By Melissa Dunson

mdunson@joplinglobe.com

With a 70-square-yard concrete pour Thursday morning, construction on Missouri Southern State University’s student recreation center is back on schedule.

MSSU’s Board of Governors will hear more about that project and other campus construction during its monthly meeting today.

Terri Agee, senior vice president at MSSU, said R.E. Smith Construction Co. is on schedule for both the recreation center and the Health Sciences Building. The recreation center has a tentative completion date of fall 2009; the Health Sciences Building is scheduled to be done in 2010.

According to officials with R.E. Smith Construction, the recreation center is 25 percent done despite spring rains delaying work for 45 days.

During the meeting today, President Bruce Speck will share the same PowerPoint presentation with the board that he showed during two economic summits he conducted last month for MSSU staff members and one he is giving today for faculty. During those meetings, Speck announced a 10 percent across-the-board cut in departmental budgets as part of the board’s request to cut $500,000 from the 2008-09 budget.

The presentation focuses on the university’s financial situation, how it got there and what Speck wants to do to get back in the black.

Speck also will talk about reducing the percentage of revenue collected from tuition and fees that goes to scholarships. Currently, MSSU spends 25 percent of that revenue on scholarships; Speck wants to bring that to less than 19 percent, or a cut of about $930,000.

Speck said he cannot cut any scholarship money this coming year, but he plans to reduce that amount over the next three years.

Also during the meeting, John Cirrincione, general manager of the new Downstream Casino Resort on Interstate 44, will make a presentation on the casino’s business operations. Speck said he first saw the presentation during a recent Rotary meeting and thought the board would be interested.

“This is not about gambling. It’s not a pro or con thing. It’s about the business operations of Downstream Casino,” Speck said of the presentation. “It’s to keep people informed. You can feel however you want about (the casino), but they are a major player in this area.”

Some area school boards have expressed concern recently about the effect the growing casino industry could have on high-school graduation rates and college enrollment.

The board also will consider a bid for a non-faculty classification and compensation system.

A closed session will follow the meeting, with the board to discuss legal actions, personnel issues and real-estate transactions.