On Thursday, UM System President Mun Choi spoke to members of the MU Faculty Council about “new normals” in the upcoming academic year.
Choi spoke about the realities of lower levels of federal funding for research, reduced financial aid, procedures relating to revocation of international student visas and increased enrollment in the fall.
He also emphasized the potential to see a decrease in the number of international undergraduate and graduate students in the upcoming academic year.
Amid national challenges, Choi advised the council on how to address concerns regarding the potential for ICE agents making contact with faculty members.
He said faculty should contact the Chancellor’s Office and the General Counsel’s Office so administration can work with the Columbia Police Department. Choi added he’s not asking faculty to do anything other than that.
“I need to know when something is happening on my campus that can be very explosive,” Choi said.
Moving forward, Choi said the pursuit of grants from corporations and foundations is going to be “key,” rather than strictly pursuing grants from federal agencies.
“It’s probably the most challenging time in higher education” that he can recall, he said.
Choi also predicted a 2% increase in enrollment, bringing in an estimated 6,100 new students, alongside plans to have a salary increase that would include costs anywhere from $9 million to $12 million annually.
Choi said he met with Gov. Mike Kehoe and leaders of the Missouri House and Senate who expressed support for the NextGen MU Research Reactor but will still need to work to get funding approved for the next fiscal year.
Statement resisting attack on higher education
The MU Faculty Council made a movement to vote on passing a statement of values that addresses the attack on higher education under the Trump administration. This motion came from the discussion to pivot from a previous invitation from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to join a mutual academic defense compact, which had been previously discussed at the May 1 meeting.
The council plans to vote on the statement of values in about five weeks.
Indigenous Task Force sees no progress
After Choi called upon the creation of an Indigenous Task Force in 2020, the MU administration announced at the Faculty Council meeting that recommendations for the task force will not move forward. The reason cited the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling to ban affirmative action and Title VI.
Travis Zimpfer, university spokesperson, shared the following statement on behalf of the administration:
“University of Missouri leadership appreciates the thoughtful work of the Indigenous Affairs Task Force. However, we will not be establishing any new administrative positions or assembling an advisory council. Some of the remaining recommendations would violate the 2023 SCOTUS decision and/or Title VI.
“The university already has extensive support programs and spaces that are open to all faculty, staff and students as well as visitors. Likewise, the University has numerous merit and need-based scholarships to support students. As with other areas of the academy, faculty are encouraged to apply for extramural grants to support their research and scholarly activities.
“Outreach and engagement are central to our mission and the University has many programs throughout the state that support all Missourians.”
This decision follows the task force calling for institutional support in February 2025.
