A Statewide Mission for SMSU

The proposed legislation reads as follows:

Southwest Missouri State University, with a selective admission campus at Springfield, Greene County; a statewide research campus at Mountain Grove, Wright County which includes the State Fruit Experiment Station; and an open admission campus at West Plains, Howell County, is hereby designated and shall be operated as a comprehensive university with a mandated mission focusing on professional education (teaching), health care, business and economic development, and performing arts for the Southwest Region, and a special statewide mandated mission in public affairs.

  1. The governing Board of the Southwest Missouri State University shall be a Board of Governors consisting of 10 members, composed of seven voting members and three nonvoting members as provided in section ______________, who shall be appointed by the Governor of Missouri, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. No person shall be appointed a voting Governor who is not a citizen of the United States and who has not been a resident of the state of Missouri for at least two years next prior to his appointment. Not more than four voting Governors shall belong to any one political party. The appointed members of the Board of Regents serving on January 1, 1996, shall become members of the Board of Governors on January 1, 1996, and serve until the expiration of the terms for which they were appointed.
  2. The Board of Regents of the Southwest Missouri State University is abolished.
    (L. H.B. )
    Effective January 1, 1996

Board of Governors, how selected - terms - expenses - vacancies -

  1. The Board of Governors shall be appointed as follows:

    (1) Four voting members shall be selected from the counties of Barry, Barton Christian, Cedar, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Howell, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Polk, Shannon, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Webster and Wright, which constitute the third district as set forth in section 174.010.

    (2) Three voting members shall be selected from any of the other six college districts as contained in section 174.010, provided that no more than one member shall be appointed from the same congressional district;

    (3) Two nonvoting members whose residence is other than the state of Missouri and who are knowledgeable of the educational mission of a comprehensive institution shall be selected; and

    (4) One nonvoting member who is a student shall be selected as provided in section 174.055.
  2. The term of Governors shall be as follows:

    (1) The voting member shall be appointed for terms of six years; except, that of the voting members first appointed, two shall serve for terms of two years, two for terms of four years, and three for terms of six years;

    (2) The nonvoting members who are not students shall be appointed for terms of six years; except, that of the nonvoting embers first appointed, one shall serve for a term of three years, and one shall serve a term of six years; and

    (3) The nonvoting student member shall serve a two-year term as provided in section 174.055.
  3. The Governors, while attending the meetings of the Board, shall receive their actual and necessary expenses, which shall be paid out of the ordinary revenues of the university. Vacancies and terms of office caused by death, resignation or removal shall be filled in the manner provided by law for such vacancies on the Board of Curators of the State University of Missouri.
    (L. H.B. )
    Effective January 1, 1996

The Board of Governors of the Southwest Missouri State University shall organize in the manner provided by law for the Board of Curators of the State University of Missouri. The powers, duties, authority, responsibilities, privileges, immunities, liabilities and compensation of the Board of Governors of the Southwest Missouri State University in regard to the Southwest Missouri State University shall be the same as those prescribed by statute for the Board of Curators of the State University of Missouri in regard to the State University of Missouri, except that Southwest Missouri State University shall be operated consistent with its mandated mission. Degree programs offered by the Southwest Missouri State University of approved by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education as of the effective date of this legislation may be continued by the new Board of Governors. The new Board of Governors shall submit to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education new programs identified in the five-year plan approved by the Board of Regents in November 1994, and any revisions to the five-year plan outlining admissions requirements and program changes appropriate to its mandated mission. Pursuant to section 173.005, RSMo, the Coordinating Board shall approve all proposed new degree programs contained within the five-year plan.

(L. H.B. )

Organization of Southwest Missouri State University -- new degree programs, procedure to approve --

Governing Board to be Board of Governors - number of voting and nonvoting members, appointment, qualifications - Board of Regents abolished.