This is a pivotal moment for Missouri higher education. Demographic shifts, reduced enrollment and the need to focus on student performance require public universities to consider the best uses for limited resources. During these challenging times, Missouri students and Missouri taxpayers cannot afford to duplicate programs that will increase tuition and state support. But that’s precisely what the degree bill would do.
In 2018, the legislature passed the “swim lanes” bill to uphold the University of Missouri (UM) System’s designation as Missouri’s research university. This law allows all Missouri public universities the option to partner with the UM System on doctoral and professional degrees in research-intensive areas like medicine, pharmacy and engineering, among others. In turn, all public universities can receive access to our leading-edge facilities, world-class faculty and statewide network of support – without having to invest state and tuition dollars for instruments, laboratories and faculty.
This process, called degree partnerships, has saved Missourians tens of millions of dollars and created economic and workforce development across the state. Through this law and degree partnerships, Missouri State University (MSU) now offers 10 doctoral degrees as well as a regional partnership with the UM System for medical, pharmacy and engineering degrees in Springfield, Mo. The current law works! But now, there are efforts to overturn this law that benefited so many Missouri students and Missouri taxpayers.
There are major financial consequences that must be considered with the degree bill. The ability to offer doctoral degrees requires significant research funding to attract world-class faculty and graduate students, build laboratories and purchase advanced instrumentation. At the UM System, research support is $650 million each year, with a majority of it coming from federal agencies, foundations and industry partners. MSU, by contrast, receives less than $400K in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation – the primary sponsors for medicine, science, technology, engineering and mathematics research. The bottom line is that starting doctoral programs at public universities without research funding will need to be propped up with significant state support. These costs, in turn will reduce state support to all other public institutions throughout the state at a time when they can least afford the reductions.
We urge Missourians to consider the impact of the costly degree bill. Changes in higher education policy should be based on meeting the needs of the state and Missouri taxpayers, not the aspirations of individual institutions. Missouri students and Missouri taxpayers cannot afford it.
Chair, Board of Directors, University of Missouri Flagship Council
