This is Engaging the Community. I'm Michele Skalicky Here with me today, as usual, is Dr. Biff Williams, president of Missouri State University. Dr. Williams, thanks so much for coming in to talk to us today.
Williams: Well, thanks for having me.
Missouri State University announced on March 4th that it had hired a new provost, replacing Dr. John Jasinski, who retired, and then Tamara Jahnke, who stepped in as interim. Dr. Clarinda Phillips will take on that role. Provost is the second highest position at a university just below president. What is the role of a provost?
Williams: Well, the provost, if you look at our entire enterprise, it's percentage wise, it's academic affairs is 70%. And so she will be the individual that's over all the academic colleges and the students, the enrollment, the — everything that pertains to academic affairs. She'll be focused a lot on what is the strategic plan pertaining to academic affairs, and she will work closely with the deans and the faculty to make sure that we're serving the students.
Talk about the candidate pool. You had some finalists that came to to visit campus. What were some things about Dr. Phillips that helped her rise to the top?
Williams: Well, I first want to thank the community at large, especially our campus community. There was tremendous participation. Looking at the town halls and the surveys,— the surveys, I was averaging anywhere from 160 to 180 surveys that were coming in about each of the candidates. And so I think with Dr. Phillips, she's experienced she has been at a few different universities. She's been a provost at two. She has a lot of experience with increasing enrollment, with retention, with integrating academic affairs with the rest of the institution, making sure that the student success initiatives are pertinent to the university strategic plan. And she really brings of a lot of experience to this position.
What particular skills and experience are you most looking forward to Phillips bringing here to Missouri State University?
Williams: I think her experience as currently as a provost. She's been a provost at two different institutions. I think she knows how to work with faculty. She values shared governance. She understands that a university needs to evolve. We need to adapt to new knowledge. As you know, in the United States right now, the narrative that's going on in the United States is that we're not responding quickly enough to workforce or the economy. And she has done that. She's been a proven leader at her institutions and working with deans and working with faculty and making sure that each of the curricula are advancing at the same speed and making sure that we are a good return on investment for our students.
When does she start her job?
Williams: July 1st.
And do you know yet what her top priorities will be?
Williams: So, having not been here, I think her top priority for me will be to really get out and meet the faculty, meet the students, meet the deans, meet the department chairs, really get to know the institution and academic affairs, and form her own opinion and an assessment of where we need to go. And then at that time, we'll have a new strategic plan. And so she'll be vitally important to being integrated with our academic innovation and goal and everything that's pertaining to academic affairs within that plan.
I want to switch topics now. Missouri State is celebrating its 120th birthday this year, and there's going to be a party on March 26th from 2 to 4 at the Plaster Student Union North Mall. As we look back on 120 years, what do you think the future holds for Missouri State University?
Williams: Well, I think our future is exciting. If you look at our past, we've had just a wonderful history here at Missouri State University. But as you walk across campus, you see a lot of potential as well. Potential in serving our students. Potential in serving our community. Potential in advancing knowledge. Potential in making sure that our students are those that employers seek after. And I think the next 120 years will be better than the first 120 years. I see a lot of innovation. I see us adapting to technology and to the world, and making sure that we're first and foremost serving our community and getting our students ready to serve our community.
You know, MSU, of course, has had a long standing role in the community. But what impact has the university had and continues to have in the larger Springfield community and the region?
Williams: As I get out and about within the community, everybody talks about Missouri State. We talk about the collaborations, we talk about the impact that this university has economically. We have between our students and our faculty and staff. That's 30,000 individuals. That's 30,000 people that are living here that are going to the store, that are bringing their families that are being educated here. And so the economic impact is really important. Also, if you look at, on the economy side, workforce shortages, we're providing the workforce for Springfield. And I think that's important and has been important to my predecessors to really align Missouri State University with the needs of our community. And so I think the impact has been tremendous in that people come here to get educated. But you talk to our alumni, they want to stay here. What I think is one of the best statistics that we have is we — about 83.5% of our current students are Missourians. If you look at our alumni, we're over 155,000 alumni now. Close to 70% live in Missouri. I think that is I think that statistic says it all.
Well, Dr. Williams, thanks so much for stopping by to talk to me today, and we'll look forward to the birthday party on the 26th.
Williams: Okay. Looking forward to celebrate with you.
