Category: Missourian
Columbia Missourian – MU Law School Dean Gary Myers plans for school’s future
MU Law School Dean Gary Myers plans for school’s future
Gary Myers, new dean of MU’s School of Law, says he wants to increase scholarship opportunities for students as well as raise the profile of the school across the U.S. ¦ PHOTO COURTESY OF MU LAW SCHOOL
COLUMBIA — If he were to liken his career to a marriage, Gary Myers, new dean of MU’s School of Law, would say that attending law school was his honeymoon.
Myers fell in love with law as an undergraduate in the early 1980s at New York University. He went on to earn a law degree and a master’s degree in economics in 1986 from Duke University.
Age: 50
Hometown: born in Bellflower, Calif.
Education: bachelor’s degree in economics, New York University, 1984; master’s degree, economics, Duke University, 1986; law degree, Duke, 1986.
Professional: spent 23 years teaching and serving as associate dean at the University of Mississippi’s School of Law.
Personal: married to Bridget Kevin Myers; they have twin 3-year-old daughters Elinor and Abigail Myers.
In August, Myers came to MU, succeeding R. Lawrence Dessem as dean of the Law School. For 23 years before that, Myers, 50, was at the University of Mississippi’s School of Law, teaching and later serving as associate dean of research.
Myers’ model
Myers calls his leadership style collaborative.
“I want to have conversations with people, get people’s input in decision-making, so that we can make as informed a decision as possible,” he said.
Myers has formed the style through observing other administrators and through his experiences in law school and the professional world. “I’m borrowing from about a half-dozen great deans that I’ve seen over the years,” he said.
That list includes the late Louis Westerfield, the first African-American dean at the University of Mississippi, Taylor Reveley of the College of William and Mary and Larry Ponoroff of Tulane University.
Increasing resources, recognition
Myers said his top short-term goal is to increase the resources available for the Law School.
He hopes to increase fundraising efforts to support new programs and new courses in intellectual property and business and entrepreneurship law; criminal law could also be an option.
The faculty is one of the key strengths of the school, he said.
“I want people in the rest of the country to learn about, to see them and interact with them,” Myers said. “I know it would lead to greater recognition for the Law School.”
Decreasing student debt
Myers acknowledges that debt is probably the number one thing on the minds of many entering and applying to law schools.
“Our response, first of all, is that we offer an incredible value as a law school — our in-state tuition is a tremendous bargain,” Myers said. “My way of seeing it is that everyone who comes to Mizzou Law gets a scholarship because our in-state tuition is very competitive and enables students to graduate with relatively low student debt.”
In-state tuition and fees for 2012-13 for MU’s School of Law is $18,619, according to its website. That’s one of the least expensive among law schools in the Southeastern Conference and in the Big 12.
Myers’ view is that the competitive cost of attending MU’s Law School allows students to expand the kind of work opportunities they might accept. Less debt would mean the ability to take jobs with lower-end salaries in public service, government, nonprofit organizations or smaller law firms.
“If they want a higher paying job with longer hours and more demanding work schedules, they can take those jobs,” Myers said. “But they have the flexibility to consider the options that may give them the ability to have more of that balance.”
Myers suggested that students considering this option talk to those who have recently taken up similar positions so that they can gain insight on their daily work responsibilities.
Another of his most immediate goals is to increase the number of scholarships and tuition waivers for out-of-state students.
In 2011-12, 73 students began the school year with conditional, or performance-dependent, scholarships — up from 67 students for the two previous years.
Raising the Law School’s reputation
In the long term, Myers wants to increase the Law School’s national reputation and expand the recognition of certain specialty areas.
“We have a nationally recognized Center for Dispute Resolution, which brings us considerable recognition,” he said. “But I’d like to see us expand and have several other areas of strength for which we will be known.”
The specific areas aren’t yet set in stone, but Myers sees strength and potential for expansion in intellectual property, real estate, criminal law and civil litigation.
In terms of his own expertise, Myers said he has been involved in intellectual property law for 25 years, dating back to his law school days when he worked for a professor who focused on it.
“Today, intellectual property is one of the leading fields in the law, one of the real growth areas, and I believe it will continue to be,” he said.
Addressing diversity
In the class of about 135 students that entered MU School of Law this fall, 21 percent identified as minorities and 44 percent as women, Myers said.
