Springfield college against joining state system

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A bill that would include Southwest Missouri State University as a fifth institution in the University of Missouri system has the state's universities squabbling over a shrinking higher education budget.

Southwest Missouri State has strongly opposed joining the university system as proposed by Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia.

The bill would put Southwest Missouri State under the control of the University of Missouri board of curators and change the way the Springfield school's funding is determined.

In a recent newsletter to faculty and staff, Southwest Missouri President John Keiser referred to the bill as a "hostile takeover" of his school.

"Everybody is looking at their piece of the pie instead of the entire pie," said Quentin Wilson, Missouri's commissioner for higher education. "It is a stressful time."

On Thursday, Gov. Bob Holden said he would withhold $21 million from state colleges and universities.