Colleges, universities meet at Trustee's Forum to make 'investment on our future'
By Jerry Manter

Managing Editor

Representatives from all corners of Missouri Southern represented the campus last week at the Missouri Public College and University Trustee Forum in Jefferson City.

The Sept. 12 forum brought representatives together from two-year community colleges, four-year colleges and four-year universities throughout the state to discuss their concerns about the withholdings higher education institutions are facing.

Last year, more than $80 million was slashed from the state s higher education budget.

Attending the hour-long forum was College President Julio Le n; Dr. Terri Agee, vice president for business affairs; Board of Regents members; faculty representatives; and members of the Southern Student Senate.

 We wanted to highlight the priority of higher education,  Le n said.

Two-year and four-year institutions each had a representative at the forum to discuss financial woes. Although Le n did not speak, he said the College was well represented by all who attended the meeting.

 It showed unity,  Le n said.

In a packed room, representatives presented resolutions for legislatures and the governor to help find a way to solve both parties  financial woes.

 We wanted to talk about the difficulty of working under these circumstances,  Le n said.

Helping represent Southern students was Zack Odem, Senate president. Like Le n, Odem thought the meeting in the capital city was worth the trip.

 The meeting was productive,  Odem said.  This really helped keep the doors open. 

Although the information wasn t anything they didn t already know, Odem took the opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas with fellow student representatives from other Missouri schools.

 It was impressive,  said Odem, who talked to students from Central Missouri State University and the University of Missouri in Kansas City.  We talked about how to get involved. 

What impressed Odem most was the Southern administrators  invitation to attend the meeting.

 We want to thank the administration,  he said.  Not all of the schools brought students. 

Odem stressed if there is one thing students can do, it s stay informed with the College s financial woes. He wants students to voice any concerns they may have.

 Anything that can help Southern out,  Odem said.

Le n said he hopes this type of financial gathering of all Missouri college representatives can become an annual event.

 We can understand what other colleges are going through,  he said.  This is an investment on our future.