Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for July 9, 2019

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In closed session at the June Board of Governors meeting, I presented my self-assessment to the board. As part of that presentation, I submitted the university’s end-of-year report. I also used a series of slides to highlight some of the university’s accomplishments outlined in the report.

I would encourage you to review the report and slides at your convenience. Highlights include:

  • We hit an enrollment record on the Springfield campus for the seventh year in a row.
  • We graduated more students than we ever have in the history of the university.
  • We received a $10 million increase in our core operating funding and $2.85 million in one-time funding to expand the nursing program.
  • We increased tuition by less than inflation over the last two years.
  • We named the McQueary College of Health and Human Services, started the mechanical engineering program, became an All-Steinway school, and began the approval process for the Doctorate in Defense and Strategic Studies.
  • We increased our faculty and staff diversity for the fifth year in a row (going from 10.6% in 2013 to 14.5% in 2018).
  • We raised more than $48 million in external support, setting a new record in grant funding and exceeding $20 million in private support for two years in a row.
  • We provided a 1% pay raise for faculty and staff in January and a 1.9% percent pay raise in July.
  • The Lady Bears made a Sweet 16 appearance.
  • We completed construction projects on Hill Hall, Plaster Center, Woods House, the Center for Academic Success and Transition, and the Temple Greenhouse.
  • We collaborated to establish the African-American Heritage Trail, dedicated NPHC plots, and hosted the Missouri Association of Higher Education and Disability Conference.

These accomplishments do not belong to the administration or the board. They belong to entire body of faculty, staff, students and supporters that make up the Missouri State University community. Please join me in celebrating a successful year as we prepare for what next year holds.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!

Clif’s Notes for July 17, 2018

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In closed session at the June Board of Governors meeting, I presented my self-assessment to the board. As part of that presentation, I submitted the university’s end-of-year report to the board. I also used a series of slides to highlight some of the university’s accomplishments outlined in the report.

I would encourage you to review the report and slides at your convenience. Highlights include:

  • We hit yet another enrollment record
  • Legislation was signed into law that eliminates MSU’s statutory degree limitations and replaces them with a statewide program approval framework
  • We reduced our graduation requirement from 125 to 120 hours and rolled out four other critical affordability initiatives for our students
  • We awarded over 5,000 degrees and certificates (the long-range plan goal was 4,900)
  • We eliminated geographic restrictions on our collaborative engineering programs, priming those programs for growth
  • We increased our percentage of faculty and staff on the Springfield campus who are international or underrepresented to 14.1 (the long range plan goal was 14 percent)
  • We enrolled more than 3,100 underrepresented students on the Springfield campus
  • We received the MVC All-Sports Trophy, had seven conference championships, and had exceptional student athlete academic marks, all while cutting over $1 million from the athletics budget

We accomplished a lot in really difficult circumstances this year. While I had the privilege of reporting our many accomplishments to the board, these are not only mine. They are the result of all of our hard work. Please join me in celebrating a successful past year as we prepare for what next year holds.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!