Board meetings, as a rule, follow standard procedure. However, the Nov. 21 Board of Governors meeting set a new standard for Missouri Southern.

The meeting followed a signing ceremony for a cooperative agreement for graduate programs between Northwest Missouri State University and Southern. The signing ceremony made official an agreement between the two institutions to offer graduate degrees in early childhood education and instructional technology in education. These programs are to be offered in fall 2004.

Other programs to be offered as joint master’s degree programs will gradually follow.

“This sets a precedent for such programs,” said University President Julio León.

The duties of the two institutions are spelled out in the agreement. The programs are now awaiting approval by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

“This program allows our institutions to combine our strengths, build programs, and do what we couldn’t do otherwise,” said NWMSU President Dean Hubbard.

León and Hubbard agreed this cooperative effort would allow both universities to better serve Missouri and the region as a whole.

“Northwest has a reputation for being a progressive institution,” León said. “They are distinguished in the field of quality control.”

NWMSU established the first online campus in 1987. Courses for the new graduate programs will be a hybrid of televised, Internet and conventional classroom instruction.

“We have an obligation to the citizens and taxpayers to be as efficient as possible,” Hubbard said.

The agreement between NWMSU and Southern is a model agreement. Any future agreement with or between any two institutions in the state will have to follow the same set of guidelines.

Currently, Southern will not have to hire new instructors for the graduate degrees.

“We plan to make use of adjunct instructors and use our existing faculty for now,” León said.

Southern is working toward setting up cooperative graduate programs with Central Missouri State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Southwest Missouri State University.

“We are proceeding with no timelines; it will happen when it happens,” León said.

The University has to be careful to make sure procedures are followed closely to ensure approval by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

“In spite of going through financial difficulties (because of state budget cuts), this institution is never at a stand still,” León said.

“We are in the process of a formal request to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education,” said Dr. Betsy Griffin, interim vice president for academic affairs.

NWMSU sent in the request with an endorsement by Southern.

The request will be posted on the CBHE Web site on or about Dec. 15. So long as there are no objections or requests for clarification the board is anticipated to approve the proposal by the end of January.

“We don’t foresee any problems,” Leon said.

In the meantime Southern’s dean of education Dr. Michael Horvath is working with NWMSU’s dean of education, Dr. Max Ruhl to line out specifics like where each course will be taught and by what means.

Students at both universities will have the opportunity to enroll in the courses regardless of which campus is offering them.

“We have moved away from a time period where as many people can be full time students,” Griffin said. “Many people are place bound because of jobs and responsibilities, we are offering these degrees for people who find it difficult to travel to complete their degree.”

Financial assistance can be split between universities making it easier for students receiving loans and other forms of financial aid. Some of the small details are yet to be worked out such as enrollment procedures.

“We are working to make it easy for students to get their transcripts back and forth,” Griffin said. “We are doing what we can to make it fairly seamless for the students.”