Campus spending

St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press

The University of Missouri wants $72 million to build a new health-science research center for its School of Medicine. If it gets that money from the state, the university system would need another $52 million to build a new health-sciences building on its Kansas City campus.

And if Kansas City gets that money, St. Louis will expect its share of a proposed $190 million bond plan for the University of Missouri. The plan would send $23.9 million to St. Louis for renovations to the Benton Stadler science complex.

That just leaves the University of Missouri-Rolla. It's up for $18.6 million for construction and repairs to mechanical-engineering buildings at that engineering school.

Of course, that money could make the engineering program at Columbia jealous. The bond proposal includes another $20.9 million for improvement to engineering buildings on that campus.

Not surprisingly, the bond plan has already picked up the support of the leadership in the Missouri House and Senate. It should. The leadership bills the plan as an economic development tool that will create "knowledge-based jobs." ...

But, the wish list may not end there. ... The General Assembly can expect similar requests from ... the other state universities and colleges. ...

The Coordinating Board on Higher Education should bring the needed leadership to this task. Unfortunately, the board is less than famous for tough oversight of the state's higher-education efforts. ...

This is an opportunity for the Coordinating Board to live up to its name. Otherwise, college presidents will look for other ways to bring order to the annual funding race.