SS/SCS/SB 98 - This act generates several alterations to the state's higher education policy. Most notably, the act would rename Southwest Missouri State University, Missouri Western State College, Harris-Stowe State College, and Missouri Southern State University-Joplin. The act would also authorize the governing board of Central Missouri State University to alter the name of their institution. SECTION 172.020 - This section reaffirms that, pursuant to the Missouri Constitution, the University of Missouri is the state university.
SECTION 174.020 - This section renames Missouri Western State College as Missouri Western State University; Southwest Missouri State University as Missouri State University; Harris-Stowe State College as Harris-Stowe State University; and Missouri Southern State University - Joplin as Missouri Southern State University.
Further, the section contains a provision that would allow the governing board of Central Missouri State University to alter the name of their institution to “The University of Central Missouri” within in the next two years.
SECTION 174.241 - This section eliminates the board of regents of Missouri Western State College.
SECTION 174.250 - This section expands Missouri Western State University’s district boundary to Buchanan County and counties contiguous to Buchanan County.
SECTION 174.251 - This section designates Missouri Western State University as a statewide institution of applied learning. The section further asserts that Missouri Western State University shall discontinue, as of July 1, 2010, any and all associate degree programs unless the continuation of such associate degree programs is approved by the coordinating board.
SECTION 174.324 - This section reemphasizes that any new masters degree program offered at Missouri Western State University or any other public institution of higher education in this state must be approved by the coordinating board for higher education.
SECTION 174.450 - This section adds Missouri Western State University to the list of institutions that are charged with a statewide mission and governed by a board of governors. The section also changes the composition of the governing board of the renamed Missouri State University from eight members to ten.
SECTION 174.453 - This section formulates new qualifications for the board of governors of Missouri Western State University and Missouri Southern University.
For Missouri Western, five voting members shall be selected from the following counties: Buchanan, Platte, Clinton, Andrew, and DeKalb provided that no more than three of these five members shall be appointed from any one county. Two voting members shall be selected from any of the counties in the state that are outside of the aforementioned counties. The section grandfathers current board members in regard to the county residency requirement.
For Missouri Southern, the number of governors appointed from the counties surrounding the institution has been altered from five to six in order to correspond to the increase in the number of governors provided in subsection 3 of section 174.450.
SECTION 1 - This section is in essence a "non-compete" clause, the provisions of which restrict Missouri State University from duplicating the research, missions, professional doctoral programs, and existing first professional programs of the University of Missouri. The section allows Missouri State University to offer engineering programs and doctoral programs only in cooperation with the University of Missouri, provided that such cooperative agreements are approved by each institution and that the University of Missouri is the degree-granting institution. If the University of Missouri declines to cooperate in the offering of such programs, Missouri State University may cooperate with another educational institution, or directly offer the degree. The section allows Missouri State University to offer doctoral programs in audiology and physical therapy.
Further, the section explicitly states that the alteration of the name of Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State University shall not entitle Missouri State University to any additional state funding.
DONALD THALHUBER