By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Two years ago, Missouri Western State University found itself in a financial state of emergency, and now the Board of Regents has declared to remove it.
University President Elizabeth Kennedy says the last two years were difficult for Missouri Western for a couple of reasons.
"Obviously if you're in a financial emergency that means you're dealing with a very constricted budget, and you have to remember too, that this occurred right before the onset of the pandemic," Kennedy tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, not only were we dealing with our own financial situation but with the impact of COVID-19 on higher education in general as well as on the rest of the world."
Kennedy says the University was not only dealing with financial issues, but also lower enrollment which is where a large part of the budget comes from.
Kennedy says the Board of Regents at Missouri Western has constantly been reviewing things over the last two years.
"Where we are financially, where we are in terms of student affairs, enrollment management, and academic affairs, everything that we've been doing," Kennedy explains. "And, I think given where we will be going in the future they thought, they agreed actually, that this was a good time to lift the financial emergency."
Kennedy adds it was great to see the state of emergency removed and that the University will continue implementing measures they put in place to get out of it.
"You know there's the psychological impact on folks here, we as members of the Missouri Western campus community we know we've been working hard and making good progress," Kennedy says. "Are we completely out of the woods and everything is easy, no, but I think overall it signals to folks here that we are headed in the right direction."
Kennedy says she has worked closely with Missouri Western's Student Government Association, and her message to students is that Missouri Western is headed in a positive direction and they can feel confident in the way it's going.