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  • Board chairwoman: Bruce Speck out as MSSU president

    Marble to retire as Crowder president

    By Whitney Saporito
    Updated May. 20, 2013 @ 3:24 pm


    http://www.neoshodailynews.com/artic...NEWS/130529982
    http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8566#post8566


    After six years as president of Crowder College, Dr. Alan Marble will retire from his position next month, the school announced Monday.

    Marble, who has been with the college a total of 27 years, will leave at the end of the academic year, June 30.

    Marble said his decision to retire is based on other job opportunities, as well as the public school retirement system.

    “The public school retirement system is a very nice system, but there's a point where you need to get out and I'm at that point,” Marble said. “There's more than one thing that I'm involved in. I've got some business interests that I'll be working on and also another career opportunity that I'm very excited about.”

    Marble said he expects an announcement on his new pursuits to come in the future, though he could not name specifics just yet.

    Marble began his work with the college in 1986, as the school's director of adult continuing education, a title he held for one year. For the next 10 years, he worked as the community college's director, and then dean, of development and business relations, before serving five years as the Dean of Business and Support Services.

    In 2006, Marble was named interim president, and was given the title of president the following year.

    He also worked with fundraising in his time at Crowder, and prior to holding any faculty position, had attended the college as a student.

    “I'll miss being here,” Marble said. “It's been half my life roughly, so it's been a big piece of me, a huge part of my family. We've grown up in the Crowder family. It's just been a great privilege and a terrific honor to be associated with such great people all these years.”

    Marble's retirement is on the agenda for Tuesday morning's meeting of the Crowder College Board of Trustees.

    He said he expects the board to have an announcement “soon” on how his position will be filled after his departure next month.

    No matter what the board's decision is in replacing Marble, he said he feels confident it will be a smooth transition because of the faculty and staff Crowder College has.

    “We have the strongest lineup of people in my 27 years here,” Marble said. “The faculty and staff are top-notch. The senior leadership is the best I've ever worked with. On all cylinders it's a great place, people are doing just great things, it doesn't have a lot to do with me, it has a lot to do with those folks, they're great people. I think they won't miss a beat.”

    Page 2 of 2 — With Marble as president, the college has seen enrollment nearly double, with the most recent enrollment numbers at 4,976, and a total of 568 students applying for graduation this spring semester.

    The college has also completed several building projects on Marble's watch, including the Neosho campus' Arnold Farber building, Tatum Bell Tower, Davidson Hall, and MARET Center. Construction is also underway at the McDonald County campus, in Jane, and the groundbreaking for an expansion at the Webb City campus is planned for the near future.

    The college has also reached cooperative agreements to offer bachelor's degree completion programs with Missouri Southern State University and Missouri State University, as well as offering dual credit programs in nine area counties.

    Despite the college's growing list of achievements, Marble prefers not to take the credit.

    “I really don't consider anything to be my achievement,” Marble said. “Things that have happened here have happened because of a lot of great people doing a lot of great work.”

    He said of the college's accomplishments in the time he has been there, it is the teamwork of the Crowder faculty and staff that stands out to him.

    “I think we've all learned that we can do a whole lot more together than we can as individuals,” Marble said. “If you don't care who gets the credit, a lot of great things can get done and that's what's happened here.”

    Andy Wood, President of Crowder's Board of Trustees, said in a Monday news release that Marble has been “outstanding” in his time as Crowder's leader.

    “He provided us fantastic leadership during a time when Crowder was experiencing unprecedented growth,” Wood said. “The Crowder board hates to see Alan leave the Crowder family, but we wish him the best of luck, and look forward to working with him on his future endeavors.”

    .

    ===666===666===666===

    The Neosho Daily Douche

    All the ZOGling-Approved Shit That Sorta Fits We Print
    http://www.neoshodailynews.com/

  • #2
    Board chairwoman: Bruce Speck out as MSSU president

    Board chairwoman: Bruce Speck out as MSSU president

    By Emily Younker
    news@joplinglobe.com
    July 17, 2013



    http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstorie...MSSU-president
    http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8762#post8762


    Bruce Speck is “no longer president” of Missouri Southern State University, the Board of Governors disclosed Monday.

