{"history":[],"article":{"id":"6250d483-4df6-40f6-9208-98ad8393c3d6","title":"University of Missouri System","slug":"university-of-missouri-system","content":":::summary\n![University of Missouri System](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/University///of///Missouri///seal.svg)\n**Name:** University of Missouri System \n**Image Size:** 150 \n**Latin Name:** Sigill Universitatis Missourien \n**Established:** 1963 \n**Type:** [Public](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-university) \n**Endowment:** $2.24 billion (FY 2023) \n**Budget:** $4.11 billion (FY 2024) \n**President:** [Mun Choi](https://bliptext.com/articles/mun-choi) \n**Total Staff:** 19,330 (Fall 2023) \n**Students:** 61,550 (Fall 2023) \n**Faculty:** 5,530 (Fall 2023) \n**City:** [Columbia](https://bliptext.com/articles/columbia-missouri) [Kansas City](https://bliptext.com/articles/kansas-city-missouri) [St. Louis](https://bliptext.com/articles/st-louis) [Rolla](https://bliptext.com/articles/rolla-missouri) \n**State:** [Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri) \n**Country:** [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states) \n**Campus:** 20019 acre \n**Website:** www.umsystem.edu \n:::\n\n# \nThe **University of Missouri System** is an American [state university system](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-university-system) providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, and ten research and technology parks.\nOver 61,500 students (Fall 2023) are currently enrolled at its four campuses.\nThe health care system operates several hospitals and clinics in central [Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri), while the extension program provides [distance learning](https://bliptext.com/articles/distance-learning) and other educational initiatives statewide.\nThe UM System was created in 1963 when the [University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri) (founded in 1839 in Columbia) and the Missouri School of Mines (now the [Missouri University of Science and Technology](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology), founded in 1870 in Rolla), were combined with the formerly private University of Kansas City (now [University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri)–Kansas City, founded in 1933), and a newly created campus in suburban St. Louis ([University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri)–St. Louis) in 1963.\n\n# Components\n\n## Universities\nAll four campuses are comprehensive, separately [accredited](https://bliptext.com/articles/educational-accreditation), [land-grant](https://bliptext.com/articles/land-grant-university)/[research](https://bliptext.com/articles/research)-intensive institutions offering [undergraduate](https://bliptext.com/articles/under[graduate](https://bliptext.com/articles/postgraduate-education)-education), [graduate](https://bliptext.com/articles/postgraduate-education), and [professional degree](https://bliptext.com/articles/professional-degree) programs.\n# [Mizzou logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/University///of///Missouri///logo.svg]\n# [UMKC logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/University///of///Missouri-Kansas///City///logo.svg]\n# [Missouri S&T logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Missouri///S%26T///logo.svg]\n# [UMSL logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/UMSL///wordmark.svg]\n\n## Health care\nThe [University of Missouri Health Care](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-health-care) system operates several facilities in central Missouri, including [University Hospital](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-hospital) (the only [Level I trauma center](https://bliptext.com/articles/level-i-trauma-center) in central Missouri ) and [Ellis Fischel Cancer Center](https://bliptext.com/articles/ellis-fischel-cancer-center) (the only hospital in Missouri specializing in cancer treatment ).