Northwest Regents approves partnership with KC Scholars, celebrates Green’s leadership

Northwest Missouri State University’s Regents ratified an agreement with a scholarship program dedicated to assisting low- and modest-income Kansas City-area students in addition to showing its gratitude for Interim President Dr. Clarence Green May 4 during its last session before the conclusion of the academic year.

The meeting was the last for Green in the interim president role as Dr. Lance Tatum will assume the presidency June 1. The session culminated with Green and university leaders exchanging words of thanks and reflecting on their support of one another.

“Thank you to the students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and other stakeholders for supporting Northwest but also for supporting me,” Green said, reading from prepared remarks. “You have all been exceptional. You have given me grace and allowed the institution to stay its course. To have the opportunity to serve your alma mater that has given you so much is really extremely humbling.”

Green also called for the university community to support Tatum.

Taking his turn on behalf of Regents, Board Chair John Moore presented Green with a monetary gift. Moore then unveiled an updated Presidential Chain-of-Office that now includes the names of Green as well as Tatum.

Originally created by former art faculty members Lee Hageman, Robert Sunkel and Philip Van Voorst in 1977, the Presidential Chain-of-Office features a medallion with the university seal set in an octagonal frame and mounted on a piece of walnut, replicating the design of the Administration Building turrets. The names of all previous Northwest presidents and the years they held office are engraved on rectangular links forming the chain. The piece is passed from each president to the next.

The metal chain links had begun to show wear and were in need of repair, however. In conjunction with Northwest’s presidential transition, the chain links were replicated with black metal, and the names of presidents and their years of service are now engraved in silver lettering. A Northwest logo accompanies the names of Dr. BD Owens, who served as president from 1977 to 1984, and Green, recognizing their status as Northwest alumni.

Although Tatum is set to become, officially, Northwest’s 11th president, Moore said he and Regents wanted to ensure Green’s year as interim president also is staked in the university’s history.

Other business the Regents approved:

• Accepted a memorandum of agreement with KC Scholars.

• Conferral of the degrees which amounted to the largest number of graduates, more than 1,600, at one commencement in the history of Northwest, plus authorized a more streamline process for the conferral of degrees.

• Recognitions of the women’s golf team, Greek Week team, campus dining office staff, behavioral management team, Dr. Mallett from the office of diversity and inclusion, Tye Parsons from the grant writing office, office of university advancement, GIS-National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency team and SART team.

• 238 Summer faculty appointments.

• Police officer appointment of Danika Drake.

• Ratified a bond contract that the Regents approved in March.

• Accepted an alcoholic beverages agreement policy for sales at the new Buffalo Wild Wings establishment coming this summer with the revenues to go into the auxiliary services budget category.

• Approved an investment policy update to address cash management and reserve dollars.

• Accepted Gaunt House interior renovations at a cost of $525,000.

• Officer nominations were made for the June vote: chairman, Roxanne Swaney; vice chairman, Mel Tjeerdsma, secretary and treasurer from the administrative office.

Reports came from staff council, foundation and Green.