    The announcement was made late Monday afternoon following a unanimous vote taken during a closed board meeting Friday. It was the culmination of at least three months’ worth of board meetings held — mostly behind closed doors — in conjunction with the president’s annual evaluation, which normally has been completed each June.

    Sherry Buchanan, board chairwoman, said in a statement that Speck’s contract was terminated “by mutual agreement” of the parties.

    “We thank him for the positive initiatives he implemented during his tenure,” she said, citing actions such as the creation of a strategic plan and a master plan for buildings.

    Buchanan did not return several telephone messages seeking additional comment. Cassie Mathes, university spokeswoman, said Buchanan wanted her only statement on the situation to be what was given in Monday’s news release from the university.

    Mathes directed all further questions to the board’s attorney, Jon Dermott. When contacted by the Globe on Monday night, he declined to discuss the terms of the agreement or the reasons for the termination of Speck’s contract, saying that it was a personnel matter.

    Speck could not be reached for comment, Mathes said.

    No reason for the termination was given in Buchanan’s statement. Buchanan has said Speck’s evaluation was based on information taken from items such as the annual survey of the faculty; written surveys from and in-person interviews with each board member, and those who report directly to Speck; and an assessment of Speck’s performance goals and objectives that the board has set for him.

    The terms of Speck’s severance were also unclear. He had two years left on his contract, which had been unanimously renewed by the board last year.

    According to that contract, Speck would be entitled to six months’ additional salary and health insurance benefits if the board initiated the termination of his contract under the “mutual consent” clause. If the president himself initiated the termination, he would not be paid any salary or benefits beyond the date of his termination.

    Before the announcement, Speck had not been at his office for more than two weeks. Buchanan has previously declined to comment on his absence and whether it was related to last week’s vote.

    Pat Lipira, vice president for academic affairs, said she was not necessarily surprised by the announcement, given Speck’s absence over the past few weeks and the word that circulated around the campus about the future of his employment there.

    “I think all of us knew something strange was going on because it seems like there’s been a lot of suspicions — ‘What’s going on? Dr. Speck’s not here’ — so I think everybody was kind of wondering what’s going to happen, if anything,” she said.

    Lipira said she is optimistic about the future of the university.

    “I think there’s great things ahead for Missouri Southern, and I just hope we pull together after this and move forward,” she said. “I look at it as an opportunity for a fresh start, and I look forward to great things.”

    Linda Hand, a math professor and former president of the faculty senate, said she appreciates the board’s “insight and willingness to consider the faculty concerns” in its evaluation of Speck. She said a lack of communication from the president, minimal opportunities for input from faculty, and a disregard of shared governance were among the top concerns.

    “We look forward to a professional, national search for someone who can capably lead Missouri Southern into the future,” she said.

    Speck was named president of MSSU in 2008, having previously served as provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.

    His presidency has not been without controversy. Faculty complaints leveled against Speck in the fall of 2009 included assertions of breaches of shared governance. The faculty later delivered a no-confidence vote against the president that was driven, in part, by accusations of poor communication and the withholding of information.

    More recently, Speck was a proponent of an effort to remove the university’s international mission designation from state statute, a move that disgruntled faculty, staff and students who said they were caught by surprise by the proposal and were unhappy that there had been no public discussion of the issue beforehand. The proposal was halted by a local legislator who said he wanted to give MSSU officials more time to research potential financial consequences of eliminating the mission from the statute.


    In the meantime

    AN INTERIM PRESIDENT for Missouri Southern State University has yet to be named, the board said in its announcement Monday.
    ShareThis


    All the shit unfit to print

    http://www.joplinglobe.com

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    • #3
      Joplin Globe finally gets the story: Bruce Speck's out

      Joplin Globe finally gets the story: Bruce Speck's out


      http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2013/...ory-bruce.html
      http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...ted=1#post8769

      Today's lead story in the print edition of the Joplin Globe was the firing/resignation of Missouri Southern State University President Bruce Speck.

      Of course, regular Turner Report readers learned that two weeks ago today, when I printed the information in a story backed by three sources.

      The Globe has been circling around the story for the past couple of weeks, pouring on one layer after another and if anyone did not think Bruce Speck was on his way out, they were not reading between the lines in the Globe story.