\nIt is also closely affiliated with MU's [School of Medicine](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-school-of-medicine), [University of Missouri School of Health Professions](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined), [Sinclair School of Nursing](https://bliptext.com/articles/sinclair-school-of-nursing), and [University of Missouri-Kansas City Doctor of Pharmacy at MU satellite program](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined).\nIt employs 4,515 employees.\n\n## Extension\nUsing science-based knowledge, [University of Missouri Extension](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-extension) engages people to understand change, solve problems and make informed decisions.\nMU Extension makes university education and information accessible for:\nUniversity of Missouri Extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through county extension councils, and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.\nMU Extension offers distance learning, [Mizzou Online](https://bliptext.com/articles/mizzou-online), continuing education, evening classes,.\nPrograms in agriculture, natural resources, lawn and garden, home and consumer life, nutrition and health, families and relationships, community and leadership, business and careers, and emergency management are available through offices throughout the state.\n\n## Research and technology parks\nAs part of its economic development mission to support high-tech growth in Missouri, the UM System owns and operates 10 research parks throughout the state.\n\n## Press\nThe [University of Missouri Press](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-press) was established in 1958 and today publishes over 70 titles per year, including several series such as the Missouri Biography Series.\nIt also distributes books for the Missouri Historical Society Press.\n\n## Students organization\nThe Associated Students of the University of Missouri is a student run organization that represents the students of all four UM system campuses in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. It was created in 1975 by the Missouri Students Association.\nASUM has an internship program that lobbies the [Missouri General Assembly](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-general-assembly) on a regular basis pertaining to student issues including equalizing the Access Missouri tuition grant, increasing funding for the Bright Flight Scholarship, and giving the student representative to the UM Board of Curators a vote.\n\n# Administration\n\n## Organization\nThe UM System is governed by a [board of curators](https://bliptext.com/articles/curators-of-the-university-of-missouri), consisting of nine members appointed by the [governor](https://bliptext.com/articles/governor-of-missouri) with the advice and consent of the [Missouri Senate](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-senate).\nCurators serve six-year terms, staggered by three positions expiring every two years.\nNot more than one curator can be appointed from the same congressional district, and no more than five curators can belong to the same political party.\nIn addition, there is a non-voting student representative to the board, likewise appointed and confirmed, who serves a two-year term.\nThe post is rotated among the four universities.\nPresently, the post is held by Avery Welker from the S&T campus.\nThe board of curators selects the president of the system, who reports to the board along with the [general counsel](https://bliptext.com/articles/general-counsel).\nEach campus is led by a chancellor who reports to the president, as does an executive vice president, four vice presidents, and a chief of staff.\nThe president chairs the University of Missouri Health System advisory board.\n\n## Presidents\nThere have been ten presidents of UM System since its inception in 1963.\nPrior to the formation of the system, the position of president was more akin to what is now chancellor of the Columbia campus.\nHowever, the UM System counts presidents who served before the system was created, therefore the numbering starts at 14.\nSee [University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri) for a list of presidents from 1841 to 1963 and chancellors from 1963–present.\nThis list does not include all [interim](https://bliptext.com/articles/interim-management) presidents.\n

