Gov. Nixon Visits NCMC Campus

Referring to North Central Missouri College as one of “Missouri’s most stellar institutions,” Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday lauded collaborative efforts between the college and state to fund the majority of costs for the Geyer Hall renovation project, set to begin in early 2016.
During a visit to the campus, Gov. Nixon congratulated NCMC on its vision of a project that resulted in the college being able to leverage funds it already had in place with money from two state funding sources which will result in not only improved classroom facilities for students and staff, but allow for renovation of what many consider as “central” to the college campus. With a gift of $1.4 million from the estate of Franklin and Frederick Bosley, NCMC was able to secure a matching amount in funds through the legislature, which were re-authorized by Gov. Nixon this past April, as well as get additional monies from bonding legislation passed this year for state building maintenance.
Nixon called the Geyer Hall project a good example of what can be done through a collaborative effort, noting that lawmakers and educators were able to work hand in hand to make the funding a reality.
“When you work together on priorities, good things can happen” Gov. Nixon said.
The governor addressed the importance of education, noting that higher education “is never more important than it is right now. To win the future, we will have to be educated. To be able to compete globally, we will need to be educated.”
Gov. Nixon said that by the year 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require some type of post-secondary education, compared to 28 percent when he graduated from high school in 1973. He said community colleges play a key role in that process by keeping education affordable for students who either need additional training or want to earn a certificate or degree.
“It’s extremely important that we show our students we value education and strengthen our state as a leader in making it as affordable as possible,” he said.
To that end, Nixon announced that the maximum award amount for Access Missouri scholarships will increase by nearly 30 percent – from $660 to $850 – for students attending participating two-year institutions and by more than 23 percent – from $1,500 to $1,850 – for those attending participating four-year institutions in the current fiscal year,.
“College affordability has been a top priority of my administration and over the past six years Missouri has led the nation in holding down tuition increases at public universities,” he said. “This substantial increase in Access Missouri scholarship amounts will make college more affordable for thousands of students across the state. As many other states struggle with deficits and gridlock, here in Missouri our commitment to our students and our higher education institutions continues to move our economy forward.”
Access Missouri is a needs-based scholarship program to help students of low-income families attend a participating Missouri college or university, if the student meets the Missouri Department of Higher Education’s eligibility criteria. Approximately 50,000 students receive an Access Missouri scholarship annually.
This increase in scholarship amounts is the result of the state’s fiscally responsible budget management and an improving economy, which allowed the governor to release funding for Access Missouri in the 2015 fiscal year. Those funds will be used in the upcoming school year.
While on campus, Gov. Nixon toured planned renovations at Geyer Hall. He was accompanied by President Dr. Neil Nuttall, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness Dr. Jamie Hooyman, Director of Plant Operations Randy Young, architects Ron Auxier and Jeremy Proctor of Ellison-Auxier, Board of Trustees President Chris Hoffman, Student Senate President Eric Holt and other NCMC personnel as well as staff from the governor’s office. He also addressed a group of just over 100 persons during a stop at Cross Hall before heading to Kansas City and the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.