He is happy about these numbers but said increasing student diversity is a priority of the Law School and for himself as dean.
“I think it shows the efforts that have been made and that we are working every year to draw a diverse student body,” Myers said. “I think that’s fundamentally important.”
Myers believes the Law School needs to graduate a diverse group of students to meet the legal needs of a society made up of people from various environments.
“I know our Law School, as do others, works very hard to attract, retain and have successful students who complete the program, pass the bar and become a part of the legal community,” he said.
Myers’ future in the classroom
Myers plans to devote the first year or two of his deanship to learning his job and getting to know those around him. After that, he plans to get back into the classroom.
He hopes to teach in the areas of intellectual property, entertainment and anti-trust laws. However, he said he will teach whatever is needed most by the Law School, depending on what would fit within his areas of interest and ability.
The Columbia Missourian – UPDATE: Reynolds Journalism Institute receives $30.1 million gift from Reynolds Foundation
MU chancellor Brady Deaton announces the $30.1 million gift to the Reynolds Journalism Institute from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation on Thursday. The goal of the endowment is to provide permanent funding for future Reynolds Journalism Institute research. ¦ KILE BREWER
COLUMBIA — The Reynolds Journalism Institute received the second largest gift in MU history Thursday morning.
The $30.1 million gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation will establish a permanent endowment fund for the journalism institute.
“This endowment ensures that the Reynolds Institute will benefit future generations of citizens with its groundbreaking work on new methods and models of journalism,” MU Chancellor Brady Deaton said at an announcement.
The endowment is just shy of the $31 million gift the foundation gave in 2004 to create the institute — the largest gift in MU’s history. The institute opened in 2008.
More than 150 people and several MU and institute administrators were present for the announcement, including Deaton, Missouri School of Journalism Dean Dean Mills, institute Executive Director Randy Picht, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation President Steven Anderson and UM System President Tim Wolfe.
Deaton mentioned that many in attendance were also present in 2005 when ground was broken to begin building the institute, located on the northeast end of Francis Quadrangle.
The Reynolds Alumni Center and the Reynolds Journalism Institute share the name of MU alumnus, journalist and philanthropist Donald W. Reynolds. He graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in 1927, later going on to launch the Donrey Media Group.
At the announcement Thursday, Roger Gafke, institute director of program development, recalled that at the 1992 ribbon-cutting for the alumni center, he saw Reynolds shed a tear while singing MU’s alma mater, “Old Missouri.” Reynolds died in 1993.
To date, the Reynolds Foundation has given MU $89.2 million, according to a document from the MU News Bureau provided at the announcement. This includes $15 million that MU received in 2009 to provide operating expenses for the institute through June 2015.
Anderson, Reynolds Foundation president, said the institute’s performance, programs and impact all came to bear in the decision to keep funding it.
“It’s based upon the performance of Dean Mills and his staff and faculty that we were able to make this final endowment,” Anderson said.
Picht, a former Associated Press journalist who was hired to lead the institute in April, made introductions at the announcement held at the institute. Picht told the story of how Journalism School founder Walter Williams overflowed his plate of pancakes with maple syrup upon hearing the news of a donation that would lead to construction of Neff Hall.
In honor of that, Picht walked over to Anderson and presented him with a bottle of “RJI maple syrup.” The audience laughed and applauded.
Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.
The Columbia Missourian – Suspect wanted on charges of domestic assault
COLUMBIA — Columbia Police were seeking the public’s help Wednesday in finding a man wanted on a felony charge of second-degree domestic assault.
Gary D. Gibson, 28, is a suspect in a July 22 assault. The woman told police that she gave a ride to a man she identified as Gibson. After dropping him off in the 3000 block of Clark Lane, he struck her in the back of the head with a bottle and knocked her to the ground, she told police.
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Gary D. Gibson
Columbia Police were asking anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to contact the police department or place anonymous tips at Crime Stoppers’ 875-8477.
Supervising editor is Katherine Reed.
The Columbia Missourian – UM System campus representatives to develop new strategy plans
UM System campus representatives to develop new strategy plans
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misstated the companies with which Innosight had consulted.
COLUMBIA — Representatives from the University of Missouri System and its four campuses will meet to develop strategy statements for each campus at group workshops Thursday and Friday in St. Louis.
Innosight, an innovation consulting firm from Boston, will lead the workshops.
Each campus selected faculty and staff to attend the workshops to “refine and define” each campus’ strategy and focus for the next five years, UM System spokeswoman Jennifer Hollingshead said.
Last week, system administrators spoke about the system taking strides to create a new strategic plan. The four campuses will continue their strategy statements at the workshop.
“Our plan is a flexible work-in-progress,” MU Provost Brian Foster said. “One of the most important elements in any strategic plan is to evaluate the environment and include all of the outside partnerships as a plan is developed. For MU, this means working with our elected officials who represent us, our corporate partners and our research sponsors.”
Based on documents provided at the Oct. 16 UM Board of Curators meeting, the workshops are designed to lead to new strategy plans at the campus level, which will be reviewed by Innosight representatives for refining.
The new strategy statements will then go to the curators for review at its meeting on Dec. 6 and 7 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.
The Columbia Missourian – Dictation software for MU Health Care to cut costs, human error
Dictation software for MU Health Care to cut costs, human error
COLUMBIA — New dictation software that will be used at MU Health Care is expected to work this way:
After patients leave the examining room, doctors look at their notes and start to talk into their computers. Seconds later, their words appear on the screen. That information is available almost immediately to the next health care provider in the system.
Last month, the UM System Board of Curators approved a deal for the dictation software between MU Health Care and Cerner Corp, which specializes in information technology for health care.
The software is expected to be deployed at the start of 2013 after the contract is signed at the end of this year. The cost is still being negotiated but is not expected to exceed $1.6 million, said Joanne Burns, who is responsible for the strategic use of technology in MU Health Care.
When it’s finalized, the new contract will be a savings for MU Health Care. Burns said the current contract for dictation costs $2.25 million.
At the core of the new tool is Dragon dictation software developed by Nuance, which specializes in providing speech and imaging technology. Dragon allows physicians and other clinicians to use voice recognition software to instantly transcribe their notes.
The instant access is seen as a major plus.
“While using Dragon, since it’s integrated right into the system, I already have the patient’s chart open,” said Thomas Selva, medical director for ambulatory care for MU Health Care.
Under the current system, physicians can choose to type out their notes, record them and have them manually transcribed by an outside transcription agency or use some combination of the two.
If they use transcriptionists the notes go back and forth between physicians and the agency for an accuracy review process and, sometimes, aren’t entered into the electronic medical record for 12 to 48 hours, Burns said.
This new dictation software could help remove some of the potential for human error in the note-documentation process.
“Accuracy is absolutely a big concern,” Burns said. “What this is and why it’s so special for us is if you think of medical language and medical jargon, it’s full of diagnoses: Instead of a cold, you have pneumonia.”
Selva said, to his knowledge, the idea of having medical students use the dictation software hasn’t been brought up. MU Health Care currently doesn’t have medical students dictate notes through the dictation and transcription service, partly because of the cost associated with it, but mainly for educational reasons.
“From an education perspective, I’ll tell you it’s better to learn how to write a note first before you dictate a note,” Selva said.
Exposure of medical records could become a concern for patients of MU Health Care, considering that so many people will have access to their information. Burns said that is being addressed.
“We have security protocols in place to ensure patients’ information is secure while being available to care providers,” Burns said. She said that in the interest of security, she could not go into detail about those protocols.
MU Health Care and Cerner Corp. have worked together on health services for more than a decade.
Cerner, which has its headquarters in Kansas City offers health solutions to more than 9,000 facilities worldwide, according to its website.
Cerner and MU are involved in a strategic 10-year partnership that included the 2010 launch of the Tiger Institute for Heath Innovation. The partnership is designed to take the best from both organizations to innovate health care delivery and engagement with Missourians.
The institute received a $13.3 million federal grant in 2009 to create a program called LIGHT2: Leveraging Information Technology to Guide High Tech, High Touch Care.
LIGHT2 is expected to improve the health of Americans through the use of advanced health information technology, according to an article on the MU School of Medicine’s website.
This partnership is scheduled to be in place until at least 2020.
The Columbia Missourian – Man killed in I-70 accident, Andre Edwards, was chef, father
Man killed in I-70 accident, Andre Edwards, was chef, father
BY KEITH REID-CLEVELAND, KARI PAUL
COLUMBIA — Andre L. Edwards, who died in a car accident on Interstate 70 Tuesday, worked at Centro Latino as a chef. He had a bright future ahead, friends said.
