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1) Board of Governors Meeting – The SEMO governing board met last Friday. I have attached a copy of the university update so you can see what information was provided to them by the administration. At that meeting, the board voted to: 1) Reappoint Dr. Bruce Skinner to the Show Me Center Board of Managers, 2) Appoint Dr. Doug Koch to the River Campus Board of Managers, 3) Proceed with awarding a contract for construction of a new South Chiller Plant, and 4) test the market price by proceeding with a bid for Stadium Phase II. I would like to acknowledge the work that each member of our Board of Governors puts into their role, particularly in preparation for one of their meetings. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of professionals championing and supporting the university. The next Board of Governors meeting is in February 2026.
2) Spring Town Hall – On Thursday, January 22, at noon in Academic Auditorium we will hold an all-employee “Town Hall” to share information about enrollment, the budget, the fundraising campaign, and other topics of interest. A brown bag lunch will be available for $1 from SEMO Dining. Please plan to attend to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing SEMO in the year ahead. We plan to have additional town halls periodically throughout the spring semester to keep the campus updated on evolving issues. I encourage each employee to attend this January town hall. It is through our campus community engagement such as this that we find solutions to what challenges us.
3) On-Campus Engagement – As you are likely aware, I’m fairly active off campus meeting elected officials, donors, employers, and other stakeholders. However, I’ve also made a concerted effort to be accessible on campus. Examples of that include: Dr. Doug Koch and I have visited a number of academic departments in the fall semester to provide an update, answer questions, and listen to concerns and ideas. Our goal is to meet with every academic department on campus before the end of the spring 2026 semester. In addition, I meet regularly with the leadership of Faculty Senate, Professional Staff Council, Clerical/Technical/Service Staff Council, and Student Government. These are great opportunities for me to hear first-hand what is on the minds of employees and governance group members. I thoroughly enjoy each of these interactions. Please know I intend on being accessible and engaged for the long-term and interactions such as these are just the beginning.
As this is my final “3 Things from Brad” for 2025, let me take this opportunity to wish each of you a very Happy Holiday and a safe and joyous New Year. Enjoy your break and come back in 2026 refreshed and ready to serve our students and community.
All my very best to each of you,
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