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UM Curators approve budget and discrimination policy change; consider atheltics projects, Title IX

Columns at University of Missouri
Adam Procter
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If UM Curators approve the increases, tuition could spike as much as 7.5 percent at the Columbia campus.

At its meeting Thursday the University of Missouri Board of Curators approved the 2015 fiscal year budget, which is nearly $3 billion dollars in total revenue for the four campus system.

The curators are also weighing a request by the Columbia campus for a new women's softball complex and a new facility for indoor football practices. The projects have the support of both university system President Tim Wolfe and campus Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin. The proposed softball diamond would be located east of the Hearnes Center on what is now a university parking lot. The new football facility would be attached to the west side of the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex.

The Board of Curators is still working on a solution for how to handle sexual assault and mental health issues under Title IX. For now the Board gave the MU System President control of the situation.  Vice-president for Academic Affairs Deborah Noble-Triplett presented to the Board on behalf of the task force working to combat and find solutions to these problems. After the presentation, the Board voted to accept the task force recommended changes, as well as allow MU System President Tim Wolfe to issue executive orders regarding sexual assault and mental health cases while the Board is out of session.

Meantime, The University of Missouri added gender identity and gender expression to the school's non-discrimination policy. The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the Board of Curators' vote on Thursday makes the university the first public school in the state to make the change. Seven private colleges and universities have implemented some version of the same change. Curator John Phillips says the board has received petitions from students and faculty from all four campuses supporting the change. Curator David Steward cast the only vote against the change. Student body presidents from all four university campuses sent out a joint news release lauding the curators for the vote.

The Board's meeting will continue Friday.

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