Tuesday was Edwards’ 25th birthday. He was with his friend Terron L. Davis, 26, who also died in the crash.
Eduardo Crespi, founder of Centro Latino, said Edwards had cooked at Centro Latino for at least two years. Edwards, who was a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Ariz., started working with Centro Latino in 2010, during its Vegan Soul Food event.
“You know, it’s so hard,” Crespi said. “We were going to celebrate our birthdays together; my birthday is on (October) 6th.”
Crespi said he spoke to Edwards for the last time through a series of text messages around 2 p.m. Tuesday. The final conversation included birthday wishes and mentions of “Tamale Tuesday,” a weekly fundraiser for Centro Latino.
Edwards was well-liked at the culinary institute, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in culinary management in 2010 after receiving an associate’s degree there.
“He had a presence on campus,” Lloyd Kirsch, president of Le Cordon Bleu, said. “He was well thought of and regarded by the staff.”
Kirsch said a moment of silence would be observed in Edwards’ memory at the school’s Oct. 20 graduation ceremony.
Edwards was also a father and a volunteer.
“He was always thinking about the future and his son,” Crespi said.
Edwards was working with Crespi to start a physical fitness program at Centro Latino to help the center with its mission to keep Columbia healthy.
“He became an Internet coach for getting in shape, and he was helping Eduardo with starting a program where they were going to put some weights in there and teach people how to be healthy,” Andre’s brother, Antoine Edwards, said.
Quinchell Warren, a longtime friend of Andre Edwards, said he would be truly missed.
“I can’t think of a person who didn’t like Andre,” she said. “He was a very loving person, he cares about everyone and he tries to make everyone comfortable. He was just an all-around great guy.”
H.T. May & Son Funeral Home was handling arrangements.
No information was available Wednesday about Terron Davis or plans for his services.
The Columbia Missourian – UM curators show interest in pursuing new university model
UM curators show interest in pursuing new university model
COLUMBIA — Arizona State University President Michael Crow wrapped up his speech to the UM System Board of Curators with lighthearted jokes about the Saturday football game between the Sun Devils and the Tigers.
The topic of Crow’s speech Friday was ASU’s innovative operating model, which he called “The New American University.”
Under this model, ASU strives to create a culture of inclusion by focusing on economic diversity, tracking students individually and providing them with tools for success.
Over the past five years, ASU completely revamped academic programs and invested in new technologies, he said, such as the eAdvisor software that provides students with online advising and student support tools.
Before implementing eAdvisor, only 25 percent of freshmen were on track to graduate at the end of their first semester, Crow said. Now that number has risen to 95 percent.
“It’s very interesting what (Crow) had to say, and we will investigate a lot of things that he was talking about, I assume, in the future,” board chairman David Bradley said. “We’re going to have to probably restructure what’s going on at the UM system in the next few years.”
Bradley said that operating expenses are increasing faster than operating revenue and this is potentially “a path to destruction.” The system is in good financial standing but will be looking for ways to make adjustments.
Also Friday during the meeting at MU:
- Chancellors from each UM campus spoke on how they were spending strategic investment funds to improve facilities and student experience. If a tobacco tax passes on the November ballot, they said the funds designated for higher education would be spent on similar projects.
- The curators voted to award former board chairwoman Judith Haggard the title of curator emeritus to recognize her work for the system. Haggard was a member of the board from 2007 to 2012 and served as vice chairwoman in 2009 and chairwoman in 2010.
- The board approved a contract between University of Missouri Health Care and the Cerner Corp. for the use of new dictation software. The $2.1 million contract includes a one-time payment of $1,649,960 and a yearly cost of $455,230 for the use of the software. This represents a significant savings from the $2.25 million currently spent on dictation each year.
- Daniel Sontheimer of CoxHealth and David O. Barbe of Mercy Health System presented information about their partnership with MU. Starting in 2013, third-year medical students in the clinical campus program will spend two years in Springfield, Mo., to do their clinical work. The expectation is that the partnership will allow the medical school to admit more students, create jobs in Springfield and encourage more medical school graduates to work in rural areas.
- UM System President Tim Wolfe announced he will hold a Twitter town hall meeting at the end of this month. He is accepting questions via Twitter to his handle @UMPrez and will address them in his next video message.
Supervising Editor is Elizabeth Brixey.
