University of Missouri System

Hundreds of employees were fired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week. The mood was grim the next morning in an atmospheric science class at the University of Missouri.

The proposed cap on grants is part of a raft of sweeping federal cost-cutting measures put in place by the Trump administration.

An exemption for certain employers means public college students don’t always benefit from Missouri’s new minimum wage at their on-campus jobs. Federal law also allows colleges and universities to pay students less than $7.25 an hour under certain conditions.

The University of Missouri Board of Curators has approved a new $130 million building and new Ph.D. programs for the campus in Rolla.

UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said the school would move to a "decentralized campus inclusion model" starting Nov. 1. The decision follows several attacks on DEI by Missouri GOP leaders, and policy changes within the University of Missouri system, such as the ending of race-conscious scholarships.

After the University of Missouri changed the name of the "Welcome Black BBQ," and dissolved a department, student organizations are expressing concern about what this could mean Mizzou efforts geared toward marginalized communities.

University of Missouri's Black Studies Department demanded that MU Chancellor and UM System President Mun Choi apologize for suggesting the use of “Black” in an event name implies exclusion. The department also noted declining Black student enrollment.

The Legion of Black Collegians at the University of Missouri says it was required to rename an upcoming barbecue the "Welcome Black and Gold BBQ." The university said the change was needed to show the campus is "welcoming to all."

The University of Missouri's Columbia campus plans to admit 6,243 first-year students this fall — an increase of 18% from last year. With limited dorm space, the university is contracting a nearby apartment complex to accommodate the new students.

UM System president Mun Choi said that the Department of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, which was established after protests about racial equality in 2015, will be dismantled and moved into other offices to reduce political visibility and protect its budget.

After the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action, the University of Missouri System immediately started removing racial or ethnic criteria from institutional scholarships.

The University of Missouri filed a petition to remove the racial and ethnic criteria on at least 53 donated scholarships and funds across its four campuses. It follows a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that race cannot be used as a factor in the admissions process of universities receiving federal assistance.