Lewis & Clark payments include $7 million for center

Northwest is set to receive $7 million as the state announced the release Monday, Oct. 15, of the first round of funding made possible through the partial sale of assets by the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, or MOHELA.

Over the next several years, Gov. Matt Blunt's Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative is expected to provide about $335 million to Missouri's state-assisted colleges and universities. Most of the money will pay for the construction of facilities designed to support science and technology programs.

The $7 million disbursement to Northwest is the first installment of $24.4 million in Lewis and Clark money earmarked for the completion of the University's Center of Excellence for Plant Biologics.

The payment also means that a 2 percent mid-year pay increase for all University employees approved by the Board of Regents in August, and contingent on the arrival of Lewis and Clark funds, will go into effect in January 2008.

Phase I of the center -- exterior construction -- is already complete. Phase II, interior design and construction, is now moving forward, according to Ray Courter, vice president for finance and support services.

"We are very thankful that funding for these extremely important science, technology and economic development programs has now begun," Courter said.

Altogether the state announced distribution of nearly $40 million to institutions across Missouri. Blunt's office issued a release saying that the money will "help ensure Missouri's role as a leader in higher education and provide our students with state-of-the-art learning centers so they can more effectively compete in the global economy."

In addition to Northwest, the following institutions were listed as having received partial Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative funding:

Harris Stowe State University, $27,000.
Missouri State University, $22,000.
Southeast Missouri State University, $16.5 million.
Truman State University, $6,250.
University of Missouri-Rolla, $3.3 million.
St. Charles and East Central Community Colleges, $4 million.
Dept. of Economic Development, Missouri Technology Corp. $8.5 million.

The first round of payments to four-year institutions, including Northwest, reimburses those schools for expenditures already made in connection with funded capital projects.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone (660) 562-1704
Fax (660) 562-1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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