July 2007 Friday Focus

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Vol. 3, No. 1

Update: Summer 2007

This summer has been an unusually busy one for the University on a number of fronts, so I thought it was important to update you on several developments that have taken place or are about to commence. I will address these matters at more length when I present my President’s Report to the University in the Fall.

Board of Governors

The composition of the Board of Governors has changed. Board President Michael Franks’ term has ended, and he has been replaced by Gordon Elliott, representing the 7th Congressional District. (As you recall, with the University’s name change in 2005, the Board is comprised of a voting member from each of the nine Congressional Districts, with no more than five from one party, plus a nonvoting student member.) Jim Buford’s term also has concluded, and we are waiting for the naming of his replacement from the 1^st District. The 9^th District seat on the Board of Governors remains open. The Board has its annual retreat scheduled in Neosho on July 18-20. The next meeting of the Board is on August 3 in Springfield, and I anticipate that the election of new Board officers will occur at this meeting.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Franks and Mr. Buford for their work on the Board. Mr. Franks was a highly engaged and effective President of the Board for two years, and he was a great help to me on many matters. Mr. Buford brought a great deal of higher education experience and wisdom to the Board, and was an outstanding voice for us in St. Louis. The University owes much to both of these men for their excellent service as Board members.

Summer Enrollment

The summer enrollment numbers are very good and we hope a preview of a trend that will continue this fall. Here are some of the highlights:

Total enrollment is 7,122, up 414 (6.2 percent).
Credit hour production is 33,075, up 1,676 (5.3 percent).
All of our growth is in the "extended campus" category. Enrollment in this category is 1,562, up 524 (50.5 percent). This growth is attributed primarily to the increase in Internet, interactive CD, and cable television courses.
Enrollment of undergraduate students is 5,011, up 214 (4.5 percent).
Enrollment of graduate students is 2,111, up 200 (10.5 percent).
Our primary growth by student type is in continuing students, which is 5,912, up 361 (6.5 percent).
Enrollment of international students is 337, up 86 (34.3 percent).
Enrollment of ethnic minorities (African American, Asian American, Hispanic, and Native American combined) is 432, up 36 (9.1 percent). The number of African American students is 182, up 32 (21.3 percent).
Enrollment is up in all age groups.

Personnel Decisions

Among a number of new personnel decisions, I want to welcome two individuals who have accepted appointments in senior leadership positions.

Dr. Drew Bennett began as Chancellor of the West Plains Campus on July 1. Drew was extremely well-received as a candidate by the University’s many constituencies, and I look forward to his leadership in West Plains.

Brent Dunn has accepted our offer to become the Vice President for Advancement. As you know, Brent has been with the University in various advancement capacities for over 20 years, and has always excelled in his responsibilities. I am eager to begin to work with him on our Advancement priorities, especially as we begin to gear up for the institution’s next comprehensive campaign.

ERP Status

The University is six months into the implementation of its new administrative computing system, known as Banner. I received a status report this week from Jeff Morrissey and learned that we are ahead of schedule, and that the major decisions are being addressed in a strategic and positive fashion. I want to thank Kent Thomas, Jeff, and all of you who have been involved up to this point in what is obviously a very successful implementation.

Fiscal Year 2008 Budget

The Board of Governors approved the University’s Fiscal Year 2008 operating budget at its June 29 meeting. The total budget for FY 2008 is $235 million, a 6.7 percent increase over last year. This budget includes increases in both our one-time reserve and in our on-going funds. In addition to the various new programs, personnel, scholarship, and project items that I described in my address to the faculty and staff senates last spring, we were able to fund a total raise pool that reached 5 percent, making it what appears to be the largest increment of any of the public four-year universities in Missouri and certainly the largest at Missouri State in many, many years.

In addition to a 4.2 percent core pool, we identified supplementary funds at my level, the Provost’s level, and in some units with particularly severe equity issues to reach the 5 percent figure. The median salary increase for FY 2008 was 4.25 percent; 65 percent of all full-time employees received a raise of 4 percent or greater. Staff in four jobs titles (administrative clerk, senior administrative clerk, secretary, and administrative secretary) and high performing faculty with the largest market gaps in their salaries received special adjustments. This committee also will be working to migrate the state compensation system to the new "compensation matrix" approach that faculty used this year.

According to initial surveys addressing the new performance evaluation system (completed prior to the salary increases being known), the new system was perceived to work well in some departments and not so well in others. The Compensation Committee will continue to meet this summer so that we can work to improve the performance-based approach to compensation next year, focusing in particular on steps that departments can take to improve their practices and policies.

Capital Projects

The campus is soon to see the largest set of capital projects in its history, with more than $110 million worth of new construction and renovation scheduled for the next few years.

Construction of JQH Arena is picking up steam as we attempt to make up for the couple of weeks of lost time due to the wet weather. The project remains on budget, and the initial response to the mailed invitations to buy premium seats has outpaced expectations.

Plans are now being developed and finalized for the series of renovations that will occur on all three campuses of the University as part of FREUP Phase I. The first of those projects, all funded by the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative, will begin later this year.

Federal and state funding for Phase II of the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center is in place, and the hope is that work can be completed on that phase within the next two years.

Finally, with the passage of the student referendum, a funding stream has begun for renovations of McDonald Arena so that it can be converted into a campus recreation center. This project will not begin until the renovation of Hammons Student Center is completed, probably in about two years.