UMR, MSU collaborate
The Springfield campus celebrated its first anniversary as "Missouri State University."
Published Aug. 29, 2006
UM-Rolla and Missouri State University last week agreed to offer a joint engineering program for two degrees.
The curriculum for bachelor's degrees in civil and electrical engineering will come from UMR, but most of the classes will be taught at MSU.
The Springfield campus has a two-year pre-engineering program, said Frank Einhellig, associate provost at MSU, but the school is looking to expand the upper-level engineering classes.
MSU faculty would teach some of the new classes, and some would be taught either at UMR or through a distance learning approach.
The universities are still awaiting state funding, Einhellig said. It would cost about $2 million the first year and $1 million for ongoing operational costs. Einhellig said the money would be split evenly between the two campuses.
UMR will grant the degrees, but the diplomas will read, "in cooperation with Missouri State University." The existing classes will cost the same, and the new upper-division classes will cost the UMR rate.
"It's sort of the university reaching out to make partnerships with (MSU)," UMR spokesman Lance Feyh said.
He said there is no time frame for the plan and that the specifics are not yet worked out.
"We are continuing to work with MSU to find cooperative educational opportunities," UM system spokesman Joe Moore said.
Moore said UM system President Elson Floyd and MSU President Michael Nietzel recently appeared onstage together in Springfield as part of the MU Higher Education Unity Tour.
"We have a wonderful relationship with Missouri State University," Moore said. "Presidents Floyd and Nietzel have an excellent working relationship."
Einhellig said MSU and the UM system also share a doctorate and educational leadership program, which can be taught at MSU but grants an MU degree.
"We have some good cooperative endeavors going on," he said.
MSU also celebrated the one-year anniversary of its name change from Southwest Missouri State University this week.
In March 2005, Gov. Matt Blunt signed into law a bill that changed Southwest Missouri State University's name to Missouri State University.
At the time, several critics, most of whom were affiliated with MU but did not represent the school, decried the name change for historical reasons and for fear that the Springfield school would receive additional state funding. The name change law specifies that MSU would not receive any additional funding and that it must work with MU when creating new degree programs, so there is no duplication.