Interim MSU System President Clif Smart addressed a crowd of over 50 at the West Plains Civic Center Theater Tuesday. (ORN Photo)
(West Plains) – Interim Missouri State University President Clif Smart gave his State of the University address at the West Plains Civic Center Tuesday.
In his speech, Smart gave an update on the Springfield campus, giving ’10 Areas of Focus’ the university wants to focus on, including enrollment, funding, public affairs, diversity, student access and learning, degree programs, the college’s profile, and marketing.
Smart talked about some of the program initiatives the college is looking to implement:
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He also talked about the university’s search for a president:
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Smart says that funding is a problem with lessening appropriations, but the university hit a milestone in fundraising:
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Smart also talked about improvements to campus facilities, such as the Foster Family Recreation Center, the new campus entrance, and the future plans for an MSU Welcome Center.
MSU-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett also spoke at the address, highlighting the West Plains campus’ accomplishments:
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He also talked about new programs introduced on the West Plains campus:
MSU-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett (ORN Photo)
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Bennett also talks about the ‘education guarantee’ the West Plains campus has implemented this school year. The program looks to help students learn and overcome learning obstacles they may encounter throughout the year:
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Bennett also talked about the finishing of the student recreation center and the Gohn Hall project:
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Bennett and Smart also fielded questions from the audience, one of them dealing with the issue of online colleges and their perceived threat to traditional college experiences. Smart addressed the question:
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Smart gave a similar presentation at the Springfield campus earlier in the day. A similar presentation was also given at the West Plains Rotary Club meeting.
Listen to the full speech below:
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