Regents approve plan to purchase Wesley Foundation property, University goals

Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents on Thursday approved the University’s intent to purchase property in anticipation of constructing a new visitors center at the campus entrance, in addition to approving institutional goals as the University readies for its 2025-26 academic year. 

Regents authorized Northwest leadership to execute a contract for the purchase of the Wesley Foundation property adjacent to the campus at 549 W. Fourth St. The acquisition will allow Northwest to advance its interests in constructing a new visitors center to replace the Mabel Cook Recruitment and Visitors Center.

In presenting the proposal to regents, Northwest Vice President of Finance and Administration Stacy Carrick noted the property purchase is part of the University’s work to enhance student recruitment, strengthen its reputation and enhance accessibility to campus.

Northwest’s vision for the new visitors center includes providing a more welcoming and engaging space for prospective students and their families while centralizing admissions, recruitment and orientation activities.

Opened in 1965, the Wesley Student Center has served as a central meeting place for its Methodist-based student organization as well as other student and community groups.

Both the Wesley and Mabel Cook centers were designed by Donald Valk, who was a faculty member and chair of Northwest’s industrial arts department from 1932 to 1970, in addition to working as an architect.

Institutional goals

As he presented FY26 institutional goals to the Board, University President Dr. Lance Tatum emphasized the planned purchase of the Wesley Foundation property as an example of Northwest’s focus on attracting students and growing its enrollment.

“Mabel Cook has been a great facility for us for many, many years, but today’s recruiting conversation is a bit different than it was 15 years ago,” Tatum said. “It is something that requires a much more personalized and technology-based approach to make sure students feel valued when they come on campus. This property is going to give us some flexibility in the conversation of what that future experience could look like for prospective students, and it is positioned at a location that gives us an opportunity to make the first impression of campus for students and families impactful.”

The institutional goals regents approved Thursday build on multi-year goals carried over from FY25. Tatum said the goals incorporate insights gained from his annual evaluation, feedback collected from a survey distributed to Faculty Senate and Staff Council members, and discussions during retreats with the Northwest Leadership Team and Board of Regents.

The goals outline Northwest’s commitment to its three existing strategic themes – enrollment growth and sustainability, the collegiate experience, and people – with the addition of operations as a fourth strategic theme to reflect the University’s shared understanding that operational excellence is foundational to its long-term success and mission delivery.

The goals include increasing international enrollment, strengthening the University’s market position, increasing employee engagement, establishing a comprehensive campaign and developing a strategic plan that guides institutional decision-making and resource allocation for the next three to five years.

In other business

Regents approved a contract of about $2.6 million between the Northwest Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for 2025-26. The funds support salary, benefits, regional and state-required travel, equipment, materials and supplies for staff at the center, which supports 59 school districts in northwest Missouri and has been supported by Northwest since 1995.

The Board approved the appointments of three full-time faculty and 122 adjunct faculty to teach during the 2025-26 academic year. The appointments add to 235 full-time faculty approved to teach by the Board during its June meeting.

The Board approved an updated anti-hazing policy for Northwest in alignment with the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act.

Regents approved the conferral of degrees to students completing bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees at the conclusion of summer coursework.

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