COLUMBIA -- Some Columbia area legislators recently met with University of Missouri President Gary Forsee and MU Chancellor Brady Deaton.
The meeting focused on the impact of today’s slowing economy on the University of Missouri. Lawmakers say this week’s university hiring freeze was a good move because times are also tight at the state level.
Republican Columbia Senator-Elect Kurt Schaefer said, “I think it was a prudent move on behalf of the University to show that they are doing what they can to be careful with the dollars that they have. I think it sends a strong message, frankly, to the state saying we are handling our dollars well as we look at what the situation is going to be for the university going forward.”
Besides employment, some other issues facing the university are capital improvements and capital funding. Both of those issues will also be impacted by the upcoming state budget.
Democrat Columbia Rep.-elect Stephen Webber said, “There are a lot of things that need to be done. There are capital improvements. The one thing that I’m concerned about is faculty and staff salaries. We need to make sure we don’t lose good people. It’s just a matter of trying to get the most out of the state budget.”
Democrat Columbia Representative-elect Mary Still said, “We are a very, very different university than some of the other state universities. We are a major research university. We are one of the six most comprehensive in the country. Legislators need to understand that and need to learn more about how that affects the economy of the state. What’s good for MU is what’s good for the state of Missouri.”
The Columbia area will have many new faces when the legislature returns to Jefferson City in January. University officials are counting on those freshmen lawmakers to come up with their share of the pie.
Columbia area lawmakers say they look forward to working personally with both Forsee and Deaton during the upcoming legislative session.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG