residence halls Archives - Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes Vol. 1, No. 17

June 27, 2012 by Clif Smart

In this issue of Clif’s Notes, I provide an update on the state appropriations for fiscal year 2013 and how it affects our budget. I also provide a summary of three topics from the June 22 Board of Governors meeting: the Walnut Street housing project, the resolution on plus/minus grading and the renewal of the contract for West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett. Finally, I am providing an update on the Higher Learning Commission accreditation process.

State appropriations set for fiscal year 2013

On Friday, Governor Jay Nixon announced that he would withhold 1 percent from the flat budget that the Missouri General Assembly had approved for higher education. For Missouri State, that means state appropriations will decrease by $793,429, from $79,342,892 this year to $78,549,463 next year.

To provide context, let me review some key points in this process:

January 2012 — Governor Nixon announced his budget recommendation which included a 12.5 percent reduction in state appropriations for higher education. For Missouri State, this would have amounted to about $10 million.
February 2012 — Governor Nixon amended his budget recommendation because of a settlement of a lawsuit – about $40 million of one-time money was added to the budget, which allowed the reduction for higher education to be 7.78 percent. For Missouri State, this would have amounted to about $6 million; this became the basis for the budget that the Board approved last Friday.
May 2012 — The Missouri General Assembly approved a flat budget for higher education — i.e., next year’s state appropriations would be the same as this year.
Last Friday, June 22 — Governor Nixon announced he would withhold 1 percent from the higher education budget because he believed the overall state budget not to be in balance, which is required by the Missouri Constitution. Again, this amounts to $793,429 for Missouri State.

Given this history and where we started in the process, we are very pleased with the outcome. It means that we have some flexibility and the opportunity to make strategic investments later this fall. I very much appreciate the hard work of our legislators and Governor Nixon to restore much of the higher education budget. It continues to be one of the best investments that can be made in the future of our state.

Priorities for unbudgeted money

At the Board meeting Friday, the Board agreed with the administration that the three priorities for the unbudgeted money should be: increasing salaries for employees; making strategic investments in programs, especially those with potential to generate additional revenue; and restoring sources of one-time funds included in the fiscal year 2013 budget recommendation.

As we have indicated for some time now, we will wait until the fall to begin these discussions. That way, we can gauge the strength of our enrollment and get a better handle on how much our health plan costs have increased. At the appropriate time, the Executive Budget Committee will meet to discuss the options and make recommendations to me. I will then make recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.

I am hopeful and optimistic we will be able to provide a salary increase next year. If so, that increase likely would occur at mid-year again, as it did this past year.

In the meantime, the Board approved the budget we recommended based on the 7.78 percent reduction in state appropriations.

Access approved FY13 budget.

Walnut Street housing project

We had planned to discuss with the Board and move forward with the Walnut Street housing project, but we pulled it from the agenda because the bids for that project came in significantly over the budget we were prepared to support. We had agreed that the total project could not exceed $36 million, with the construction portion at about $29 million. Unfortunately, the construction bids came in about $4.5 million over the budget, so we are not proceeding with that plan.

Let me emphasize that this does not mean that we are abandoning our goal of developing more apartment-style housing, especially targeted to upper classmen and graduate students. We very much need to have more of that type of housing to be competitive and we are committed to that goal. So, we will look at altering the Walnut Street project, as well as continue to explore and pursue other alternatives.

Related, on Friday the Board approved hiring a consultant to look at best options for Sunvilla Tower. We will explore the full range of options, from demolishing the facility to significantly renovating it.

My hope is we can develop an overall plan for improving our residence life options that we can take it to the Board of Governors no later than February 2013.

Plus/minus grading

The Board of Governors approved a resolution in support of plus/minus grading by establishing a governing policy on it.

The Board strongly encouraged the entire campus community to collaboratively implement the policy, especially when it comes to its consistent application. Provost Frank Einhellig will help lead this discussion. At the meeting, Board members expressed their appreciation for the professional way in which all sides voiced their positions during extended discussions at the Board’s Academic Affairs Committee meeting in May.

Chancellor Bennett’s contract renewed

In the executive session of the Board meeting, the Board unanimously approved my recommendation to extend the contract for Chancellor Drew Bennett for another two years through June 30, 2014.

In the past five years, Drew has provided good leadership for the West Plains Campus. Enrollment has grown, relationships in the seven counties have been strengthened, and the West Plains campus has become more integrated with the rest of the Missouri State System.

