MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Some may have called it the name game, but members of the House were dead serious in their discussion of what to call Missouri's colleges and universities Wednesday.
After hours of debate on the House floor representatives gave preliminary approval to name changes at four institutions of higher education. Receiving the most attention was the proposed change from Southwest Missouri State University to Missouri State University. The House also gave preliminary approval to substituting "college" with "university" in the names of Missouri Western State College, Missouri Southern State College and Harris-Stowe State College.
Members of the Boone county delegation led opposition to the SMS change, with debate centering around the proposal's motivation, impact and appropriateness.
Columbia's Rep. Vicky Riback Wilson expressed concern that a name change would be confusing to students when selecting the best school for their needs. She also said the change would mislead people to believe SMS is a research based land grant institution with an extension mission, like MU and Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
"One thing that we know is in a name, is that it represents to the people who are going there what the mission is," Riback Wilson said.
The effect a name change would have on future funding for SMS was among the motivations suspected by some legislators opposing the bill.
"I think these bills are being done for a lot of reasons, none of which have to do with sound higher education policy," said Rep. Ted Farnen, D-Mexico. "I think the things that are involved here are election year politics. I think SMS athletic boosters are involved with this. I think it is a back door attempt in the long run to get more funding for these institutions when we don't have enough money for the institutions as they are right now."
Farnen proposed an amendment that would give the state's four regional universities the name "Missouri State University" followed by the school's location. Farnen said each of the schools had statewide missions and that if a name change was made it should be across the board. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Craig Hosmer, D-Springfield, said the amendment, which was defeated 79-46, was an attempt to derail the legislation.
"To me it's a little bit insincere from someone representing the University of Missouri in Columbia to try and help the other regionals," Hosmer said. "If they had been trying to truly help other regional universities in this state maybe they would have argued a little bit more vociferously for more equitable funding."
Rep. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, said that last year SMS was the only one of the state's four-year institutions to receive a budget increase. Graham noted the $1.9 million increase came from the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education, which he chairs.
"I don't have a problem arguing the merits of the bill, but to get up here and accuse the people of Columbia of not caring about the equity issue when for two years in a row I have dealt with that (issue)," Graham said.
MU alumni and student groups have spoken against the name change. However, University of Missouri system lobbyist Jim Snider said the system did not take a position on the change and that he didn't contact any members of the legislature regarding the proposal.
"Frankly, I'm more concerned about losing $50 million through the budget process," Snider said.