Spring Break
On the wall behind the new UMKC Chancellor Leo Morton's desk there is a four-foot wide spreadsheet. The 20-odd columns are color-coded, with each one representing a different source of funding. Welcome to the world of the modern university administrator.
With the effects of the economy weighing down on colleges and universities across the country, the University of Missouri system is preparing for impending cuts to state funding in 2010. In December, the Missouri Department of Higher Education sent out requests for budget scenarios reflecting a potential 15, 20 and 25 percent cut in state funding for the 2010 operating budget.
When the economy is bad, it's hard to put a positive spin on cutting back. But the "Greens" of Kansas City insist it is a gift to be simple. Last Monday at Aquarius Book Store in Westport, the Greens, a local environmental group, presented a forum entitled "Simple Living: A Positive Response to Hard Times.
Like so many other students, Daniel Seddiqui made his way through college without having a clear idea of what he wanted to do with his life. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in Business Administration, he failed 40-plus interviews and began to feel uncertain about his future.
Note from the editor: Having an existing interest in the investigations in Cameron, Mo., Kelley Kates chose the topic for a research project in an Environmental Science class she completed last semester. Kates is a pre-law student in her senior year at UMKC.
There is a new officer in town. Bringing 20 years of experience on the police force with him, Mike Bongartz was named the new UMKC police chief filling the vacancy left by former Chief Scott Sheldon's retirement. Bongartz, native of a small town in Kansas population of about 2, 500, said he had considered working for the Kansas City Police Department but preferred the academic setting.
After eight months of drafting, the revised Student Government Association (SGA) Constitution has been approved by the student senate and is ready for a student body vote. SGA President Bridgett Johnson initiated the revisions of the previous constitution with the goal of more clearly defining the role of the SGA and enabling senators to act with more unity.
Using dotmocracy to narrow down key issues to focus on in 2009, the UMKC Sustainability Team is beginning the New Year with eight team goals. The goals are charted according to importance based upon how many votes they received in the dotmocracy process and include: transportation, sustainability support, education, green purchasing, residential life, recycling, landscape and resources.
Seeking to inspire multicultural leadership in the global environmental movement, Building a Sustainable Earth Community (BSEC) is hosting its second annual conference "Breaking the Silence and Taking Action" from Jan. 16-18. With supporters including Kansas City Kansas Community College, Johnson County Community College and the Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Kansas City, Kan.