      When the Board of Governors doesn't come out and say, "Of course, he is our president. Why would you even ask such a thing?" it is not a good sign for the university president's job longevity.

      Globe reporter Emily Younker covered most of the bases in her story in today's paper, even though for the life of me, I cannot understand why she wrote the final paragraph in the article the way she did. (Or perhaps, someone edited it that way.)

      It reads, "The proposal (to eliminate the international program) was halted by a local legislator who said he wanted to give MSSU officials more time to research potential financial consequences of eliminating the mission from the statute."

      Was there any logical reason why it was a "local legislator" instead of simply naming Sen. Ron Richard?

      At least, the Globe has the story now and the two-week wait is over.



      ___666___666___666___



      The Turner Diaries RULES, The Turner Report drools

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      • #4
        MSSU Board appoints Marble interim president

        MSSU Board appoints Marble interim president


        http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2013/...e-interim.html
        http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8791#post8791

        (From Missouri Southern State University)

        The Board of Governors at Missouri Southern State University has announced Dr. Alan D. Marble will serve as Interim President of the University.

        Dr. Marble will begin his new responsibilities at MSSU on July 1, 2013.

        "We are pleased Dr. Marble has accepted this important position and we are confident his notable experience in higher education leadership will benefit Missouri Southern," said Dr. Sherry Buchanan, who led her final meeting as chair of the Board of Governors today.

        "The Board of Governors is encouraged by his vision and we know he will serve the University's students, faculty, staff, and constituents well during this time of transition."

        Dr. Marble had previously accepted an offer to become Interim Assistant to the President at MSSU, but due to recent administrative changes, he has been named as Interim President. The Board approved this appointment in an executive session on June 20, 2013.

        The Board of Governors now will begin planning for the search for a permanent President, which will include campus and community involvement.

        Dr. Marble recently retired from Crowder College after serving the college for 27 years. He had been the school's President since 2006. Before his tenure as President, he served in the capacities of Business Manager and Dean of Development.

        Prior to his career in higher education, Marble owned and operated a testing and placement service that worked with many leading insurance companies nationwide to assist injured claimants in their efforts to become retrained and employable. He sold the company in 1986 to begin his career in higher education.

        Dr. Marble is an alumnus of Missouri Southern, earning a bachelor's degree in 1979. He earned a master's degree from Pittsburg State University in 1986, and his doctorate in higher education administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Nebraska in 2006.

        In addition to numerous awards for his private industry work as well as his efforts in higher education, Dr. Marble is a member of the board of directors for the Missouri Energy Initiative, serves on the Missouri Higher Education Performance Funding Task Force, was appointed by Governor Nixon to the Missouri Tax Credit Reform Commission and is a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International.

        "It is an honor for me to have been asked by the Board of Governors to serve my alma mater, and I intend to do everything I can to provide strength, guidance and direction to this great University," said Dr. Marble. "I look forward to this opportunity to build bridges not only on campus, but also between the University and the community."


        Posted by Randy at 9:48 PM THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013


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        The Turner Diaries RULES, The Turner Report drools

        Comment


        • #5
          Our View: Finding the way forward

          Our View: Finding the way forward

          The Joplin Globe
          June 19, 2013



          http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial...he-way-forward
          http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8798#post8798


          — Communication failures and the lack of a clear mission have given rise to turmoil and discord at Missouri Southern State University. The antidote to this is openness, frankness and the articulation of a well-defined purpose as the school moves forward.

          Southern is too valuable an ally in Joplin’s success for everyone not to engage at this time.

          Communication failure was manifest most recently with Bruce Speck’s abrupt and unexplained disappearance from the scene, leaving many people — including, apparently, other university administrators — in the dark.

          It was manifest in the creation of a $125,000 position called special assistant to the president — which the Missouri Southern Foundation was expected to help fund, which in turn shocked the foundation’s president when she read about it in this newspaper. The president of the board of governors was also unaware of that agreement and acknowledged that the university hasn’t the authority to spend foundation money. Just how is this new executive position that was filled by Alan Marble to be funded and what will his role be during this transition and in the future?

          And it was manifest in the attempt to remove the university’s international mission designation from state statutes, a move that caught faculty, staff and students by surprise.

          What is to be the fate of the international mission, which for two decades has been Southern’s brand?

