Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents authorized multiple policies and contracts during its regular meeting on May 3, in addition to recognizing several students, staff and faculty members for individual and team achievements.

Policy items approved by the Regents included an academic administrative withdrawal policy which defines the standards for Northwest to administratively withdraw a student for academic reasons. The new policy outlines how academic affairs may withdraw a student in the best interest of the student and institution, and it notes students who are withdrawn under the policy have the right to appeal the decision.

The Regents approved the university’s request to renew its contract with TouchNet Information Systems, Inc., to maintain its existing billing and payment software for an additional term of five years for $80,826 annually with a no more than 10 percent escalation clause. The Regents also authorized the university to execute a contract not to exceed $208,000 for its approximately 60 multifunction devices campus wide which provide scanning, copying, printing and faxing.

Among the special recognitions, the Regents acknowledged Head Coach Ben McCollum and the Bearcat men’s basketball team for their 2019 NCAA Division II national championship and a variety of accolades received during their undefeated season. Others were Kevin Nguyen, who earned the top prize in prose interpretation at the Pi Kappa Delta Biennial Speech and Debate Tournament, and Northwest’s Pi Omega Pi Business Honor Society, which was named the National Chapter of the Year at its biennial convention recently in Chicago.

Faculty and staff recognitions included John Bell, who received the Missouri Music Educators Association Outstanding Educator Award in January; Dr. Greg Haddock, who was featured by featured by Ingram’s Magazine among its “50 Missourians You Should Know;” Dr. Tyler Tapps, who has been accepted to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Emerging Leaders Program; Dr. Terry Long, who received a citation award from the California Park and Rec Society for recreation therapy; and Gina McNeese, who was honored recently by the American Heart Association with its Mission Impact Award.

In other business, the Regents approved candidates due to receive bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees during spring commencement, the faculty appointments for Northwest’s 2019 summer session, the Regents’ meeting schedule and the university’s academic calendar for 2021-22.

Among reports from the recently elected student president Asma Hassan, faculty senate, staff council and President Dr. John Jasinski was an announcement from Michael Faust, Northwest Missouri State Foundation, that the Forever Green campaign is nearing the public portion of the campaign and the Hughes Fieldhouse raised 200 percent of the original goal. Jasinski also spoke about the campaign and the state funding possibly seeing a million dollar increase.

The Regents went into closed session with the topics of litigation, real estate dealings and personnel issues.