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Tuesday, January 26, 2016
M I S S O U R I
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Volume 109, Issue 18 | the-standard.org The Standard/The Standard Sports
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Remembering John Keiser
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While John Keiser was the eighth president of Missouri State, he helped expand the graduate program and the online course offerings.
S W E Nixon gives his final State of the State Address
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the top universities for grapevine research, and the West Plains campus provides education to impoverished rural areas, according to Smart. All of these achievements accomplish MSU’s public affairs mission.
lon, Wehr Band Hall and Bear Park South were just a few of the buildings that were added during Keiser’s presidency. Melton Hall and Lybyer Hall were also added to West Plains’ campus. “We were no longer just a regional university,” Smart said. “The new name allows us to better recruit faculty and students nationally and internationally. Our profile within the state is greater, giving us an opportunity to better advocate for our needs.” While Keiser MSU President Clif Smart will be remembered as the presWhile serving as president, Keiser ident who implemented the public affairs initiated the name change, turning South- mission and helped with the university west Missouri State University to what name change, one of the major things we know today as Missouri State Univer- faculty and alumni will remember Keiser sity. This change happened in 2005. by is his famous saying: “It’s a privilege MSU President Clif Smart said the to be a Bear.” name change happened because the uni“He thought that if you were a memversity was growing dramatically, not ber of an organization, you should have only adding students but different pride in that organization,” Baker said. courses, programs and buildings. Strong Hall, the Jane A. Meyer Carilu See KEISER, page 9
Missouri State would not be the university it is today without Dr. Keiser’s vision and leadership.
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A “Wicked” play is at Hammons Hall of the Performing Arts
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There are two things all Missouri State University students are told throughout their college years. The first is about MSU’s public affairs mission, which is one of the most important things students learn while in college. The second is that MSU made its name change to show its hope for the future. The man who paved the way for these two things, former Missouri State President John Keiser, passed away last week on January 19 at 79. Keiser served as the eighth president of Missouri State from 1993-2005. Before coming to MSU, Keiser was the university president at Boise State University from 1978-1993. Several university faculty thought Keiser’s past experiences as president helped him lead MSU for a little over a decade. A major priority of Keiser’s was establishing MSU’s public affairs mission. The statewide public affairs mission eventually led to an emphasis on ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement in all students, both while in college and in their futures.
“The mission is what truly sets us apart in higher education,” Smart said in a press release. James Baker, vice president for research and economic development and international programs at MSU, served with Keiser at Boise State and came to MSU with Keiser as his chief of staff. He said Keiser established a public affairs mission at Boise State before coming to MSU. He said Keiser had always been interested in public affairs and citizenship. That interest is what led Keiser to establish public affairs missions at both Boise State and MSU Baker said the public affairs mission at MSU has grown since it was established in 1995. “It has become part of Missouri State’s culture and fabric,” Baker said. While Keiser was president, he placed high importance on expanding MSU’s influence. During his presidency, he emphasized campuses at Mountain Grove, MO; West Plains, MO; and Dalian, China. Missouri State’s focus is not only statewide, but also international, so the China campus gave MSU a global focus. The Mountain Grove campus is one of
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By Nicole Roberts News Editor @NReneeRoberts
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Missouri State’s eighth president, who helped establish MSU’s public affairs mission and the name change, passes away.
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