Latest news with #MissouriStateUniversity
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Plotline hosting 10th annual Student Film Showcase
The Springfield based nonprofit Plotline is hosting its 'Student Film Showcase' for the 10th year next Saturday, May 31st. The event will take place at the Historic Fox Theatre and is open to the public. Tickets are on sale for $10 and $5 for children 12 and younger. A celebration of Plotline's students ages 10–17, the event will feature a red-carpet entrance followed by a screening of films produced by Plotline students and suitable for all ages. Each student will receive a certificate and two awards, sponsored by Missouri State University's School of Communication and the History Museum on the Square, will be presented. Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase. Tickets are available online at or at the event. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill approved to allow MSU to offer doctoral degrees
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missouri State University (MSU) could soon be adding research-based doctorates to the list of degrees the university offers. The Missouri General Assembly recently approved two bills that allow the university to do so. President of MSU Richard B. Williams says back in 2005, when the college first changed the name to Missouri State University, part of the legislature included a compromise with the University of Missouri. The compromise meant MSU and other state institutions could not claim the land grant title, the flagship title, a research one title, or offer certain programs, including medicine, law, pharmacy, engineering, dental and more. SPS free summer lunches not impacted by federal cuts to school food programs In 2018, there were some changes to the law allowing MSU to offer clinical doctorates, and just recently, the university added a doctoral program in education. 'There still is the stipulation that it's against the state law. We would break the law if we had PhDs that are research PhDs,' said President Williams. 'So this allows us the opportunity to look at the workforce, look at what degrees are actually needed, and then we can offer a Ph.D. in those areas.' House Bill 419 and Senate Bill 160 changed the law to allow MSU to offer research-based doctorates and other professional programs, including a baccalaureate in vet tech. District 30 Senator Lincoln Hough and District 133 Representative Melanie Stinnett sponsored House Bill 616 and Senate Bill 11, which eventually turned into the bills that were recently approved by both the House and Senate. 'I believe that both Senator Hough and myself worked really hard to try and collaborate and try and find a way to get this across the finish line,' said Representative Stinnett. 'And so the initial bill that we filed looks a little bit different than what was passed. But I think that that's the outcome of everyone coming to the table and having conversations.' Springfield man admits to burglary and theft at U.S. Post Office Representative Stinnett says ultimately this bill can help encourage students to choose MSU and stay in the area, but can also benefit the community. 'It's kind of twofold, making sure that the student is able to take a look at what university they want to attend and make that choice for themselves,' Representative Stinnett said. 'But then also really that economic driver in that economic piece as well, meeting the needs of our community and our business community and allowing them the opportunity to get those degrees.' President Williams says it can also be beneficial for the students to complete their degree at the same university they started at without needing to move to a new city or even a new state. 'They have a mentor that's a faculty member. They have a line of research that they're working. There is an expert in that area with that faculty member,' President Williams said. 'They're comfortable. They've written grants together, they've written papers together. And so that's a very big benefit for these individuals because they're established.' The two bills will still need to be signed into law by Governor Mike Kehoe, but both President Williams and Representative Stinnett say passing these bills is a big milestone in a years-long journey. 'Many people are excited. This is history. For us to be able to offer a Ph.D. is a very large win,' said President Williams. 'Not only for the university, not only for our faculty and staff, but for the community, for our economy, and for the state of Missouri.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Missouri Passes Bill Ending U. Of Missouri's Exclusive PhD Authority
The Missouri General Assembly has passed a bill reducing the University of Missouri's exclusive ... More authority to grant PhD degrees. The Missouri General Assembly has passed legislation that ends the University of Missouri's exclusive right to grant research doctoral degrees in the state, giving permission to Missouri State University to award PhD degrees in subjects other than engineering. Under current Missouri law, the University of Missouri system with its four campuses in Columbia, St. Louis, Kansas City and Rolla has been recognized as the state's only public research university with the authority to grant PhDs and other postgraduate professional degrees. Earlier in this year's legislative session, Republican Senator Lincoln Hough from Springfield, the home of Missouri State University, had introduced Senate Bill 11, which would have repealed the University of Missouri's status as the sole public university that could grant research doctorates and first-professional degrees in fields like dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. Hough's bill also would have removed the requirement that engineering degrees could be conferred only by the University of Missouri or another public university in collaboration with it. A similar bill was proposed in the Missouri House by Rep. Melanie Stinnett. The legislation that passed this week did not go so far as to repeal these restrictions. Instead, it granted an exception just for Missouri State University to 'have the power and authority to grant doctor of philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and to grant bachelor of science degrees in veterinary technology.' The final vehicle for the legislation — House Bill 419 — was originally introduced by state Rep. Don Mayhew (a Republican from Crocker), as a measure to give military personnel and their families in-state status for the purposes of tuition charges. However, Hough added the MSU provision in the Senate, giving Missouri State University the right to offer PhDs, except in engineering fields. The House passed the Senate substitute for Mayhew's bill, which included other higher education amendments, by a vote of 149-7. It passed in the Senate by a margin of 27-4. It now goes to Governor Mike Kehoe for his consideration. (The same provision was also contained in Senate Bill 160, another higher education bill approved by the General Assembly.) Tension between the University of Missouri, the state's flagship institution, and Missouri State University stretches back for decades and has focused on the educational footprint and identity of MSU. Starting in the 1980s, what was then Southwest Missouri State University began to lobby the legislature for an expanded mission and name change. Those efforts were blocked by MU until 2005, when the Missouri General Assembly