Southeast would not limit initiative help to in-state students

Southeast Missouri State University is not interested in imposing internal policies to ensure only in-state students are educated through its programs expanded by the Caring for Missourians initiative.

Southeast's board of regents this week responded to requests from Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, to regulate programs established at universities and community colleges through the initiative.

Under the program, public institutions will receive $40 million in stimulus funds for health-care training programs. With its share of $1,172,210, Southeast Missouri State University will renovate facilities and hire faculty to expand its nursing programs.

Crowell sent letters to Gov. Jay Nixon and Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins asking them to impose rules that would ensure the money serves Missouri students. Out-of-state students should not be admitted into the programs and students should commit to staying in the state after receiving their degree, he said.

"It's funded by Missouri taxpayers," he said. "It should be to the benefit of Missourians."

In his June 10 letter to Dobbins, Crowell encouraged the university president to consider imposing policies to regulate the program.

"At this point, I feel so strongly that the "Caring for Missourians" initiative should be targeted only to Missouri resident students and those who agree to stay in Missouri upon graduation that unless internal policies are adopted and followed, I will oppose any future funding statewide and/ or locally for this program," he said.

In its response earlier this week, the Southeast Board of Regents cited advantages in admitting out-of-state students because they "are apt to remain here after graduation."

"We believe admission to programs in the health professions, like admission to all other programs at the University, should be based on merit of the applicants rather than their current place of residence," the July 7 letter read.

Out-of-state students accounted for 10.7 percent of the undergraduate student population, or 938 students, according to spring 2009 enrollment figures. There were also 107 out-of-state graduate students, which is 9.9 percent of the graduate student population.

At Southeast, the money will establish an accelerated bachelor of science nursing program, which will have 10 students. it will also expand the master's program for nurse practitioners to include six more slots.

Crowell said he wants to make sure the slots are being filled by Missouri students.

"Missouri taxpayer dollars could very well be paying to help students from all around the country or world to have increased access to education and training," Crowell said in his letter to Nixon.

University officials said the majority of students remain in the state after they graduate.

According to department statistics, this spring, 17 of the nursing program's 18 graduates stayed in Missouri. Last spring, 23 of 24 graduates stayed in the state. The numbers are based on the students who applied for their registered nurse license in Missouri. Licenses are granted in every state and to practice in another state a nurse must apply for a new license.

In their letter, the regents also said market factors make it impractical to dictate where a student finds a job after graduation. It would also be difficult to impose a regulation.

"Since students are paying for their education and this is not a scholarship program, we know of no legal recourse that would make it possible to enforce such an agreement," the regents' letter said.

abusch@semissourian.com

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