          Southern is a valued partner in Joplin’s educational, cultural and economic success. Our community and our children need it to continue thriving. We are proud of Southern and think it is an underappreciated and underrated school — one of the best deals in Missouri and nearby states, in fact.

          Southern’s success is going to require that everyone — the board, administrators, faculty and students — become part of the conversation to define that mission and then buy into it. It’s also time that Southern’s anonymous critics either step out of the Internet shadows or slink away. Anonymity is another type of communication breakdown.

          Transparency, candor and a clear sense of purpose . . . this is the way forward now.


          All the shit unfit to print

          http://www.joplinglobe.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Globe Editors. Hypocrites.

            Globe Editors. Hypocrites.


            http://southernwatch1011.wordpress.c...tor-hypocrite/
            http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8803#post8803

            [Watch note: Showing that there is a process to this site, we have edited this post. The original called out Globe editor Carol Stark personally and kind of showed what the paragraph in The Globe's editorial today was talking about. We regret that writer's judgment. The editorial was not bearing a byline. So although we still feel the paper as a whole is taking a hypocritical stance, it is unfair to single out one person. We apologize to Stark personally, but still don't care for the paper she heads.]



            We will slink away when we are good and ready.

            We will also remain anonymous beyond the explanations and descriptions we have offered. We have seen what happens to those who voice a dissenting voice. Gilbert. Oakes. Hanrahan. Surber. Fogerty. Agee. So fuck off. Because we never pretended to be a mainstream media and news outlet. You have pretended to be, though.

            Of course we want MSSU to thrive and grow with a revitalized Joplin and its surrounding communities. We criticize things like hiring an embezzler to teach accounting, treating faculty and the community with disrespect, fun raising ineptitude and other things that The Joplin Globe has long ignored.

            For the better part of the last five years, The Joplin Globe has ignored growing turmoil on campus and left only the former incarnation of The Chart and The Turner Report to ask questions and hold Speck accountable. Turner and former Chart editors Alexandra Nicolas (who now works for you) and Brennan Stebbins called bullshit alone with us over here just providing a perspective.

            And if you had been paying attention in school, you would know that anonymous journalism has sometimes had great impact. Deep Throat asked for anonymity for a reason. True, the reporters published under their names. So let’s go back to a seminal American moment. How about The Federalist Papers?

            It is comical that a couple of stories by Emily Younker suddenly make you the watchdog and the cheerleader all at once. And it is hypocritical to criticize those who criticize when you sent Greg Grisolano into the wilderness for requesting documents from the Speck administration during his famous “media blackout” period.

            You people are a joke.

            And there is one solution to the problem of our suggested cowardice. Don’t read us. We dare you. But we get page views and we ask questions. And when things are looking up at the corner of Newman and Duquesne, we will go away.

            So ignore us or fuck off. We don’t really care. But don’t close your eyes to the bullshit of the last five years and then act like you have any credibility.

            .


            This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 at 11:15 pm

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            • #7
              MSSU to review its vision during leadership transition

              MSSU to review its vision during leadership transition

              By Emily Younker
              news@joplinglobe.com
              July 29, 2013


              http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x13...hip-transition
              http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8876#post8876



              Britni Stanley (right), of Kansas City, shakes hands with Alan Marble, MSSU's interim president after
              getting a trip award from Chad Stebbins during an English tea party on Thursday for returning students
              who visited Europe this summer. (1 of 1)



              JOPLIN, Mo. — As a new president prepares to take the helm at Missouri Southern State University, the campus is at a crossroads of another kind — figuring out how it wants to define itself and what its identity in Southwest Missouri will be.

              MSSU officials say the university’s long-term vision and its mission statement deserve a review as the school undergoes a period of transition that began with the ousting of its president earlier this month and will ultimately end with the naming of a new permanent president — a process that could take a year or more.

              While the Board of Governors prepares for that search, chairman Richard Walter said two questions are expected to guide the board’s present focus: Where is the university now? Where should the university be going in the future?

              “That’s very important, and I think we need to try to answer those questions,” he said.

              Alan Marble, who will begin Monday as interim president, said the future of MSSU should be determined by the entire campus. He said he won’t be a “placeholder” president, and he plans to be involved in conversations about what the university’s long-term vision should be.

