Presidential Updates

Clif’s Notes for July 25, 2023

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As we head into a new academic year, I want to share some key changes included in the academic realignment plan within the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS).

The realignment will provide statewide leadership in research and tourism, as well as clarity in career advising.

Since the beginning, CNAS has prioritized creating space for interdisciplinary ideas that improve the human experience. I believe these changes will continue that focus.

Below are the changes coming to CNAS. They reflect our commitment to serving our students and faculty.

Introducing a new major

With tourism being the state’s second largest industry after agriculture, CNAS and the Darr College of Agriculture will offer a new interdisciplinary major in tourism. This degree is innovative and the first of its kind in Missouri.

Drs. Toby Dogwiler and Kara Wolfe are leading the development of the degree program.

Clear student pathways

Creating clear student academic pathways ensures students and academic advisors understand similar degree programs.

The pathways being updated include:

  • Mechanical engineering technology (MET) and mechanical engineering (ME).
  • Information technology and cybersecurity (ITC) and computer science (CSC).
  • Pre-health/pre-advising handbook.

The pathways will be completed by Feb. 1, 2024, and reviewed annually.

Ross Hawkins is leading the development of the new pre-health advisement handbook.

Faculty from MET, ME, ITC and CSC, along with dean approval, will review and revise the advisement worksheets.

Biology remains in CNAS

Biology (BIO) will remain a department in CNAS, but course duplication will be discussed with the McQueary College of Health and Human Services and biomedical sciences (BMS).

Faculty from BIO, BMS, chemistry, kinesiology and public health and sports medicine will be making recommendations on reducing duplications across the departments.

All curricular proposals to remove the duplications need to be submitted to college councils by Feb. 1, 2024.

Renovations and expansion

Last December, CNAS announced the renaming of Temple Hall to Roy Blunt Hall and the expansion project. The addition to Blunt Hall should be completed in early 2025, while renovations to the original part of the building should be completed by early 2026.

The addition will include:

  • Modern and fully furnished labs.
  • Office suites for departments housed in the building (biology; geography, geology and planning; and chemistry and biochemistry).
  • Office space for graduate students.
  • Collaboration space.

Those updates to Blunt Hall and additional renovations to Cheek Hall will improve the program’s visibility and provide space for new ideas in the field of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Building for the future

Planning for the future and developing successful students in and outside the classroom have continued to be the focus at Missouri State.

Creating new majors, providing updated space for innovative ideas and creating clear academic paths will benefit students and educators in the years to come.

These changes and additions reflect our commitment to preparing students for a successful future in STEM and tourism.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif

Clif’s Notes for June 6, 2023

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A few weeks ago, I gave an overview of the academic realignment work that’s been happening on campus. During the same time, Zora Mulligan and the Enrollment Steering Team have been developing strategies to drive enrollment growth.

As you probably know, increasing enrollment includes bringing in more new students and ensuring our current students are successful and stay at Missouri State.

Last fall, activities focused on recruitment and included:

  • Creating the MoState Access Scholarship for Pell-eligible students.
  • Establishing the employer partnerships unit.
  • Moving the enrollment management and services team under Zora.
  • Moving dual credit and transfer, articulation and nontraditional student services from outreach to enrollment management and services.
  • Creating a culture that recognizes the critical role all members of the campus community play in recruiting students.

And I have good news to report! It looks like we’re on track to increase the number of new students coming to Missouri State this fall. Great job, everyone!

Improving retention

But bringing in more new students alone won’t ensure our overall enrollment growth. We must also keep our current students.

This spring, the Enrollment Steering Team has focused on retention, with an emphasis on improving advising.

The team did a tremendous amount of research to reach a recommendation on how to improve advising on campus. They:

  • Spoke with experts and campus stakeholders.
  • Reviewed qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Researched what our competitors are doing.

Proposed new advising model

Using all that information, the team recommended a new advising model. Under the proposed changes, each college will have a centralized advising center. For colleges with new advising centers, most freshmen and some or all sophomores would be advised by staff. Upper-level students would be advised and mentored by faculty.

The Academic Advising and Transfer Center will continue to advise undecided and Bachelor of General Studies students.

The team is also evaluating an early alert system that would help us identify students who are at a greater risk of failure so we can help them earlier.

Looking ahead to 2023-24

During the next academic year, we’ll be implementing these changes. We’ll also adjust salaries for advisors to bring them up to market level. We’ll define “advising” clearly and celebrate good advising.

Everything each one of us does is important. Whether it’s making our campus attractive, getting middle and high school students excited about our academic programs when they visit campus, teaching our students or helping our students or each other, we’re all part of recruiting students and helping them be successful.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif

Clif’s Notes for May 2, 2023

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It’s May! That means commencement is just around the corner. It’s a big event for our graduating seniors. For the campus community, it’s a culmination of the work of literally thousands of people that’s been years in the making for each and every student.

Making an impact from the get-go

Informally, we may begin to imprint on students when friends or family bring them to campus for athletic events, musical events, Bearfest Village, Homecoming parades or even Halloween in the Halls.

They experience a lively campus that comes to life each season through the good work of grounds and maintenance crews. They may eat in the dining halls or visit the PSU. Maybe they attend a camp or an academic competition at MSU – we have so many offerings throughout the year.

Formally, it begins with admissions. The office begins reaching out to prospective students when they are sophomores in high school with postcard series about MSU. This continues through their senior year when after a lot of work, they apply, are admitted and then choose to attend Missouri State.

