Tatum talks of many changes implemented, what lies ahead during annual University address

Northwest Missouri State University employees gathered Wednesday to mark the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year while the institution’s leadership acknowledged the array of changes on the campus – all designed to better position it for meeting the needs of future students and the workforce.

“Looking across campus, I am reminded that a university is never defined by its buildings or its traditions alone; it is defined by its people,” Northwest President Dr. Lance Tatum said as he opened his annual State of the University address to faculty and staff. “When our faculty, staff and students return, they bring this campus to life, renewing the energy, purpose and sense of community that makes Northwest what it is. It reminds us why we chose this calling: to transform lives, expand opportunity and build a brighter future together.”

Tatum, who is entering his fourth academic year leading Northwest, reflected on the topic of change throughout his address, saying it has occupied his thoughts this summer. But Northwest, he argued, is already meeting the challenges that change often brings.

“We know that change is rarely comfortable,” he said. “It seldom asks our permission. Yet it remains one of life’s few constants. If we are going to speak honestly about Northwest — where we have been, where we stand today and where we are going — we must begin there.”

During the first three years of his presidency, Northwest has restructured its academic units, implemented a customer relationship management platform to strengthen communication with prospective students, redefined its enrollment marketing strategies, adopted Common App to ease the application process for students and invested in esports. Further, Northwest is navigating a significant operational transformation by implementing Workday to manage business processes, and it has instituted a more sustainable compensation model.

Tatum also highlighted the arrivals in recent months of Dr. Rose Marie Ward as provost and vice president of academic affairs and Dr. Bruce Skinner as vice president of student affairs. Ward, he said, “is helping shape the next generation of academic innovation, strengthening our curriculum, expanding opportunities for students and positioning Northwest to meet the workforce needs of tomorrow.” He said Skinner “brings both experience and a deep commitment to creating an exceptional student experience at Northwest.”

Most visibly, Northwest is nearing the end of its three-year infrastructure modernization project. Martindale Hall also is reopening this fall after an extensive renovation and transformation that added 16,000 square feet to the building, creating a modern home for allied health education programs.

Summarizing the changes already implemented at Northwest, Tatum told employees, “Northwest chose to lead rather than react, to anticipate change instead of waiting for change to force our hand. That work belongs to every member of this University community. Because of your commitment, Northwest enters the future prepared, confident and positioned to succeed.”

Looking ahead, Tatum outlined Northwest’s work to establish a Center for Rural Health focused on advancing healthcare education, supporting professionals already serving rural communities and strengthening partnerships to improve healthcare throughout the region. The University took a step toward that vision with the creation of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and plans to accept its first four-year nursing class in the fall of 2027.

“Rural Missouri is losing healthcare access at an alarming pace,” Tatum said. “Communities that have supported Northwest for generations are watching hospitals reduce services or close altogether. Northwest has both an opportunity and a responsibility to respond.”

Additionally, Northwest is expanding opportunities for adult learners through the implementation of a Bachelor of Professional Studies program, a fully online, 90-credit-hour bachelor’s degree designed to serve military veterans, working professionals, transfer students and others who may have accumulated college credit but have yet to complete a degree.

“This program removes barriers without lowering expectations,” Tatum said. “It preserves the academic quality Northwest is known for while meeting students where they are.”

By the end of the fall semester, Northwest plans to finalize a new strategic plan, titled “Excellence: The Northwest Way,” and seek approval from the Board of Regents. 

“While higher education will continue to change, our commitment to excellence — in how we serve students, support our employees and fulfill our mission — will not,” Tatum said. “‘Excellence: The Northwest Way’ will be built for the realities we face — not the ones we wish we faced. It will be clear, focused, disciplined and honest about the environment in which Northwest will compete and succeed.”

In his closing remarks, Tatum said, “The future will not belong to the institutions that wait for change to happen to them. It will belong to those willing to prepare before they have to, to lead before they are forced to and to invest before they need to. That is what Northwest has done. That is who Northwest is, and because of that I believe our very best days are still ahead.”