              “We will be having discussions, we will be learning what faculty and staff believe and what the board believes, and we’ll put together a plan to start moving forward,” he said.

              Clear vision lacking?

              Some have long thought that the university lacked a clear vision. English professor Joy Dworkin said she often heard from former president Bruce Speck, who was fired by the board earlier this month, that MSSU needed to retain students and increase enrollment. But that failed to rise to the level of what a long-term plan for a university should be, she said.

              “I’m sorry, that’s not a mission — that’s just an obvious need” for a university, said Dworkin, who is also president of the faculty senate. “(Having a vision) is not a matter of maintaining us; it’s a matter of what are we trying to do? What are our particular productive strengths, and what do we see as particular needs that we’re addressing?”

              One idea that MSSU leaders were exploring several years ago was a medical school in Joplin. A proposal that garnered support in 2009 called for MSSU to construct a building to rent to the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences for a satellite campus as an osteopathic medical school. Support for the proposal fell apart in early 2010 amid a dispute involving KCUMB’s former president and its board.

              KCUMB representatives recently toured Joplin again to scout locations for a satellite campus, but have not announced a decision.

              Dworkin said it would be an example of a clear vision for a university based on the needs of its surrounding community.

              “If the needs are a medical school, what about that?” she said. “If it were determined by a strong leader that this is really what this area needs, then it’s not just that we’re trying to move these bodies through and get them degrees, but we’re trying to accomplish something the community needs.”

              For Chad Stebbins, the vision for MSSU over the past five years never emphasized the international mission, which was established about two decades ago. State law designates MSSU as an institution of “international or global education.”

              Stebbins, director of the Institute of International Studies, said his department’s budget was cut in half during Speck’s presidency. More recently, Speck was a proponent of an unsuccessful effort to remove the international mission designation from state statute, a move that upset faculty, staff and students who were unhappy that there had been no public discussion of the issue beforehand.

              ‘Cruel Cycle’

              Stebbins said it was unclear to him what the administration proposed to focus on if it had moved forward with eliminating the statutory mission designation.

              “I think under Dr. Speck, people were always looking for his vision — like, OK, if it’s not going to be an international mission, what is the vision? What would replace the international mission?” he said. “And he was never able to identify or articulate what that vision was.”

              Noah Triplett, a biology major and president of the student senate, said he believes whatever vision the board and administration have lacks a critical component — the voice of the student body.

              “I just think they might be going about it with blinders ... with only their input and without trying to enlighten the campus to make the students care about what’s happening,” he said.

              Triplett said he hopes MSSU leaders will specifically seek feedback from students as they figure out a long-term plan for the university. He said a “cruel cycle” exists in which students don’t offer their opinions because the administration doesn’t ask, and administrators don’t solicit student voices because students don’t speak up, he said.

              “Even if we can just put our ideas out there, that would be leaps and bounds ahead of where we are now,” he said.

              The international mission was among the programs that Triplett said he wants to see the university emphasize.

              Walter, the new board chairman, said the president would lead the process of determining the vision for MSSU, but feedback from stakeholders — faculty, staff, students and business partners — would also be sought.

              Walter said both the international mission and a possible medical school would likely be part of discussions as they relate to the university vision. The international mission, he said, is a “strong part of our university operations,” while the idea of a medical school could benefit not only MSSU, but also the entire region.

              Speck did not return a phone message seeking comment for this story. Previous Globe attempts to contact him over the past month have been unsuccessful.

              Missouri Western

              Vision and mission statements are in place at colleges and universities across the state.

              Missouri Western State University, a 5,900-student campus in St. Joseph, has had its current vision and mission statements in place for several years, according to Cindy Heider, associate provost and associate vice president for academic affairs.

              The university’s mission commits to applied learning and research, which — like MSSU and its international mission — is designated through state statute.

              Heider said the statements were drafted through a strategic planning process that involved input from both the campus and the general community as well as from a hired external consultant. A steering committee of about 50 people sorted through the feedback and sent a condensed version back to the campus and the public for a second review. The final version of the statements went to the university’s governing board for approval, she said.

              Any potential changes to either the vision or mission would go through the same process, Heider said.

              “It’s worked very well because it’s so open and transparent,” she said. “We find that to be a very productive but time-consuming process.”