I was pleased to make this recommendation and I am pleased that Drew has accepted and the Board has approved it.

Update on Higher Learning Commission accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation and one of two commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), which is one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The Higher Learning Commission accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region. In preparation for comprehensive evaluation and site visit in 2015-16, we are beginning work on our Quality Initiative Project (QIP), required as part of the new Open Pathway available to institutions through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). MSU must submit its QIP proposal by Sept. 1, 2012.

Developing assessment plan for student learning outcomes

The goal of the Missouri State QIP is to develop a comprehensive, university-wide assessment plan for student learning outcomes related to the public affairs mission in general education, discipline specific programs and co-curricular activities. Two task forces – one faculty and one co-curricular group – are working this summer to develop rubrics and a process to collect data that will be incorporated into a comprehensive plan.

The faculty work group is charged with drafting a process and rubrics for assessment of our public affairs mission in general education and in Missouri State programs. Members of the faculty work group include: Joshua Smith, Shannon Wooden, Susan Crain, Tom Dicke, Vera Stanojevic, Cindy Hail, Kelly Cara and Chris Craig. Their report will be submitted by July 20, and then the process and rubrics will be vetted through CGEIP and Faculty Senate this fall for implementation by mid-fall. In addition, Interim Provost Einhellig is charging the Assessment Council with oversight of the new process and will be searching for an assessment director.

A second task force is working this summer to develop a plan to assess public affairs student learning outcomes in co-curricular activities. This group includes Thomas Lane, Denise Baumann, Melissa Berry and Tabitha Haynes.

Conclusion

As we come to the end of my first year as interim president and the conclusion of this fiscal year, I want to thank you again for your continued efforts on behalf of Missouri State University. I especially want to thank you for your patience, cooperation and input on the budget for fiscal year 2013. I know it was a roller-coaster ride on state appropriations, but I think we ended up in a good place: with a minimum reduction and a significant number of dollars we can strategically invest.

Thank you for your support. I will continue to keep you informed about key issues facing Missouri State University.

–Clif

Telling the Missouri State story

As a child, Jacob Singleton wanted to be different. “What makes my story unique may very well be the lack of uniqueness that I felt in my formative years,” said Singleton, now a Missouri State University graduate student. “I remember a distinct drive to diversify and improve in order to distinguish myself, to break free from what I perceived as uniformity.”

Now, he’s done just that. Singleton was recently awarded a 2012-13 U.S. Student Fulbright award to Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. The Fulbright Scholar program was designed to immerse individuals into the cultures they are studying and allow for individualized research projects. During his stay in Germany, Singleton will work as an English teaching assistant and perform research.

Singleton holds a bachelor’s degree in German and a bachelor’s in history education. He now is in pursuit of a master’s degree in European history. His year in Germany with the Fulbright program will bring all of these passions together.

“I chose my majors based upon what was most rewarding to me and what was most beneficial,” he said. “History, particularly German history, has interested me since childhood and the ability to study the German language upon becoming a university student not only made historical inquiry a possibility, but was also an immense joy in itself.”

One of his other passions is helping others, and one way he does that is through education.

“After my time at Missouri State, I plan to teach history or German at the high school or college level,” he said. “Of course, after my stay in Germany, I could always simply decide to attain more long-term employment there.”

Clif’s Notes Vol. 1, No. 7

November 3, 2011 by Clif Smart

In this issue I want to update you on actions taken last Friday at the Board of Governors meeting and the budget assumptions for the 2013 budget.

Board of Governors actions

At the Oct. 28 meeting the Board of Governors took action on three important initiatives that have been in process for a period of time, from several months to several years.

The Board enthusiastically approved the mid-year salary package as proposed and as presented in the October issue of Clif’s Notes. In December we will ask for the Board’s approval of the individual raises for employees, with the raise to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, for staff and Feb. 1, 2012, for faculty.

Cooperative Doctor of Pharmacy Program

The Board officially ratified the memorandum of understanding we signed Oct. 14 with the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the MU System to offer a satellite site for UMKC’s Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Missouri State.

As you know, this cooperative program has been in the works for more than two years and was made possible this past legislative session with the approval of on-going funding. The PharmD program is a 2 + 4 format, with the first two years of requirements and prerequisites followed by the four-year professional program. The first class in the four-year professional program will enter in the fall of 2014, but students can start preparing now to apply for admission into the program.

