Biff Williams set these 4 goals for his first year as Missouri State president

Richard "Biff" Williams recently finalized the four goals he wants to accomplish by the end of his first year as president of Missouri State. The targets were approved July 17 by the university's Board of Governors.

His initial weeks as the 12th president of the public institution have been a flurry of meetings, conversations, tours and events — on campus and off.

"We hit the ground running," he said. "We've been really excited to just listen and learn."

Williams has interacted with students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members but acknowledged it was just the beginning. He has spent a lot of time with the university's leadership team — all of whom were hired by his predecessor Clif Smart.

"It's really about meeting and listening to people and we've had a really active agenda," he said Friday. "It's been really fun to learn about the campus but also to get out and meet the community leaders. Before school starts, I am trying to meet with as many people as possible."

Williams spent much of the past decade serving as president of Utah Tech University, previously Dixie State University, after leadership posts at Indiana State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

He has been getting familiar with the major construction projects on the campus, the enrollment and academic work that was going on when he arrived, and attended two nights of Tent Theatre.

"I didn't (initially) get a campus tour, per se, it was more of a walking tour so I've been able to get into the facilities," he said. "I've been really impressed with the research areas, the teaching areas and the areas behind the shop."

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Williams and wife Kristin are settling into a home seven miles south of Carrington Hall. He started July 1 and will be paid a base salary of $475,000.

Four first-year goals

The list of goals approved by the board starts with formulating a detailed transition plan.

Zora Mulligan, executive vice president, and others identified who Williams needs to get to know and what he needs to do to get up to speed. They also pinpointed the training he will need on the university's programs and processes.

This includes taking a deep dive into the campus and getting connected to the Springfield community in a meaningful way.

"It's a pretty lengthy list," he said. "Our first goal is for me to complete that transition plan."

The second goal is to develop a strategic plan for the next 5-7 years — the exact time is still a question mark — to be approved by the board in the spring.

At the Aug. 1-2 retreat at Lake of the Ozarks, Williams will work with the governing board to start the process.

"We'll be making goals as a board and as an administrative team at that retreat and then we'll spend the academic year putting that plan together," he said.

"We will look at all facets of the university from our academic plan to buildings that support that to student success opportunities to enrollment opportunities to capital projects to athletics, to the arts, what we're doing here. It will be a comprehensive look."

He said a strategic plan will define the direction of the university with the goal of elevating it.

"People have asked me what is my vision for the university," he said. "What I tell them is 'What is our vision?' and this strategic planning process is really going to uncover that."

Williams said he wants to be able to present a strategic plan to the board in May. If approved, it would be the topic of the August 2025 board retreat.

He said: "That is when we would focus on sharing what are the work plans for the strategies for each goal. Who is in charge of what? How were the funds allocated for the plan?"

Goal No. 3 is to reach "operational excellence," Williams said. He wants to define the values and principles the administrative team will use to guide their work and look for ways to elevate the day-to-day inner workings of the university.

Filling two high-level positions, athletic director and provost, will fall under this goal.

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John Jasinski, the current provost, was a finalist for the president's job and agreed to stay on through June 2025.

Williams it also is important to make sure "shared governance" is a priority.

For the fourth goal, Williams will oversee the transition to Conference USA . The Bears, who have competed in the Missouri Valley Conference since 1990, will join the more competitive athletic league as a full member by the 2025-26 season.

"With not having an athletic director right now, they asked me to do it, to have it a goal of mine to make sure we're overseeing the transition to Conference USA," he said, noting the recent resignation of Kyle Moats. "Are we looking at our facilities? How is our budget?"

Williams said making the leap is "not just about athletics."

"It is also about putting our strategic plan as a university to make sure that we have academic excellence, that all our students are being successful, because in the higher athletic realm we'll be touted more and will be a advertising more," he said.

"The Conference USA are just as proud of their academic side as they are their athletic side."

Williams said he will accomplish the board-approved goals in addition to his regular responsibilities. "We'll keep doing everything that presidents do. Those are the four areas that they asked me to specifically focus on."

Plans for August board retreat

Williams was part of his first official board meeting in mid-July. In early August, he will gather with the board for a two-day retreat at Lake of the Ozarks.

He said the first day will include a meeting with John Welty, a senior consultant with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

"I've worked with John in the past with other strategic planning and he's really good at facilitating the process," he said.

Williams said he wants to lay out the breadth of the work ahead. "We'll identify the areas where we will specifically dive a little deeper than we have in the past."

The second day of the retreat is scheduled to go from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The meeting is at Camden on the Lake Resort in Lake Ozark.

The meeting will include an in-depth legislative update, including a look at the political environment.

"We are also going to have a panel for our Board of Governors where as the administrative council we listen," he said.

Williams noted members are from different parts of the state, separate legislative districts, and have a lot of insight and feedback to share.

"What are they hearing about Missouri State University in the districts? What are they hearing about higher education in general, and have a real candid conversation," he said.

He said there will also be an update on the Conference USA transition.

Measuring success in first year

Asked how he'll measure success in the first year, Williams said it will be whether or not he met the four goals set with the board.

He said executing the transition plan is the most important.

"Have I listened? Have I learned? How have I engaged with the community? Does the community know me? Do they feel comfortable to engage with Missouri State? Do we have open dialogues?" Williams said, listing off questions he wants to be able to answer "yes" to in summer 2025.

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"Does the mayor know me? Do all the educational leaders? Do we have a successful start? Do we have a strategic plan in place and ready to be implemented? That's a very important part of my success."

Williams said his success will ultimately be measured by the students, staff, faculty and board. He wants to become part of the campus in a meaningful way.

"If I'm walking across campus a year from now and people are stopping me and they actually know I'm president, I'll feel pretty successful because I really want to have that level of engagement," Williams said. "I want people to feel comfortable stopping me, talking with me. It's already happening a little bit. The students love calling me Biff."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Biff Williams set these 4 goals for his first year as Missouri State president