              MSSU vision

              “Missouri Southern State University will be recognized as a leader in offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs that foster the total education of each student. In order to remain loyal to the trust given to the university by the people of the state of Missouri, Missouri Southern State University will fulfill its mission and objectives in an honorable and ethical manner, periodically review its mission in light of contemporary changes in society and the needs of the people of Missouri and our communities, and continually assess the effectiveness of its programs in order to ensure their quality and integrity.”

              MSSU mission

              “Missouri Southern State University is a state-supported, comprehensive university offering programs leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees. Central to our mission is a strong commitment to international education, liberal arts, professional and pre-professional programs, and the complementary relationship that must exist among them to prepare individuals for success in careers and lifelong learning.”


              All the shit unfit to print

              http://www.joplinglobe.com

              Comment


              • #8
                A fresh start for the Joplin Globe on MSSU coverage?

                A fresh start for the Joplin Globe on MSSU coverage?


                http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2013/...e-on-mssu.html
                http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8877#post8877


                The two words at the top of the Joplin Globe's page one package on the upcoming changes at Missouri Southern State University- "Fresh Start"- may have a double meaning.

                The departure of Bruce Speck as MSSU president offers the Globe an opportunity to recover from one of the darkest periods in its long history.

                It was during that time that the newspaper's publisher Michael Beatty said farewell to any type of investigative reporting when he pulled Greg Grisolano off the MSSU beat at a time when Grisolano had been breaking one story after another about the problems the newly-arrived Speck was having.

                Beatty not only yanked the troublesome reporter (troublesome to Speck and then MSSU Board of Governors Chairman Dwight Douglas) off the beat, but in an e-mail to the university president, explained how Speck could control media coverage.

                Not only that, but the Globe also steered away from what has been a proud tradition of newspapers- supporting the First Amendment. When copies of the campus newspaper, the Chart, were pulled from a job fair because they had coverage that a university official thought was negative, the Globe was silent.

                When Chart advisor T. R. Hanrahan lost his job because of the stellar work of his younger reporters, the Globe said nary a word.

                The Globe needs a fresh start when it comes to coverage of Missouri Southern State University.
                ee
                Whether today's articles by Emily Younker represent that fresh start remains to be seen. Ms. Younker started her coverage of one hand tied behind her back. Unlike many reporters who have covered a beat only for a short while, she cannot go through the back files to get caught up on what has happened (unless she goes back through the back files of the Chart, Southern Watch,and the Turner Report). That makes it difficult for any reporter to provide perspective.

                That being said, Ms.Younker took an admirable shot at it, using quotes from officials like MSSU's head of the International Program, Chad Stebbins, to fill in the kind of material that normally would have been in a newspaper's archives.

                Ms. Younker's accompanying story on Interim President Alan Marble's upcoming first day filled in a lot of the holes and answered questions that readers have been curious about as to how Marble ended up being an assistant to Speck in the first place. It was a solid piece of reporting.

                The Globe's education reporter had three bylined stories on page one, including one on the Joplin R-8 School District's decision to install Wi-Fi on some of its activity buses. Of course, that should lead to a follow-up story about the reason why this is needed- the administration's insistence that nearly all high school assignments 1:1 capability. With no textbooks and all assignments needing the laptops, how long will it be before Joplin decides it needs to put Wi-Fi in all buses, if nothing else, just to become the first school around to do so?

                The cost of technology will eat up so much of the budget, administration officials might have to consider passing up conferences like the one about a dozen R-8 employees are attending this weekend in Washington, D. C.

                No, that won't happen.



                ___666___666___666___



                The Turner Diaries RULES, The Turner Report drools

                Comment


                • #9
                  Marble prepares for first day at MSSU

                  Marble prepares for first day at MSSU

                  By Emily Younker
                  news@joplinglobe.com
                  July 29, 2013


                  http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x13...st-day-at-MSSU
                  http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=8878#post8878


                  JOPLIN, Mo. — Alan Marble expects to spend the first part of his term at Missouri Southern State University discovering what’s on the minds of faculty, staff and students.

                  “Initially, I think my primary goal is to listen and learn and get my feet on the ground,” he said. “I think the old saying, that you should live in the village for a while, is pretty appropriate here before making changes or making too many suggestions.”

                  Marble, 58, was announced last week as the interim president at MSSU, a position for which he is contracted for one year. He begins his new job on Monday.

                  The Board of Governors said his contract is “open-ended” because the search for a permanent president could take longer than one year.

                  According to his contract, his annual salary will be $165,000. He also will receive a vehicle and paid memberships to Rotary and country clubs. He said he won’t receive a housing allowance because he and his family plan to stay in their Neosho home.

                  Marble, who retired Friday from Crowder College after 27 years, was initially hired by former president Bruce Speck in May to fill the newly created position of assistant to the president. His salary in that position was to be $125,000, and his responsibilities were to include fundraising and linking MSSU to community colleges.

                  Marble said the position, which reports to the president, now won’t be used.

                  “I would doubt very much that that position would be filled,” he said last week.

                  Marble said discussions about possible employment at MSSU began early in the past spring’s legislative session, when Gov. Jay Nixon invited university and college presidents to Jefferson City. Marble said there was discussion about retiring community college presidents, and he commented that he may be among them.

                  Marble said Speck suggested he come to work at MSSU. He said Speck called him the following week to talk more, and there were further discussions before the job of assistant to the president was offered.

                  Marble said Speck described the position as someone who would foster relationships with community colleges and help smooth the transition of students from one institution to the other.

                  He said he also understood he would be responsible for fundraising, expecting to raise more than the $125,000 annual salary. He said that was why he thought his position would be funded in part by the MSSU Foundation.

                  A university-provided description of the job stated that the position would be funded partly by the foundation, although the president of the foundation’s board of directors said the board had never authorized such an allocation.

                  Sherry Buchanan, former chairwoman of the Board of Governors, has said the university does not have the authority to spend the foundation’s money without its approval.

                  It’s unclear how the discrepancy originated, but administrators say it’s now a moot point.

                  “That position is not going to be filled, so it’s not an issue,” said JoAnn Graffam, executive director of the foundation and vice president for development. Should the president decide to name someone to the position, “then we would revisit it at that point in time,” she said.

                  Marble said there is no question how his salary as interim president will be funded.

                  “The university will pay the salary, I can tell you that,” he said.



                  Globe staff writer Roger McKinney contributed to this report.


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                  • #10
                    MSSU, Crowder report increases in fall enrollment

                    MSSU, Crowder report increases in fall enrollment

                    By Emily Younker
                    news@joplinglobe.com
                    September 17, 2013




                    http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x21...all-enrollment
                    http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...=9398#post9398

                    Missouri Southern State University has reversed a two-year trend of declining enrollment and posted a 3.7 increase in student enrollment this fall, university officials announced Tuesday afternoon.

                    Official enrollment stands at 5,616 students, MSSU said in a news release. Enrollment at MSSU had been declining since 2010, when it was 5,802 students. The university enrolled 5,591 students in 2011 and 5,417 students last year, according to university archives.

                    “This is tremendous news, and it speaks volumes about our incredible faculty and staff,” interim President Alan Marble said in a statement. “It also reflects a broad appreciation for the outstanding programs offered by this terrific group of professionals.”

                    Officials pointed to the success of their Lion Pride tuition program, which offers in-state tuition rates to students from the entire Four-State Area. The percentage of out-of-state students enrolling this year at MSSU increased by 14.7 percent, officials said.

                    “Missouri Southern’s affordability has been nationally recognized, and it is certainly making a difference to an increasing number of students in this region,” Marble said. “They are choosing MSSU’s programs and the value this institution provides in ever greater numbers.”

                    MSSU also posted a 2.5 percent increase in the number of credit hours taken by students — 65,962, up from 64,359 last fall.

                    Enrollment at Crowder College for the fall 2013 semester increased 4.6 percent to a record 5,845 students, officials said in a news release. The number of credit hours for the semester also a hit a record — 54,213, an increase of 4.3 percent over last year.

                    “Affordable tuition, quality programs and convenient locations seem to be the biggest influences in the increased number of students,” said Jim Riggs, director of admissions, in a statement.