UMKC has decided to locate the PharmD program in building 1 of Brick City. Building 1, located at the corner of Campbell Avenue and Mill Street, is the largest of the buildings in Brick City. With UMKC as a partner, renovation of building 1 is now possible. The PharmD program will go into the 15,000 square feet on the fourth floor, and remaining units of the art and design department will go in the 45,000 square feet in the first three floors.

As you are aware, much of the art and design department is already in renovated buildings 3 and 4. And, with the Board’s action Friday, we also will renovate building 5 for the art and design department. Art and design should be able to move into its space in the fall of 2013 in both buildings 1 and 5, thus consolidating the entire department into Brick City. This also will free up space in Ellis Hall on campus and the Morris Center downtown that we desperately need for other functions.

Residence hall renovations

For about 15 years beginning in the late 1980s, Missouri State’s residence halls were among the best in the state and gave the University a competitive advantage in recruiting. But we have fallen behind in recent years. About two years ago a consultant was hired to help us develop a long-range plan to upgrade our residence halls. We are following many, but not all, of the consultant’s recommendations.

The first phase of that plan occurred this past summer when many of our residence halls got a facelift with new paint, new carpet, new drapes, new doors, etc. This week the Springfield Contractors Association is presenting an award to the University for the work that was done this summer, based on both the scope and the quality. Another round of upgrades to the residence halls is planned for summer 2012.

Also this past summer we razed two facilities: Dogwood Apartments and the Kentwood South apartments, which were the old motel-like apartments just south of Kentwood Hall.

On Friday the Board approved another step in this plan when it approved an architect to help us design a 300-bed apartment-style facility for upper class and graduate students. This facility will be located on Walnut Street just south of Kentwood Hall.

It is important to know that all of the improvements of residence halls are funded through the residence hall auxiliary fund. This is a planned fund that is built over the years through rental rates paid by students. No tuition dollars or state appropriations are used to operate or improve the residence halls. It is a self-sustaining auxiliary budget.

Other Board actions

Naming of recreation center

The Board officially named the new university recreation center the Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center in recognition of a naming-gift commitment from the Foster family. Mr. Foster is a Springfield businessman who works in the health care field. He and his entire family have a long history with Missouri State University. So, thanks to a dedicated student fee proposed and approved by the students themselves, along with private contributions from donors, the new 100,000-square-foot, $30 million Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center will open in March 2012.

New Intellectual Property Policy

The Board approved a new Intellectual Property Policy for the University, which is located in the policy library.

Diversity guidelines for contractors and vendors

Improving diversity continues to be a priority not only for Missouri State, but also for the City of Springfield, the Springfield Chamber and the entire Springfield community. Toward that end, several organizations in Springfield have agreed to take another positive step by adopting a set of diversity guidelines for working with contractors and vendors. Missouri State already does much of this under its own policies, as well as state law and policy, but we believed it was significant to renew and expand this commitment. The Board agreed and approved a resolution endorsing these guidelines which will soon be posted to the Missouri State website.

Fiscal year 2013 budget assumptions

On Oct. 25 the Executive Budget Committee met to begin discussing the assumptions we will use in preparing the budget for fiscal year 2013. There are many specifics yet to determine over the coming three to four weeks, but I wanted to give you an update on the committee’s initial thinking.

The budget assumptions below represent our best estimates based on history, discussions with key individuals, and our own commitments as a university.

State appropriations – reduction of 5 percent ($3,583,667)

It is likely this is a worst case scenario, but we believe it prudent to plan for this level of reduction. We will know more in January and can adjust at that time if appropriate.

Enrollment – same as fall 2010

The committee felt a more aggressive approach to enrollment was warranted. In short, estimating flat enrollment from the actual for fiscal year 2011 (fall 2010) and budgeted for fiscal year 2012 means we must recapture the 226 students we lost in current fiscal year 2012 (fall 2011) to meet this projection. Said another way, it means moving from the current 22,866 back to 23,092.

Tuition increase – increase by 3.6 per cent ($3,348,558)

As you recall, absent a waiver, state law limits the tuition increase to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from December to December. We estimate that CPI will be 3.6 per cent. We will have official notification of CPI in January and will finalize then. We do not intend to request a waiver to exceed CPI.

Other expenses – reallocate to fund more than $3.7 million of increases

We must reallocate for other increases, including a mid-year salary increase ($2,362,899), MOSERS increase ($522,290), University contribution to medical insurance (estimated at $907,710 based on current claims rate) plus utility increases and other fixed expense increases yet to be determined.

