Regents receive results of financial audit, accepts tobacco-free campus policy

Northwest Missouri State University’s Regents during its regular session December 12 accepted the results of the institution’s FY24 financial audit, which generated an unmodified opinion of the university’s financial statements with no misstatements.

RubinBrown LLP, Kansas City, completed the annual audit of the university’s financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30. The audit included examining amounts and disclosures in financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.

Additionally, the firm completed an audit of the major federal awards, which also resulted in an unmodified opinion with no misstatements.

Regents approved:

• the appointments of one full-time faculty and 20 adjunct faculty to teach coursework at Northwest during the spring 2025 semester.

• the renewal of a 12-month lease agreement with Bolder Industries Maryville LLC to occupy laboratory and office space in the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation.

• the replacement of Northwest’s Smoke-Free Campus Policy with a Tobacco-Free Campus Policy, effective July 1, 2025, that prohibits the use, sale, distribution, sampling and advertising of tobacco products, including smoke-generating, vapor-generating and smokeless products, on university property.

• the conferral of degrees at the conclusion of the fall semester. Northwest will celebrate its 1,112 summer and fall graduates during two commencement ceremonies.

Additionally, Thursday’s session included a recognition of Hunter Weakley, a recent Northwest graduate, who received the OR Grawe Award from the Association of Missouri Geologists, an honor presented to the state’s top junior or senior geology major and making him the university’s 11th recipient in 25 years.

Reports were given by the leaders of the student senate, faculty senate, staff council, foundation and President Dr. Lance Tatum.

There was a closed session for the Regents with the topics of litigation, real estate dealings and personnel.