop a plan that is strategic and outlines, at a general level, the vision, priorities and goals of the university. You will notice that the draft plan does not include specific tactics designed to achieve the overall priorities set forth in the plan. This is intentional. Specific tactics will be coordinated centrally by the administration, but will be developed each year by the separate units throughout the university. The plan is the framework on which these specific tactics will be built.

To implement the plan, each year the board and administration will analyze available data to determine particular areas of priority. These priorities will be communicated to the individual units throughout the university.

Annual unit, individual goals should relate to priorities

The units will then be responsible for developing annual action items designed to advance those priorities. As part of this process, units will assign specific projects related to accomplishing their tactics to particular employees, and supervisors will hold employees accountable for having completed this work through faculty and staff performance review processes. So if you think of your goals on your ADPs, these should include items that roll-up to the long-range plan.

At the end of the end of each year, the board and administration will review the tactics each university unit developed to implement the long-range plan and hold divisions accountable for having accomplished their tactics. This is not a new process. We have done this over the last several years with our eight goals. Each year the board and administration will also evaluate data and monitor progress toward the overarching goals set forth in the long-range plan. The university will develop a report each year communicating this progress to the campus community.

In sum, this plan will be used extensively over the next five years to chart the university’s course. The university will assign resources and make decisions on the framework established by the long-range plan, and all members of the university faculty and staff will be responsible for implementing the plan. Ideally, most of your day-to-day work should support one or more of the six strategic areas identified in the plan.

Provide feedback on draft plan

Accordingly, if you have not reviewed the draft plan and provided your feedback, you should do so by:

  • Participating in one of two town hall meetings scheduled for next week. The first meeting is from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Monday, May 2 in the PSU Theater. The second meeting is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3 in the PSU Theater.
  • Review the draft plan and send your feedback to me or to a member of the steering committee.

The deadline for feedback on the draft plan is May 15, and we expect the Board of Governors to review and approve the final version of the plan on June 10.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

 

Clif’s Notes for Feb. 9, 2016

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Clif's Notes

 

 

 

 

The Board of Governors met on Friday. They discussed a number of important topics and took action on several items.

Committee meeting updates18851-4220-Clif's-Notes-Board-of-Governors

In the Finance and Facilities Committee meeting, the Board discussed the 2016-2017 Fees Schedule.

If the State of Missouri increases operating appropriations for higher education institutions by 6 percent, Missouri State University will not increase in-state undergraduate tuition for 2016-2017.

Otherwise, the University will raise in-state undergraduate tuition from $205 to $206, which is consistent with the 0.7 percent CPI inflation rate for 2015. The Board will approve the new fee schedule in March.

In the Programs and Planning Committee meeting, the Board discussed globalization and funding, two topics that will be covered in the next Long-Range Plan. The Board will work on the Long-Range Plan at its March retreat, and the new plan will be in place before the start of the fall 2016 semester.

The University wants you to be involved in developing the path it will take to achieve its mission from 2016-2021. Your feedback is welcome and encouraged.

A new non-discrimination policyIMG_8066-Clifs-Notes-Seal

During the regular meeting, the Board updated the University’s Non-Discrimination Policy Statement. The new statement conforms with state and federal law.

It is a tighter statement that lists the discrimination bases currently protected by the law without extending beyond what is legally required. The University has consistently prohibited the types of discrimination set forth in the new policy statement, and the University will continue to do so in the future.

Meeting technology needs going forward

Finally, the Board discussed Missouri State’s information technology infrastructure and needs.

The Board learned about the University’s current information technology resources and discussed how to move the University forward with regard to classroom technology, online education and student technology demands.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!