Key Legislative Staff Members Visit Campus

Key legislative staff members visited the Midwestern State University campus on Wednesday to see firsthand how funding decisions made in Austin affect the university, the state's only public liberal arts college.

Guests included Dustin Meador, committee clerk, House Higher Education Committee; Mitzi Stoute, chief of staff, Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock (House Appropriations Education Sub-Committee member); Hunter Thompson, education budget analyst, House Appropriations Committee; and David Young, advisor, Governor's Office of Budget, Planning, and Policy.

University President Jesse W. Rogers accompanied the group on a tour of the J.S. Bridwell Regional Simulation Center. The property at 917 Midwestern Parkway was purchased and repurposed in 2011 to accommodate the needs of the center, which was originally founded in 2005 through funding assistance provided by a Nursing Innovation Grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. MSU, Vernon College, and United Regional formed The North Central Texas Health Care Consortium with the goal to increase the number of students admitted to clinical courses. Since its inception, the number of MSU nursing graduates has climbed from 20 to 120 graduates per year.

Other highlights of the visit included a tour of the university's main campus with stops at the Dillard College of Business Administration and the McCoy School of Engineering and a working lunch with several members of the administration and the Student Government Association.

"We are delighted to have this opportunity to share the goals and accomplishments of Midwestern State University with these important staff members from Austin," said Rogers. "Today's visit will help all parties as we prepare for the next legislative session."