Southwest State name change faces opposition

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A move to attract students or the first step in a funding grab? A reflection of the institution's true status or merely a wishful self-impression?

Those are among the questions being debated as Southwest Missouri State University officials work to drop the regional designation from the school's name -- causing a ruckus in the higher education community in the process.

The Springfield university wants the General Assembly's approval to become Missouri State University. Officials at some other public universities and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education oppose the plan.

However, Southeast Missouri State University isn't putting a dog in this fight, school president Dr. Ken Dobbins said.

"We believe that is really between the regents at Southwest and the Legislature," Dobbins said.

Bills endorsing the name change have cleared committee and are before both the Senate and House of Representatives. The measures enjoy marquee supporters.

Gov. Bob Holden sponsored similar legislation while in the House in the 1980s and is expected to sign the bill if it reaches his desk. House Speaker Jim Kreider, D-Nixa, is another strong backer. Both men are Southwest graduates.

State Rep. Craig Hosmer, D-Springfield and a House sponsor, said Southwest is deserving of unique status. As the state's second largest university, Southwest has grown beyond its regional mission to become a statewide institution with students from every Missouri county, 48 states and 87 foreign countries.

"As far as I know, no one else is saying they want to be Missouri State University," Hosmer said. "They just don't want someone else to have it. ... No one at any institution of higher education has ever given me a real argument for why it shouldn't happen."

During recent hearings, University of Missouri officials -- especially those at the flagship Columbia campus, the state's largest -- said they are concerned Southwest is trying to encroach on MU's turf. Central Missouri State University's president said his school, located at Warrensburg, is just as deserving of the proposed name as Southwest.

More funding

Several officials and lawmakers worry Southwest would use the new designation to push for a larger share of the higher education budget. Not so, says Hosmer.

If their concern is it's going to mean more funding, that's completely unfounded," Hosmer said, adding that budget boosts or new programs would require additional legislative action.

State Rep. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, said he's "leaning in opposition" to the bill. "I see the advantage for Springfield, but not the entire state," Crowell said. "I see a potential disadvantage for Southeast."

In addition to funding concerns, Crowell said Southeast could be put at a competitive disadvantage against a more-prestigious-sounding MSU in recruiting students.

The Coordinating Board of Higher Education adopted a policy in 1998 requiring schools to seek its approval for name changes. The board oversees the Department of Higher Education and public colleges and universities.

The policy states that "no additional state resources should follow a name change." It also acknowledges that "compass-point" names may be obsolete and the coordinating board "might urge institutions considering name changes to propose names that do not imply regional missions."

At the moment, though, the coordinating board is urging no such thing. Board president Marie Carmichael of Springfield sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to reject her the proposal.

A coordinating board official did acknowledge that the Legislature's authority in this matter trumps board policy.

State Sen. Steve Stoll, D-Festus, said if the bill makes it to the Senate floor, he will attempt to amend it to rename all four regional institutions Missouri State University, keeping them on the same footing. Southeast would become Missouri State University-Cape Girardeau under his proposal.

What Stoll doesn't want to do is create an MSU system with a single, all-powerful board of curators like that running the four-campus University of Missouri system.

Crowell said he's not sure even that would be a good idea. "I will keep an open mind through this issue, but oftentimes not leaving well enough alone in the Legislature causes more problems than we could ever hope to fix," Crowell said.

Dobbins said Southeast's Board of Regents hasn't discussed a name change. However, he said replacing signs, stationary and other things would carry a significant one-time cost. "Changing the name of an institution sounds so easy, but there are some financial aspects people may not realize," Dobbins said.

The bills are SB 979 and HB 1994.

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