The Missourian – Board of Curators examines UM System’s Financial Health
Board of Curators examines UM System’s financial health
| Emma Kessinger
Members of Coal Free Mizzou asked the UM System Board of Curators on Thursday to move away from coal power at MU. ¦ EMMA KESSINGER, YI-CHIN LEE
*The University of Missouri System ended the year with a balanced budget. An earlier version of this story suggested otherwise.
COLUMBIA — *The University of Missouri System ended the year with a balanced budget in which revenues exceeded expenses by $73 million, according to Nikki Krawitz, UM System vice president for finance and administration.
Operating expenses increased at a faster rate than revenues due mainly to less state support and constraints on tuition and increases in compensation costs, Krawitz wrote in an email Friday. The difference between operating revenue and operating expenses was covered by separate funds, including state and federal appropriations and grants.
During its meeting Thursday, the UM System Board of Curators heard reports on finances and discussed how to improve its the system’s financial health.
The curators also discussed reports saying there was a smaller return on the system’s investments than in previous years, because of poor market conditions. There was a 1.8 percent increase in return from 2011 to 2012, compared with a 9.1 percent increase from the 2010 to 2011 fiscal years.
Krawitz said Moody’s, a credit rating agency, considers the system’s finances to be healthy, which leads to low interest rates. Consequently, the system added approximately $15 million in loans during fiscal year 2012, which Krawitz said must be watched closely. The loan was taken out to finance the construction of student housing at University of Missouri-Kansas City and will be paid back over 30 years through student fees.
The curators also:
- Heard the results of audits of the MU athletics department and the PeopleSoft Human Resources software used across the system. Recommendations for athletics focused on enhanced monitoring for purchases made with cards and ticket sales. The recommendations for PeopleSoft focused on controls to prevent errors or unnecessary user access to the system.
- Heard from representatives from Strategic Investment Solutions, an independent consulting firm hired by the curators in 2011, who recommended a new format for the system’s portfolio called an “all-weather” portfolio. A portfolio of this type would balance risk with diverse investments, rather than solely focusing on return.
- Unanimously approved the development of a multidisciplinary studies degree for Missouri University of Science & Technology and a master’s of educational psychology for the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
- Voted unanimously to rename the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMKC to recognize the Regnier family, which has supported the institute since its founding.
- Unanimously voted to approve a $1.5 million contract with Cannon Design to work on UMSL’s new recreation and wellness center.
Also during the meeting, about 35 members of Coal Free Mizzou silently entered the room wearing matching yellow shirts for the “Beyond Coal” campaign. The student organization has been trying to get MU away from its coal-powered plant for three years, and members said they hoped today’s appearance would push the curators toward cleaner energy for the system’s flagship campus.
The Board of Curators spoke to members of Coal Free Mizzou before the meeting was called to order. Chairman David Bradley said UM System President Tim Wolfe and MU Chancellor Brady Deaton will sit down with members of Coal Free Mizzou to look at what can be done in the future about the power plant.
The Board of Curators meeting will continue 9 a.m. Friday at Stotler Lounge in Memorial Student Union, North.
Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.
Columbia Missourian – First MU African-American graduate student speaks to inspired audience
First MU African-American graduate student speaks to inspired audience
Gus T. Ridgel, MU’s first African-American graduate student, delivers a speech Friday at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center. Ridgel speaks about his experiences and the racial climate at MU when he was student. ¦ XIAOJIE OUYANG
COLUMBIA — Gus T. Ridgel carries history with him, and not just because he is 86 years old. Ridgel was the first African-American to graduate from MU with a master’s degree.
“This is entirely a new university than the one that I knew and I am pleased with the progress it has made,” Ridgel said.
About 20 people, including students and others traveled through the rain Friday morning to hear him speak at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center. It is part of two days of events at MU honoring Ridgel, including recognition at Saturday’s Tiger football game.
Amina Simmons, a first-year graduate student studying counseling psychology, was brought to tears when speaking on the significance of Ridgel’s appearance.
“I think as a black student, as a first-generation college student, and now that I’m in graduate school, it is always encouraging to continue to see black academics,” Simmons said.
“Especially when I think about people who are the first. It’s just” — she paused to regain her composure — “it’s just one of those things that not only gives me hope, but it also gives me that extra push to keep going.”
After he filed a lawsuit in 1950, MU was forced to admit Ridgel as its first African-American graduate student. He said the NAACP contributed to his education because money from his GI Bill had run out.
