MSU board to extend pact with Springfield police. Here's what it will cost

A special meeting of the Missouri State governing board has been called for Wednesday afternoon. It will be the first one with President Richard "Biff" Williams at the helm.

The university's Board of Governors is expected to approve a continuation an agreement with the Springfield Police Department, which provides law enforcement services on campus.

The agreement for the upcoming fiscal year — which ends June 30, 2025 — is fairly routine.

The total estimated cost to the university for the services is $1.054 million, an increase of 3.86% over the prior year.

In all, the agreement will cost the university nearly $40,000 more, which will cover an increase in salary and benefits for 10 officers. The amount was offset slightly by lower transportation costs.

A breakdown of the cost showed Missouri State pays 80% of the total cost for a sergeant, a corporal and eight officers. The cost is $898,994 and there is a budget of $106,553 for overtime.

The rest of the amount will be used to cover uniforms, training and transportation and software costs.

The agenda includes employment agreements for university athletics, mostly assistant coaches and administrative positions. As part of the meeting, the board will also be informed about a series of purchases for the university libraries, facilities management, and networking and communications.

The university also plans to spend $236,187 on a three-year agreement with Turnitin, which offers protection against academic misconduct. It helps detect copy-and-paste plagiarism, student collusion, and the use of artificial intelligence writing and contract cheating.

The meeting starts at 4 p.m. Wednesday and will take place over Zoom. It is open to the public.