Vol 4, No 1

Six themes to guide goals for 2008-09

On Monday, September 22, I will give my Annual Report to the Campus Community. That report will be from noon-1 p.m. in the Plaster Student Union Theater. I hope you will attend.

As in past years, I will use this occasion to outline and organize our priorities for the coming year. For 2008-09, Missouri State’s goals will be organized under six themes: 1) foster our students’ success, 2) enrich our Public Affairs Mission, 3) transform our campuses, 4) strengthen our competitiveness, 5) engage our communities, and 6) advance our understanding.

Each of these themes supports one or more of the five goals of our institutional plan. As you know, our five goals in the Long-Range Plan are:

• Democratizing Society
• Incubating New Ideas
• Imagining Missouri’s Future
• Making Missouri’s Future
• Modeling Ethical and Effective Behavior

Also as in past years, I first presented these themes to the members of the Board of Governors for their review and input. I did that on July 19 at the Board’s annual retreat in Branson. The presentation slides on the six themes I presented to the Board are available online. I hope you will take time to review them.

In response to that presentation, the Board delivered a letter to me on Friday, August 1. I am providing that letter at the end of this issue of Friday Focus. I have already incorporated the Board’s changes into the presentation you will find online; the changes are identified with highlighting. Again, I hope you will take time to read this letter and take note of the changes on the PowerPoint.

On Monday, August 11, the members of Administrative Council and I will use an all-day retreat to develop these themes even further.

The purpose of this issue of Friday Focus is to invite you also to provide input to me on these six themes for my presentation. As usual, we have provided an easy way for you to reply online. I would ask that you submit your ideas no later than September 1.

I look forward to another exciting year working with you as we implement these six themes in the interests of the University. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration.

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August 1, 2008

Dr. Michael T. Nietzel
President
Missouri State University
901 S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897

Dear President Nietzel:

Thank you for your role in our very productive Board of Governors Retreat. It was impressive to hear about the accomplishments during 2007-08. Once again, you, your administrative team, and the entire University can be proud of our accomplishments under your leadership.

We also appreciated your outline of University themes and goals for 2008-09. They fit well with the long-range plan and represent another ambitious work plan for you and your team. The Board wants to endorse your intent to focus on the following six themes in the coming year:

1. Foster our students’ success
2. Enrich our Public Affairs Mission
3. Transform our campuses
4. Strengthen our competitiveness
5. Engage our communities
6. Advance our understanding

We understand that you will have specific tasks within each of these themes that will be developed in the next few weeks.

After hearing the presentation and having some discussion, the Board would ask that you consider including the following in your final plans for the year:

• Add alumni and other constituent groups to Theme 5
• Add West Plains summer camps as an example on Theme 5
• Include in one or more of the themes the on-going goal of increasing diversity at the University, especially the ethnic diversity of faculty, staff and students
• Include in Theme 1 the importance of careers as an outcome, perhaps with specific mention of career services and measuring success with job placement, as well as acceptance rates into professional schools and graduate schools
• Include in one or more of the themes the on-going goal of having a successful, competitive intercollegiate athletic program as defined by the five criteria established in previous years
• Consider more national involvement and visibility for the comprehensive campaign
• Consider instituting some offering that addresses the importance of personal financial responsibility as a core competency for our graduates
• Consider major alumni events in the two largest population centers: Kansas City and St. Louis
• Examine the current tuition benefits for employees to see how they might be expanded

We hope this input is helpful as you finalize plans for the coming year. Should you have questions or need additional clarification, please let us know.

Again, congratulations on another good year and thank you for all you and your staff do to make Missouri State University successful each and every year.

Sincerely,

Mary Sheid
2007-08 Chair
Board of Governors
Missouri State University

xc: Members of the Board of Governors