Regents approve FY26 budget, facility names honoring longtime tennis coach, maintenance supervisor

Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents, during its last regular meeting of the fiscal year on Wednesday, unanimously approved the University’s 2025-26 budget, which consists of its Education and General (E&G) and Auxiliary Services budgets, totaling about $115.9 million.

Presenting the University’s proposed budgets to regents, Stacy Carrick, Northwest’s vice president of finance and administration, explained the E&G budget projects a 2.9 percent decrease since last year in total revenues and expenses, while the Auxiliary Services budget shows a 4 percent decrease.

The FY26 budget reflects projected enrollment decreases offset by increases in state appropriations and other revenue sources.

The annual budget serves as a comprehensive framework that aligns Northwest’s multi-year strategic goals, objectives and investments while supporting the University’s commitment to enhancing the student experience and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

Carrick acknowledged Northwest and the higher education environment continue to face challenges that include changing student demographics, variability in international enrollment, evolving learner expectations and constrained funding. The University, however, is focused on investments in enrollment, the collegiate experience, its people and operational effectiveness.

“When enrollments are declining, and we are seeing that this next year for FY26, we’ve had to be agile and flexible on operating expenses, which means we’ve had to find ways to do things with less funds,” Carrick told the Board.

The Board’s approval of the budget follows its May approval of the University’s 2025-26 tuition and fees.

Facility names approved

Regents approved facility names that retain the honors previously bestowed on two individuals with lasting impacts at Northwest.

The Board first approved the naming of its new tennis facility as the Mark Rosewell Tennis Center.

Northwest’s intercollegiate tennis facility, previously known only as the Frank Grube Tennis Courts, was rededicated to honor Rosewell in 2019 as part of an expansion of the tennis courts in conjunction with construction of the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse on the University campus.

As a result of its infrastructure modernization project, however, Northwest is relocating its NCAA tennis courts this summer to the west of the Hughes Fieldhouse. The former facility will retain its name as the Frank Grube Courts and be repurposed for recreational uses, including tennis, pickleball, basketball and kickball.

Grube, a member of the Northwest faculty from 1947 to 1973, was a long-time Department of English chair and the first varsity tennis coach at the University. Rosewell began coaching men’s and women’s tennis at the University in 1984 and his teams have accumulated more than 1,200 victories with 30 regular season MIAA titles, 14 regional titles and 45 NCAA tournament appearances.

“Coach Rosewell’s long-standing dedication to Northwest Missouri State University, the MIAA and the NCAA make him a deserving candidate for this honor,” Director of Athletics Dr. Andy Peterson said. “The reputation of our department and tennis programs has been uplifted for many decades because of Coach’s service, and his impact has been felt across generations of Bearcats, both domestic and international. His high-level performance over a substantial period of time stands out from his peers across the country.”

In a second related action, the Board approved the renaming of the University’s Maintenance Building to the John C. Redden Jr. Maintenance Building.

The campus power plant was rededicated in 2019 to honor Redden, who retired in 2014 and died in 2018, for his 45 years of service to Northwest and his key role in launching its innovative alternative fuels program. The power plant, however, is scheduled for demolition, also as part of Northwest’s infrastructure modernization project

“Mr. Redden’s long-standing dedication to Northwest Missouri State University and the Maryville community makes him a deserving candidate for this honor,” Carrick said. “His impact has been felt across various facets of the University and the surrounding region, particularly through his efforts in maintaining the infrastructure and supporting the University’s growth.”

Northwest’s criteria for naming buildings for individuals is based on service to the University through contributions to academic, administrative or support capacities with high distinction or through exceptional contributions to the welfare and reputation of the University, education or community.

Other business

In other business, the Board of Regents approved the appointments of 235 full-time faculty for the 2025-26 academic year.

During his regular report to the Board, Northwest President Dr. Lance Tatum provided updates related to the University’s infrastructure modernization project, in addition to legislative issues at the federal level.

Before the meeting’s adjournment, John Moore, who has served on the Board of Regents since 2018 and was its chair from 2020 to 2023, announced his resignation from the governing body. Moore said he calculated that Wednesday’s meeting was his 100th as a Board member and had concluded that it was a good time for him to exit. 

Moore led Northwest’s presidential search process during 2022-23 and has continued to serve on the Board despite his term expiring Jan. 1, 2023. He also is a 1978 alumnus of the University and a contributor to a number of campus initiatives, including the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse, Agricultural Learning Center and the renovation and expansion of Martindale Hall.

“This is a place that I just feel very passionate about, and as I’ve spent time here and met new people along with the people I already knew before, my respect and admiration for them has only grown,” Moore told the room of regents, faculty and staff gathered for the session. “When you try to describe what’s different about Northwest from other places that you could be involved in, you come here and people are excited about what they’re doing. They enjoy the people they’re doing it with. They care deeply about the institution and about one another.”

The Board of Regents is responsible for sound resource management of the University and determining general, educational and financial policies.