Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, our campus is abuzz with activity because incoming freshmen are here for the summer Griffon Orientation programs. As these students are signing up for classes, I know that they have the expectation that they will graduate and be prepared for a career.
We take that expectation and responsibility very seriously, and we intend for all of our graduates to have the knowledge and skills they need to make them effective in the workforce.
That basically describes “workforce development,” and a feature that begins on p. 16 talks about Missouri Western’s role in the community and the region regarding our dedication to that mission.
Dr. Robert Vartabedian, second from right, is pictured with U.S. Representative and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, MWSU benefactor Steve Craig, and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves. Rep. McCarthy, an entrepreneur before he went into politics, was the guest speaker at the celebration of entrepreneurs dinner in June, and Rep. Graves introduced him.
To that end, we consistently seek input from area businesses, industries, organizations and agencies in all fields to ensure that we are preparing our students to be productive and valuable employees. Additionally, we partner with several entities to ensure that our workforce development efforts succeed. We commit resources toward this cause because it is vital to our region’s vitality and growth.
On a more somber note, my letter in the spring issue gave you an idea of the budget challenges we were facing for Fiscal Year 2018. First of all, I want to assure you that our cash position is such that we do not anticipate having any issues covering our expenses. We also continue to find efficiencies and cost savings in anticipation of further decreases to our state allocation.
The University’s FY2018 budget, approved by the Board of Governors in June, reflects some of these efforts, including a 3 percent reduction in operating budgets, the closing of Logan Hall and 18 open employee positions remaining unfilled.
This past spring, we also created a budget advisory committee to continue to study efficiencies across campus and pursue revenue sources. As a University, we are looking at the long-term rather than the short-term. With these actions and your continued devotion to Missouri Western, we will weather the financial challenges.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Vartabedian
President, Missouri Western State University