The UM System Board of Curators met Friday to discuss upcoming changes and to review the past year’s accomplishments. There were three major updates, including an extension of UM System President Mun Choi’s contract, a plan to expand the MU School of Medicine into Springfield and the unveiling of a $2 billion “Power the Roar” fundraising campaign.
‘Power the Roar’
So far the campaign has raised $760 million with a goal to prioritize endowments, infrastructure, professorships, scholarships and educating future leaders.
The campaign’s leadership, or quiet phase, began July 1, 2022. Since then, more than 61,000 donors have contributed with broad support for all colleges and programs, Mizzou officials said in a news release.
“Our timeline is we’re going to continue this campaign until we reach our goal,” said Chris Smith, vice chancellor for advancement at Mizzou.
Progress under Choi
Todd Graves, chair of the board of curators, highlighted that the UM System had a $6.5 billion annual impact in the state of Missouri under Choi’s leadership. Graves added they’ve had the highest graduation retention rates they’ve seen across all four universities in the UM System.
Since 2017, the UM System has also seen an increase of about 70% in its operating budget. The number of highly prestigious faculty awards also increased from 29 to 68, and the number of freshmen enrolled has also increased by about 46%.
“The basis of (this success), we believe, is consistent tenured leadership,” Graves said.
During the meeting, there was discussion surrounding the extension of Choi’s contract until 2031. When asked about a salary increase, Choi noted that it has not been decided yet. The extension contract was signed without it, and the board would discuss it in the coming weeks.
“I want to thank you for your confidence in me, and I will continue to work with outstanding leaders, faculty, staff and alumni, to advance the mission of the university,” Choi said.
School of Medicine expansion
The curators also announced that the launch of the School of Medicine Springfield program is set to begin in 2030 and will welcome 128 students in total to the campus.
In years past, the campus only allowed third and fourth-year students, with each graduating class hosting a total of 28 students. Now, an expansion to Springfield’s campus will accommodate more than 670 students between Columbia and Springfield’s medical schools.
“With this expansion, our university will lead the way in addressing the state’s critical physician shortage, particularly in rural areas,” Choi said.
When Choi was asked by Christopher Ave, Mizzou spokesperson, about his thoughts on the School of Medicine Springfield program expansion, Choi responded, “It’s a big investment that the University of Missouri System and the (Board of Curators) is making to ensure that we can meet the healthcare needs of rural Missourians.”