Ridgel, who completed his undergraduate degree magna cum laude at Lincoln University, said he never experienced overt racism in the classroom, but he dealt with it elsewhere in Columbia. He recalled being denied service at local restaurants and coffee shops.
“There was segregation off-campus,” Ridgel said. “There was no place I could eat.”
Ridgel lived alone in a two-person dorm room because no one was willing to live with him. The university originally tried to make him pay the full price but eventually only charged him the price of a single.
According to Ridgel, the president of the student government association offered to live with him but retracted his offer after students threatened to run his father out of business if he did.
Ridgel didn’t have much time to enjoy a social life, although he did view a couple of football and basketball games. He managed to complete the coursework of a two-year master’s program within one academic school year, in part because of finances.
Ridgel graduated in June of 1951 with a master’s degree in economics.
Andrew Grabau, the development director for graduate education at MU, is responsible for having Ridgel spend the weekend at MU.
“I think it’s important to honor his accomplishments,” Grabau said. “He faced a lot in his hard times, and I also think a lot of our students can be inspired.”
Ridgel is scheduled to have lunch Friday with about 40 graduate students who have received the Gus T. Ridgel Fellowship. The fellowship, established in 1987, supports education for underrepresented minority graduate students.
“I think the university, in setting fellowships up, is one of the greatest things the University of Missouri has ever done,” Ridgel said.
On Saturday, Ridgel will be the honorary coach of Missouri’s opening football game against Southeastern Louisiana. He joked that as long as he won’t have to call any plays, he has no problem being the coach.
When it comes to African-American students today, Ridgel said he thinks they have opportunities far beyond what he had. But the main advice he can provide is that it is their responsibility to be prepared.
After graduating from MU, he went on to the job market and to pursue more education. He studied at the University of Wisconsin and studied for a year in India.
He later returned to work in higher education administration at Kentucky State University, from which he retired.
“I promise you that I will be back again, before I decide to depart this earth,” Ridgel said.
Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.
Columbia Missourian – MU invests $2.5 Million to expand online coursework
COLUMBIA — MU will invest $2.5 million toward creating new online degree and certificate programs in the next year.
In total, MU is expected to make an investment of nearly $5 million toward Mizzou Online over the next 24 to 36 months, said Jim Spain, MU vice provost for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost for e-learning.
The $2.5 million comes from reserve funds that have accumulated during the past 20 years through MU Direct and the Center for Distance and Independent Study, two programs that have been merged to create Mizzou Online.
MU plans to add 10 to 15 online degree programs by 2014 with the new investment, according to an MU News Bureau release.
Currently, MU offers more than 690 courses and 66 degree and certificate programs — including five bachelor’s degrees and 33 master’s degrees — that can be completed entirely online, Spain said.
In the past five years, the number of students enrolled in distance courses through MU has doubled; last year, 18 of MU’s 19 schools and colleges offered degrees, certificates or individual courses online, according to the 2011-12 distance education enrollment report released Friday.
Last year, Mizzou Online offered online classes to more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online courses.
Spain said he thinks making MU more accessible played a major role in the decision to invest in the expansion.
New programs that offer online courses will be able to apply for the funding, a maximum of $250,000. The first allotments will be awarded in February 2013 and will be used to start up the online curriculum.
About 60 percent of the revenue from online courses will go back to the departments that host them, while the rest will cover operating costs, Spain said.
“There’s a couple of outcomes: The primary outcome is that certificate and degree programs will become more accessible to students,” Spain said. “Secondly, it will make courses more available to our off-campus students.”
Michael O’Brien, dean of the College of Arts and Science, said his goal is to offer enough courses online so that students can complete a bachelor’s degree of general studies or interdisciplinary studies completely online. Then students taking online courses would be able to graduate with a degree in the same amount of time as students taking courses on campus.
“By this time next year, I want to be able to assure a student who wants to do an interdisciplinary degree or a bachelor’s of general studies, a BGS, he or she can do it online,” O’Brien said. “That could be a student in some small town in rural Missouri who can’t come to the university but desperately wants a degree. He or she ought to have that opportunity.”
O’Brien said he wants to make sure students know MU has interdisciplinary online degrees.
“I don’t want to look at this as any kind of money-making operation — in fact, it won’t be,” he said. “What we want to do is to make sure that students have that option.”
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