passed a bill that changed the name of Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State University. Governor Matt Blunt, a native of Springfield, signed that bill into law, but it came with strings attached — namely that MSU would not offer doctoral or engineering degrees on its own. Since then, the two institutions have successfully partnered on joint degree programs. In 2006, the Missouri S&T-Missouri State University Cooperative Engineering Program was launched, allowing students in the Springfield area to earn bachelor's degrees initially in civil and electrical engineering, and later in mechanical engineering, from Missouri S&T in Rolla (in full disclosure, I was the president of Missouri State University who signed that agreement). Several years later, MSU teamed up with the University of Missouri at Kansas City to offer UKMC's PharmD program in Springfield. Despite those agreements, MSU and other public universities in the Missouri have sought more autonomy in their ability to offer doctoral degrees. In 2022, Missouri's Coordinating Board of Higher Education approved a new mission for Missouri State University that included conferring professional doctorates. However, the restriction on research doctorates and engineering programs remained in place. Former MSU president Clif Smart, who retired in 2024, argued that Missouri was the only state that limited engineering programs to its flagship university, and that it's also the most restrictive state in terms of giving one public university system a monopoly over research doctorates. As a result, Smart claimed that Missouri students often leave the state to study elsewhere, resulting in an avoidable brain drain and a hardship for area employers seeking to hire and retain workers with graduate credentials. His successor at MSU, President Richard Williams, has continued a similar theme, testifying that Missouri State University needed more flexibility to address regional and statewide workforce needs. 'This is relieving restrictions so we can be nimble,' Williams testified to lawmakers. As in years past, the two universities waged competing lobbying efforts over the latest turf battle. Advocates for ending the degree-granting restrictions claimed it was unfair for the state to grant the MU system full exclusivity over research doctorates degrees and also impose restrictive partnerships on other programs. Defenders of UM System's exclusive doctoral degree authority included the University of Missouri Flagship Council, which argued that the change would stretch the state's resources too thin and would be costly to students who would likely see tuition increases as a result. 'The bottom line is that starting doctoral programs at public universities without research funding will need to be propped up with significant state support,' wrote Chuck Brazeale, chair of the Flagship Council's board of directors. In the end, after conversations with MSU's Williams and MU President Mun Choi, a compromise was reached that did not completely end the University of Missouri's statewide control over doctoral degrees, but carved out a expanded role for Missouri State University instead. "That's how this process is supposed to work,' Senator Hough told the Springfield Daily Citizen. 'Two sides are supposed to get together and work out differences and figure out a compromise. Now, did that bill pass as was filed by myself? No. Did Mizzou get everything that they wanted? No. Did I get everything that I wanted for Missouri State? No. Is it in a better place, and does it offer more educational opportunities in higher ed than previously? Yes. So all in all, I think it's a good step in the right direction.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Missouri State's Tent Theatre getting creative for 2025 season due to construction
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Even with construction ongoing for the Judith Enyeart Reynolds Performing Arts Complex, that's not stopping Missouri State University's theatre program. The 63rd annual Tent Theatre season will look quite different this year, as the closure of Craig Hall for the summer also closed the Tent Theatre scene shop, costume shop and box office, according to MSU. 'The construction project has created challenges for us, especially with the public pathways to our facility. We'll create signage to assist patrons with getting to the amphitheatre from the parking lot,' said Mark Templeton, executive director of marketing and external relations for the John Goodman Amphitheatre. 'Plus, we had to re-envision the types of shows we're doing for this year.' Although they are unable to put on full theatre productions for this year, MSU says the theatre department is getting creative with the performances they are planning for the 2025 season. The department is hosting three different shows this summer in the John Goodman Amphitheatre, including: Serenade: Summer Nights of Swing & Song (June 12-14, 18-21) – An evening live music performance featuring Missouri State's 17-piece Jazz Ensemble and MSU vocalists. Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play (June 27-28, 30-July 2) – A reenactment of three films by Alfred Hitchcock — 'The Lodger,' 'Sabotage' and 'The 39 Steps' — presented as if it were the 1940s with live sound effects and atmospheric music. Five actors will play many characters A Grand Night For Singing (July 10-12, 16-19) – A celebration of the golden age of musical theatre showcasing American songbook classics from Rodgers and Hammerstein. All three shows start at 8 p.m. Any changes will be posted on Tent Theatre's social media. Concessions will also be served from Hill Hall to the north for the time being. 'Please pardon the progress,' Templeton said. 'One day, we'll be completely finished with the transformation of our quad on campus. And I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see the changes over the past 26 years. It's just amazing what's happened.' Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 417-836-7678, in person at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall box office between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. or by mail by completing a season ticket form and mailing it with payment to Missouri State TIX, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Representative Melanie Stinnett announces run for Missouri Senate
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Springfield representative Melanie Stinnett has announced she will be running for State Senate. Stinett will be a candidate for state senate District 30, where incumbent Lincoln Hough will be term-limited by 2026. Stinnett has represented District 133 in the State House as a Republican since she was elected in 2022. District 133 is located in parts of western and southwestern Springfield. 'I'm running because I believe in a Missouri where government works for the people—not the other way around,' Stinett stated in a Facebook post. 'If you believe in lower taxes, safer streets, better schools, and healthier families, I'd be honored to earn your support.' According to her biography, Stinnett graduated from Missouri State University with two master's degrees and works as a healthcare executive and a speech-language pathologist. The only other person running for State Senate District 30 so far is Democrat representative Betsy Fogle, who announced her campaign for the district on Monday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