                    Crowder College has locations in Neosho, Cassville, Nevada and Webb City, with the McDonald County campus scheduled to open this spring and the Webb City expansion set to be completed in fall 2014. Crowder has also expanded its course offerings in Carthage, Monett, Greenfield, Lamar and Mount Vernon, the college said.

                    Interim President Kent Farnsworth said he thinks the college’s physical expansions have contributed to overall enrollment growth, along with an expansion of the college’s dual-credit program. Students in the Neosho and Carl Junction school districts, for example, now have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree through Crowder’s dual-credit program while still in high school.

                    “We’re seeing more students start their college education while in high school, so I think getting that start is contributing to our growth each year,” Farnsworth said.

                    Other schools

                    Fall 2013 enrollment data for Pittsburg (Kan.) State University and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami was not yet available as of Tuesday afternoon.


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                    • #11
                      Sunshine Law bill seeks to open some personnel information

                      Sunshine Law bill seeks to open some personnel information

                      By Emily Younker
                      news@joplinglobe.com
                      March 21, 2014


                      http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstorie...el-information
                      http://whitenationalist.org/forum/sh...0364#post10364

                      In an effort to refine Missouri’s open records and open meetings laws, a bill under consideration in the state Senate would open certain government personnel information to the public before major hiring decisions are made.

                      Under the current law, public bodies are allowed to close meetings for discussion of “individually identifiable personnel records.” The proposed legislation would no longer allow public bodies to apply that exemption to the final five applicants for top administrative positions. Their identities and qualifications would have to be made available to the public at least five days before any final hiring decision.

                      Jean Maneke, legal counsel for the Missouri Press Association, of which The Joplin Globe is a member, said this language has resurfaced in various iterations of proposed Sunshine Law legislation for years.

                      “The idea behind this is when you don’t identify candidates to the public, then there’s no opportunity for the public to provide input into this process, and certainly there are times when the public knows things about candidates that the selection committee may not know,” she said. “The more information any selection committee has, the better.”

                      Some local boards already follow a procedure similar to this. In its recent search for a president, Crowder College in Neosho released the names and qualifications of its top three candidates to the public before holding on-campus open forums with each of them earlier this year. After taking feedback from those who attended the forums, the college board of trustees then met in closed session to hire Jennifer Methvin, formerly the vice chancellor for academics at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope.

                      Missouri Southern State University is also searching for a president. Its 15-member search committee, which last week released its first advertisements for the position, has been tasked with providing information on its top three to five candidates to the Board of Governors. It wasn’t immediately clear how the board plans to proceed after that point.

                      “I know that the qualifications of the top candidates were going to be made available to the board, and we were going to have all the detailed background information so we can look at all of that data,” said Lynn Ewing, who is serving as board chairman until June. “I don’t remember what the plan was in releasing that information to the public.”

                      Joy Dworkin, president of the faculty senate, said she thinks the faculty in general would support this piece of the legislation.

                      “I think it has been our expectation that that’s the practice at Missouri Southern, that we should know who the finalists are,” she said. “For transparency’s sake, we want to know who is up for certain positions.”

                      But such a law could also raise “sensitive issues” of applicants’ privacy, Dworkin said. She said she wouldn’t want disclosure of information to “dissuade the best candidates from coming forward” by potentially jeopardizing their current job situations.

                      Maneke acknowledged that some boards seek to keep candidate information closed to protect the privacy of those who apply. The proposed law would require disclosure only of the final five candidates, not of all applicants.

                      The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia. He could not be reached for comment through his Jefferson City office this week because the General Assembly is on spring break.

                      Schaefer’s legislation would also reduce the penalty amount for breaking the Sunshine Law and allow the penalty to be applied even when government boards don’t knowingly break the law.

                      The Missouri Sunshine Law currently requires government boards to provide notice 24 hours before a meeting. Officials must reference a specific exemption to close meetings to the public.

                      To provide records requested under the law, agencies can charge up to 10 cents per page, the average hourly wage of clerical staff for making copies and the actual cost of research time. Officials must respond to a request within three days, though it does not mean documents have to be provided that quickly.

                      The law presumes meetings and documents are open, though there are exceptions that allow — but do not require — government agencies to close them. Exemptions address issues such as communication with agencies’ attorneys, school expulsions, software codes for electronic data processing and operational policies for responding to terrorism.

                      The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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