Speck fields questions at Faculty Senate meeting
Luke Taylor
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: News
During the Feb. 1 Faculty Senate meeting, University President Bruce Speck answered many questions from the faculty in the meeting's opening minutes.
Before taking any questions, though, he addressed concerns over the $250,000 borrowed from the foundation for the medical school partnership with Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He explained that the Missouri Southern Foundation and MSSU are not the same body.
"They are separate entities," Speck said. "If at some point the KCUMB arrangement does not work, the foundation would be responsible for payment of money because they're a separate, legal entity. They will use that money as seed money, so that as we move along with [the KCUMB deal], there will not be state funds in that."
Speck also said $2.75 million has been raised, and they hope to have $5 million raised by April.
Speck mentioned the annual Board retreat on Feb. 19, where various presentations will be made to the board, including one by the international task force on the definition of Southern's international mission.
Speck was asked about the ways institutions might react in tough economic times. He addressed three ways: going private, partnering with a close institution or closing. He said to go private would mean the school wouldn't rely on state funds, and tuition would have to be raised "to an astronomical level." He also mentioned nearby Crowder College in response to a partnership, but didn't allude to any plans to go that route. He said Southern wouldn't close because of "tremendous resistance in this area, as it would be in any area."
He added, "You can't just close down a school."
However, he said that with tough times ahead financially, it will not help that Southern can't raise tuition because of Senate Bill 389.
"You've got this real problem when you say, 'you can't raise tuition, but we're going to cut your budget, and you've got to get more students in,' but when you get more students in, you've got to have services for them, so you've got to have more money for all the services you need, and that's certainly a problem," Speck said.
Before taking any questions, though, he addressed concerns over the $250,000 borrowed from the foundation for the medical school partnership with Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He explained that the Missouri Southern Foundation and MSSU are not the same body.
"They are separate entities," Speck said. "If at some point the KCUMB arrangement does not work, the foundation would be responsible for payment of money because they're a separate, legal entity. They will use that money as seed money, so that as we move along with [the KCUMB deal], there will not be state funds in that."
Speck also said $2.75 million has been raised, and they hope to have $5 million raised by April.
Speck mentioned the annual Board retreat on Feb. 19, where various presentations will be made to the board, including one by the international task force on the definition of Southern's international mission.
Speck was asked about the ways institutions might react in tough economic times. He addressed three ways: going private, partnering with a close institution or closing. He said to go private would mean the school wouldn't rely on state funds, and tuition would have to be raised "to an astronomical level." He also mentioned nearby Crowder College in response to a partnership, but didn't allude to any plans to go that route. He said Southern wouldn't close because of "tremendous resistance in this area, as it would be in any area."
He added, "You can't just close down a school."
However, he said that with tough times ahead financially, it will not help that Southern can't raise tuition because of Senate Bill 389.
"You've got this real problem when you say, 'you can't raise tuition, but we're going to cut your budget, and you've got to get more students in,' but when you get more students in, you've got to have services for them, so you've got to have more money for all the services you need, and that's certainly a problem," Speck said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Ben Hinkle
posted 2/09/10 @ 2:41 AM CST
I don't know if anyone has thought any more about this since I spent two or three years ranting about it everywhere from Festival to Strategic Planning meetings, but the student government has a unilateral legal ability to override the tuition limits set by SB 389, built right into the bill itself. (Continued…)
bkilby
Pink Terror From the Deep
posted 2/12/10 @ 12:39 AM CST
Why would someone want to strongarm the students to encourage them to take a tuition hike? The students should not be bribed or cajoled into anything. (Continued…)
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