There are a variety of intentional “touches” that take place during the recruiting process as we encourage our prospective students to become a Bear – campus tours, visits with faculty, fall and spring showcase, to name a few.

Once they enroll and arrive at MSU, other members of campus step in to ensure the success of our students – faculty, advisors, the student success team, financial aid, res life, athletics, etc.

Then following years of work by the students and the campus “village,” they graduate. They become successful alumni and with hope, they become part of this process for the next generation of students.

Hats off to all of us

This is who we are and what we do.  At times, there are so many singular issues that consume our attention and energy that we may forget our stated mission, vision and values. I was reminded of them by one of our presenters at the Collaborative Diversity Conference last week.

We’ve had some challenging years, but we press on with a campus that focuses on innovation in academics and student support.

In about a week, we’ll issue a news release on the number of bachelors, masters, doctorate and specialist degrees that will be conferred, who will speak at each commencement ceremony and other important details.

But in the meantime, take a moment and pat yourself on the back. We expect to have 2,000-plus graduates and they are graduating because of their hard work and your hard work.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif

Clif’s Notes for April 25, 2023

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Each year, many of our students spend time researching a topic of choice in their respective disciplines with a year-end goal to showcase their successful work.

We host three research events on campus that highlight our students’ research projects.

This year’s events, which are free and open to the public, take place later this week.

April 27

The 27th Annual McQueary College of Health and Human Services Student Research Symposium will be held from 3-5 p.m. in the Plaster Student Union Grand Ballroom. This symposium is open to all graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in programs within MCHHS. The purpose of this symposium is to allow students to present scholarly projects they have been conducting during the past year.

April 28

Current College of Natural and Applied Sciences undergraduate students and December 2022 graduates will present posters for the CNAS Undergraduate Research Symposium. Viewing is open to campus and the public between 1:45-3:15 p.m. The awards ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. with guest speaker, Dr. Steven Senger, associate professor of mathematics.

30th Annual Frank Einhellig Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum

April 29

Missouri State prides itself on the extraordinary work of our graduate students, done with the mentorship of our faculty. Our dedicated students have been working on research and creative projects that push the boundaries of our knowledge.

The Frank Einhellig Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum (EIDF) is a celebration of graduate student achievements. We invite our campus and community to join us to offer encouragement and take part in the discussions our students have started.

  • Poster Presentations, 8-11:45 a.m., PSU Grand Ballroom.
  • Awards Ceremony, 12:15-1 p.m., PSU Theater.
  • May 6 at 10 a.m., EIDF Art Exhibitions – Springfield Art Museum. A brief awards ceremony will follow presentations.

Collaborative Diversity Conference

It’s not too late to register for the Collaborative Diversity Conference happening April 27-28 at the DoubleTree by Hilton on North Glenstone Avenue. This year’s theme is “Connecting Citizens and Fostering Community.”

You can register for the event on My Learning Connection (MLC) using your noncredit fee waiver or budget transfer. Go to the event calendar on MLC, select the April calendar and filter for “Collaborative Diversity Conference.” You’ll see the various registration/payment options that are available.

The event includes several engaging panels and is capped by the Inclusive Excellence Fund Gala on the evening of April 28. Dr. Amy Blansit, kinesiology faculty member and Drew Lewis Foundation founder and CEO, is the featured speaker at the gala.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif

Clif’s Notes for March 5, 2019

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Two weeks ago, Peter Kageyama gave the keynote at the Springfield Business Development Corporation’s annual meeting. Peter is the author of “For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places” and is highly regarded in urban planning, design and development.

I had the opportunity to attend two meetings with Peter, and his insights were inspirational.

One of Peter’s main points was that a “hierarchy of needs” exists in city-making:

  • Interesting
  • Convivial
  • Comfortable
  • Safe
  • Functional

People expect their cities to be functional and safe. Filling the potholes does not separate good cities from great cities. To emerge from the pack, a city must move higher up the hierarchy. People fall in love with convivial, interesting cities, not merely functional and safe ones.

To help in this endeavor, Peter challenges leaders to ask themselves “where’s the fun?” as they make decisions and develop plans.

Maintaining the fun

Peter’s message translates to universities. All good universities are functional. To separate ourselves — for students, faculty, staff and others to fall in love with our university — we must be interesting and fun.

We have done a lot to add interest to our campus in the past several years. Examples include:

  • Banners and bearheads on facilities throughout campus
  • Carillon concerts and outdoor picnic tables
  • Construction projects that focus on architectural beauty
  • Revitalizing Bearfest Village before football games
  • Cutting-edge social media and April Fool’s Day website
  • Annual Chocolate Lovers Luncheon in the PSU

However, I don’t think I’m alone in noting that we have worked less on making our campus friendly and interesting as budgets have tightened and cuts have been made.

As we work through tight budgets year-over-year, we cannot lose sight of the need to ask “where’s the fun?” when making decisions and charting the university’s course.

I have told my leadership team that I want to approach this year’s budget development a bit differently than we have the past two years. When identifying efficiencies and reallocating resources, we will work to ensure that we are not sacrificing the interesting and sociable nature of our campus. What’s more, we will remain open to ideas for additional ways we can make the campus even more “fun” than it already is.

Fun ideas do not usually come from the top of an organization. We will accomplish much more if you put forth interesting ideas and leadership empowers you to put your ideas into action.

If you have “where’s the fun?” ideas, please email them to me at president@missouristate.edu.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!