AUGUST 2011

AnnuAl RepoRt
2010-2011 Academic Year

Looney Hall ribbon cutting

Approximately 200 community members, faculty, staff and students attended a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house April 19 for M.O. Looney Hall. The building, originally constructed in 1915 as West Plains Central High School, underwent extensive renovations in the fall semester to convert the former one-stop student services center into an allied health classroom and laboratory building to house the campus nursing and respiratory care programs. The building also houses a new, state-of-the-art allied health simulation laboratory made possible with a $250,000 federal grant assisted by 8th District Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau), as well as the Mindy Lahey Hughston Room, which is being made possible with a gift from Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic (PTSC). The Hughston Room will contain specialized video technology that will allow students to watch fellow students react to the medical conditions being enacted in the simulation room. Funds for the renovations came from grant money and Tax-Exempt and Build America Bonds.

Nursing Professorship
Missouri State-West Plains established its first endowed professorship in June, when June when university officials received the minimum amount needed in donations and pledges ($250,000) to create the Donna Jones Endowed Professorship of Nursing. This comes at a crucial time for the nursing department, which is limited to 45 slots each admission cycle for the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program. Each year, the number of area residents applying to the program far outnumbers the slots available, but any attempt to expand the program would require additional nursing instructors. The professorship was named in honor of Jones, who has spent last lastyears teaching in the spent the the 23 23 years teaching in Missouriprogram. nursing State University-West Plains nursing program.

Rec center groundbreaking

Approximately 150 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new multipurpose student recreation center/emergency shelter March 2 at the facilitys construction site near the corner of Garfield Avenue and West Trish Knight Street. The facility, which will be approximately 10,000 square feet, will stand just west of the outdoor basketball courts adjacent to the Grizzly House residence hall once completed at the beginning of the 2011 fall semester. Over half of the projects $2,221,114 cost is being funded with a $1,320,149 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with the remaining $900,965 coming from a 25-year auxiliary bond (loan) that will be paid with funds generated from a studentapproved $25 fee.

Enrollment climbs in 2010-11

Enrollment was up in the fall and spring semesters. Official enrollment statistics show 2,229 students took classes during the 2010 fall semester, and 1,843 students took classes during the 2011 spring semester. The fall figure is a 3.1 percent increase over the record-breaking tally of 2,162 students during the 2009 fall semester. The spring tally is a 1.1 percent increase over the previous years enrollment of 1,823. These increases come after four years of growth and mark the 12th and 13th consecutive semesters of increasing enrollment.

2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0

Grizzlies best season ever

The Grizzly Basketball team completed its best season in the programs 18-year history in 2010-2011, posting a best ever 31-4 overall season record and a perfect 10-0 record in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 16 regular season play. The Grizzlies went on to earn their third Region 16 postseason tournament title, their first NJCAA District 4 title and their first trip to the NJCAA Division I Mens National Basketball Championship Tournament. The Grizzlies finished the regular season as the No. 1 NJCAA team in the country, a ranking they held for five consecutive weeks.

Increasing resources
Missouri State-West Plains has been very successful in grant development over the past few years. Below are some of the grants awarded to the campus this year: Federal Title III Strengthening Institutions grant program to fund a new Road to Achievement developmental education program: $2 million over the next five years Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to fund an emergency shelter on campus: $1,320,149 Federal TRIO Program grant to provide comprehensive academic support services to low income, first generation and disabled college students in an effort to increase their postsecondary educational success: $1.1 million over the next five years In partnership with the Springfield campus, a Veterans Incentive Program (VIP) Center grant: $386,776 over three years Federal NURS grant for a state-of-the art nursing simulation laboratory: $247,500 Federal Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) grant to aid students in their pursuit of an education: $102,788 over the next four years Missouri Department of Higher Educations College Access Challenge Grant to fund the Project Threshold program designed to help students, prospective students and their families learn about, prepare for and finance a postsecondary education: $98,500. This is the 3rd year the West Plains campus has received this annual grant.

Impacting local economies

During the 2010-2011 academic year, Missouri State-West Plains awarded an estimated $11.7 million in financial aid from federal, state, institutional and other sources. University charges for tuition and fees during that period were just over $4.8 million. Additionally, total employee payroll was $7.3 million. This means more than $14.2 million (non-multiplied cash) went directly into the local and area economies from financial aid and payroll sources alone. In fiscal year 2011, the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) provided business counseling and training services to 93 individual clients and training event attendees. During this same time period, SBTDC assisted in the creation of two brand new businesses, and SBTDC clients created 218 new jobs and retained 19 other jobs while increasing sales $1.3 million. In addition, SBTDC clients obtained over $3.55 million in loans, grants and other business investments to benefit the local economy. Missouri State-West Plains hosted the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Womens National Volleyball Championship tournament in 2010 and will host the tournament again in 2011 and 2012. The event brings to the community hundreds of visitors who will purchase meals from area restaurants, stay in rooms at area motels, buy gasoline at area convenience stores, shop at area retailers and visit area attractions. Local NJCAA tournament directors estimate the tournament generates over $1 million locally when a multiplier of seven is applied.

Serving students
A survey of 2010 graduates showed 98 percent believed their experience at Missouri State-West Plains was a positive one. Ninety-nine percent of the students surveyed during the 2010 fall semester rated the math, English, CIS, chemistry, economics and political science tutors above average in subject knowledge. They also rated tutors well above average in service to students. In the 2010 Fall New Student Survey, students were asked to rank their interactions with the Drago College Store and the admissions, financial aid, business and registration offices. All offices scored 96 percent (strongly agree or agree) or better when students were asked if office staff were efficient and knowledgeable. More than 300 students were candidates for graduation from Missouri State-West Plains during the May 14 commencement ceremony. This was the largest graduating class in Missouri State-West Plains history.

An award-winning year
Missouri State-West Plains was named one of the top 120 two-year colleges in the United States by the Aspen Institute Community College Excellence Program and is eligible to compete for prize money from the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The recognition is based on high standards for learning, completion rates and training for competitive jobs. Missouri State-West Plains was selected out of 1,200 community colleges across the nation and is one of only six recognized in Missouri. Although not a community college, Missouri State-West Plains is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges as an associate degree-granting institution. The secret to our success is our wonderful faculty and staff, said Chancellor Drew Bennett.

Awards & recognition

Matt Morris, director of business and support services, was awarded a 2010 Kresge Foundation Fellowship Award to attend the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education conference and participate in the Second Natures Sustainability Fellowship. Janice Johnson, coordinator of the Student Advisement and Academic Support (SAAS) Center, received certification as a developmental education specialist from the Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Dr. Renee Moore, associate professor of child and family development, was awarded the Missouri Council on Public Higher Educations Governors Award for Excellence in Education. Pat Walsh, assistant to the chancellor and coordinator of institutional research, was named a 2011 National Summer Data Policy Institute Fellow by the Association for Institutional Research. The 2010 Grizzly Volleyball team was named one of the 2010-11 Academic Teams of the Year by the National Junior College Athletic Association for posting a combined grade point average (GPA) of 3.40 on a 4.0 scale.

First-ever Early Degree grads

Jeremy George and Adam Chen were the first West Plains High School students to earn their Associate of Arts in General Studies degree through Missouri State-West Plains Early Degree Program. The pilot program, which began in fall 2009, gives selected top sophomores at West Plains High School the opportunity to complete the associate degree during their junior and senior years while fulfilling the requirements for high school graduation at the same time.

128 Garfield Ave. West Plains, MO 65775 417-255-7255 wp.missouristate.edu

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