September 2012
Dear Fellow Alumni,
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”Charles Dickens
This quote has been used to the point of becoming cliché, but it really does accurately represent the state of affairs at Missouri Western right now. Financially, Missouri Western is struggling through an unprecedented time in our state. Decreased revenues and tighter budgets at the state level have caused funding to be a constant source of concern. According to a nationally recognized financial consultant, our operating funds per student have declined by 18 percent in the last four years when adjusted for inflation. To summarize, our leadership continues to be asked to do more with less.
While it is a difficult time financially, there are many exciting things going on at our University. We continue to see record enrollments, as more and more students access the learning opportunities at Missouri Western. We’ve seen successes in our athletic programs, students being recognized nationally in various areas, an instructor being selected for a Fulbright award, the continued success of the Craig School of Business venture with the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and an unprecedented period of growth and expansion of our fine arts program and performances on campus. These are exciting times at Missouri Western!
From an Alumni Board standpoint, we continue to see growth in our events as our alumni base grows, and more new grads become involved in alumni activities. I encourage you to go to at least one event this year that you have never attended. If you haven’t been on campus recently, I encourage you to visit. See first-hand the exciting growth that has occurred since you’ve last been here. If your experiences are like mine, your times at Missouri Western really are “the best of times.” I hope to see many of you experiencing those times this year.
Go Griffs!
Dr. Robert Sigrist ’95
Alumni Association President