By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

A committee made up of members of Missouri Southern State University’s Board of Governors and President Bruce Speck has been directed to explore changes to the university’s nondiscrimination policy that would include protection for gay and lesbian students and faculty.

Board President Rod Anderson on Friday charged the committee to “investigate, inquire, and advise the best way to proceed regarding university policy.”

Anderson, following the regular Board of Governor’s meeting, said he has not put a timetable on when the committee should report back to the board on the issue.

Meanwhile, students continue to stage protests demanding that the university’s nondiscrimination policy be amended to specifically include protection for gay and lesbian students and faculty members.

The current policy states that Missouri Southern “does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, creed, color, national origin, disability, or age in its educational programs or activities.”

The protests began after a member of the Board of Governors used an anti-gay slur during a Feb. 20 board retreat while talking about the university’s lion mascot logo. The board member, David Ansley, apologized for the remark several times and later resigned.

During Friday’s meeting, Anderson opened the meeting by apologizing to the public on behalf of the board for Ansley’s remark. He also thanked the former governor for his service.

“David Ansley is a good person that said a bad thing,” he said.

Student leaders with Project EQUALITY said they will continue weekly rallies in front of the administration building until the policy is changed.

Ivy Love, one of the group’s leaders and a former student representative to the board, told the Globe, following the meeting, that the organization submitted a letter that it hoped the governors would read.

“We’re asking that all the minutes from the committee be made public,” she said. “And we would like to see student representation on the committee.”

The university’s faculty senate earlier this month unanimously approved a proposal calling for wording expressly protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination in the school’s hiring policies. That proposal also was sparked by Ansley’s remark.

Faculty senate President Roger Chelf presented the resolution to the board, but no action was taken on the proposal.

Budget update

The university’s unrestricted cash reserves for the beginning of March total $17.8 million, according to treasurer Linda Eis’ report at the Friday meeting.

Eis said the amount is an increase of $7.6 million over the same time period last year. Part of the reason for the spike is the university has now received all of its financial aid payments for the spring semester.

Eis also attributed part of the increase to the university having $2.3 million more in its cash reserves than in the previous fiscal year.

“All the gains we’ve made in fiscal years ’09 and ’ 10 will help carry us through ’11 and ’12,” she said.

Higher education statewide is bracing for up to a 20 percent reduction in state appropriations over the next two years as state lawmakers look to reconcile a budget shortfall.

New members

Two new members of the board, appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon, attended their first meeting on Friday. Student representative Ezekiel “Zeke” Tarrant, of Webb City, fills a long-vacant seat on the board, and Lynn Ewing, the Vernon County prosecuting attorney, was appointed to fill the seat Ansley vacated.

Tarrant said during his introductory remarks to the board that he plans on working closely with the student senate to bring concerns to the board’s attention.

Ewing requested a few minutes at the end of the board’s open session to make a statement. During his remarks, Ewing was critical of MSSU’s student newspaper, The Chart, for publishing in its print edition what he characterized as inaccurate and anonymous comments from the paper’s Web site that were left on a story about his appointment.

The comment, posted Feb. 23 under the name “MSSU alumni” referred to Ewing as a “good ol’ boy” of Gov. Jay Nixon, and questioned whether Ewing had filed an application for the post, or had a vested interest in the university.

Ewing disputed the claims, and said he had submitted an application for the post a year ago.

“My point is this to The Chart and to people in general. You’ve got a right of free speech to say anything you want, but put your name on it and be prepared to defend it,” he said. “Check your facts, check your facts, check your facts. And when you are certain you have it right, check your facts again.”

Brennan Stebbins, The Chart’s editor in chief, did not attend Friday’s meeting, and could not be reached for comment.

Ewing, after the meeting, said he felt it was important to address the comments about his appointment to the board.

“I’m always concerned when something is published that questions whether I’m the right person for the job,” he told the Globe after the meeting. “I just think it’s important that when someone has something to say, put your name on it.”

Both Ewing and Tarrant are awaiting state Senate confirmation on their appointments.



Next meeting

MSSU’s Board of Governors will hold its next regular meeting at 1 p.m. April 16 in Room 310 of the Billingsly Student Center.