As I indicated, the Executive Budget Committee has several more weeks of work and at least a couple of meetings to determine more details for the assumptions. For example, the committee will discuss the level of reserves the University should maintain, if and how one-time funds should be used, if we can afford another modest across-the-board salary increase in July, etc. We will keep you informed as those assumptions are finalized.

Our goal is to provide enough guidelines for the various budget committees to begin their work with a specific goal in mind. Once we have the assumptions, each committee will be provided details about the targets.

Thanks for your continued involvement with the budget process. Working together, we can develop a sound financial plan for fiscal year 2013.

Foundation’s All-University Campaign and United Way

Please accept my sincere thanks and gratitude for the campus response to two campus campaigns.

First, the Missouri State Foundation’s All-University Campaign was successful, topping the $182,000 mark with 20 percent participation, which is above the national average for large public institutions. These numbers will continue to grow as other faculty and staff members make gifts throughout the fiscal year.

Second, the United Way Campus Campaign total is at $101,687, which exceeds the goal for this year by more than $1,000 and is about $2,000 more than a year ago. This is a significant achievement that will help those in need in Springfield and Greene County. During the campaign a number of individuals joined the Leadership Circle of $500 or more; see the complete list of Leadership Circle members. The broadcast services unit won the grand prize for highest percentage participation at 67 percent, earning that group a reception at my home.

Again, I thank you for your generosity regarding two campaigns that make such a difference in the lives of our students and the lives of our friends and neighbors in the Ozarks.

Conclusion

As you read through this list of progress, please keep in mind how many people worked together to get us to this point.

Chair Eric Bosch and the members of the Executive Budget Committee, along with the Administrative Council and good staff work from CFO Steve Foucart, positioned us for the mid-year salary increase and also the budget assumptions.
Frank Einhellig, Pawan Kahol, Tammy Jahnke, Helen Reid, Joye Norris, Ken McClure, Dale Moore, Don Simpson and many others worked on the PharmD details.
Earle Doman, Gary Stewart and many others in student affairs and residence life, along with Ken McClure, Doug Sampson and others in administrative and information services have been developing the detailed plan for our residence halls.
Brent Dunn and the development staff get credit for helping with the naming gift and also for the campus campaign working with a campus steering committee of faculty, staff and administrators.
The Faculty Senate Handbook Committee, working with a special task force chaired by Rebecca Woodward, an Intellectual Property Policy Committee chaired by General Counsel Penni Groves and the provost’s office developed the new Intellectual Property Policy.
The United Way Planning Committee, headed by Marty Marty, deserves kudos for that success.

It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit. Thanks to all for jobs well-done.

–Clif

Telling the Missouri State story

When Iyshia Smith graduates in May 2012 with her early childhood education degree, she will not only teach students with her knowledge, she will inspire them with her personal story.

Even though she was salutatorian at Jennings Senior High in St. Louis, Iyshia Smith didn’t think college was an option; as one of five kids, college didn’t seem to be financially feasible for her and her single mom. Iyshia considered other options for herself after high school graduation, including the Army, but her mom was adamant that she needed to go to college.

Through the advisement of her guidance counselor she was encouraged to start applying for schools and scholarships. By December she had about 16 acceptance letters. She was so excited she hung the letters on the family’s Christmas tree. She narrowed her options down to three schools, including Missouri State University. To help her choose, each family member submitted their ballot for their favorite option.

“Everybody voted for Missouri State,” said Iyshia. “In June, I got the letter saying I got the Multicultural Leadership Scholarship. It was a done deal, then.”

Iyshia also received several other scholarships, including an academic scholarship and three donor-funded scholarships. She works in the Multicultural Resource Center and often speaks at recruitment events about how scholarship opportunities can make college possible for students.

This spring, Iyshia will complete her early childhood education degree by student teaching in an area Title I school, which she specifically requested. She chose this placement because she attended a Title I school and wants to work with underrepresented populations and educate about diversity.

“Kids that think they can’t do it because they don’t have any money,” said Iyshia. “Look at me. I came from a family with nothing, and I was able to go to school. I have hardly had to pay for anything for school because I have so many people in my corner rooting me on, saying, ‘Okay. You need some help? We’re going to try and get you some help. These are the scholarships you can apply for.’”