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University of Missouri Facts (PDF 8.4 MB)
Gary Forsee has let no grass grow under his feet in the three months since he became the 22nd president of the University of Missouri System. In fact, he started preparing for the job weeks before he started—and he’s been going ever since.
In his first report to the board of curators April 3-4 in Rolla, Mo., Forsee provided an overview of his activities since assuming the role, which have included initial orientation sessions with faculty, students, alumni and friends on each campus. He also has visited lawmakers in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. to promote the university’s budget priorities and to discuss the future of higher education in Missouri.
His messages, Forsee said, have remained consistent. He continues to focus on positioning the university as an economic growth engine and is actively supporting increases in faculty compensation.
He also is exploring issues of access, retention and graduation rates of students, is initiating a comprehensive review of distance education programs with an eye to expanding the university’s role, is looking at various funding models for higher education, and is promoting the importance of public higher education around the state. He is preparing for a planning retreat this summer for senior leaders to develop a clear strategic direction for the University.
Forsee said he understands what is at the heart of the university.
“Faculty, staff and students are the lifeblood of this institution,” Forsee said. “My opportunity to meet with them is going to be a very important part of my role.”
Forsee discussed how colleges and universities across the country come to be ranked by magazines and other media. Using the U.S. News and World Report college rankings as an example, Forsee explained how performance measures, indicators and weights influence where a particular institution lands on such lists.
He said the rankings raise several important questions, including whether the university should use the same performance measures and to what extent the rankings should be considered when making decisions about the university’s own unique goals and objectives. He told the curators that such factors as access, affordability and accountability are central to the mission of the public research university, and changing policy in one area can affect the interaction of all these factors.