[Elmer Ellis](https://bliptext.com/articles/elmer-ellis) (1963–1966)\n

[John C. Weaver](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-carrier-weaver) (1966–1970)

[C. Brice Ratchford](https://bliptext.com/articles/c-brice-ratchford) (1971–1976)

[James C. Olson](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-c-olson) (1977–1984)\n

[C. Peter Magrath](https://bliptext.com/articles/c-peter-magrath) (1985–1991)\n

[George A. Russell](https://bliptext.com/articles/george-a-russell) (1991–1996)\n

[Manuel T. Pacheco](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-t-pacheco) (1997–2002)\n

[Elson Floyd](https://bliptext.com/articles/elson-floyd) (2003–2007)

[Gary D. Forsee](https://bliptext.com/articles/gary-d-forsee) (2008–2011)\n

[Timothy M. Wolfe](https://bliptext.com/articles/timothy-m-wolfe) (Feb. 15, 2012 – Nov. 9, 2015)\n

[Mun Choi](https://bliptext.com/articles/mun-choi) (2017–present)\n\n\n# History\nThe University of Missouri was founded in 1839 in Columbia.\nIt was the first public institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River.\nIt became a land-grant university after passage of the [Morrill Act of 1862](https://bliptext.com/articles/morrill-act-of-1862).\nIn 1870, the University established the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla.\nThe UM System was created in 1963 when the University of Kansas City, which had been a private institution, was acquired and renamed University of Missouri-Kansas City.\nThat same year, a new university named University of Missouri-St. Louis was created.\nIn 1964, the School of Mines ‡ was renamed the University of Missouri-Rolla, and the original university in Columbia was renamed University of Missouri-Columbia.\nEffective January 1, 2008, UM–Rolla became the Missouri University of Science and Technology.\n\n## Naming\nSince its founding in 1839 until the formation of the system in 1963, the institution in Columbia was known simply as the University of Missouri.\nWhen the University of Missouri System was established, the existing institutions—the University of Missouri in Columbia and its offshoot, the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla were renamed the University of Missouri–Columbia and the University of Missouri–Rolla.\nThe formerly private institution acquired by the system, the University of Kansas City, was renamed the University of Missouri–Kansas City.\nThe newly created institution in St. Louis was suitably named the University of Missouri–St.\nLouis, thus creating a uniformly named system of institutions.\nThe original generic name, the University of Missouri, was not officially assigned to any of the schools or the system.\nHowever, it has been commonly used both formally and informally to mean the original Columbia campus or the system.\nIt has also been used to mean any of the other three campuses, though this is most often done in a casual manner at the campus in question, or by persons unfamiliar with the system.\nAll four campuses have felt their regional designations potentially cause them to be mistaken as second-tier regional institutions.\nConsiderable controversy over use of the generic name has been caused by the Columbia campus claiming de facto ownership, further marginalizing the other three campuses.\nThe Rolla campus was first to enact a break from regional designation.\nOn 6 April 2007, the board of curators approved a proposal to rename the school the Missouri University of Science and Technology, effective 1 January 2008.\nIn addition to ridding itself of a regional designation, it also emphasizes the school's technological research mission.\nThis quickly catalyzed a long-dormant \"name restoration\" campaign at the Columbia campus to drop its regional designation.\nThis proposal met with considerable criticism, mainly from the Kansas City and St. Louis campuses, who saw this as unnecessary or unfair and an intentional detriment to their campuses.\nOn 29 November 2007, the board of curators voted unanimously to allow the Columbia campus to use the generic University of Missouri name for essentially all public purposes, but not when dealing with \"official business\" such as budget documents, legal contracts, and other internal UM System documentation, or whenever clarification from the system or other campuses is needed.\nUse of the generic name is not compulsory and the Columbia designation may continue to be used in any context.\nThe decision also stipulates that the UM System utilize the \"System\" designation in most instances.\nProponents of the change say that it simply provides clarification and recognizes what has always been common usage, but the issue remains controversial.\nSouthwest [Missouri State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-state-university) sought and eventually was granted permission to drop its regional designation and become [Missouri State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-state-university).\nThis change was initially vehemently opposed by the UM System, as it saw this as a threat to its funding and its stature as the premier public institution of higher learning in Missouri.\nIt also would create historic entanglements, as the University of Missouri had interchangeably used the Missouri State University name at times in its history.\nThis resulted from MU being designated as both a land grant and a research institution, unlike states such as Iowa where separate institutions ([University of Iowa](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-iowa) and [Iowa State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/iowa-state-university)) were created.\n\n## Proposed merger\nIn April 2003, [Northwest Missouri State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/northwest-missouri-state-university) in [Maryville](https://bliptext.com/articles/maryville-missouri) approached the UM System with the possibility of becoming the fifth school in the system.\nName proposals for the university after the merger, such as the University of Missouri–Northwest, were to reflect the school's separate heritage.\nThe Maryville institution would have become a doctoral degree-granting research university of equal stature with the existing UM System universities.\nHowever, the enabling legislation before the [Missouri General Assembly](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-general-assembly) never passed and the deal [sunset](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunset-provision).\nThere have been no further attempts at a merger.\n\n## 2015 racial controversies, protests, and resignations\nIn 2015, Wolfe was the subject of criticism from a variety of groups over his failure to address a series of racist incidents at the University of Missouri, including students openly using racial slurs towards minority student leaders, and an October incident where feces was used to draw a swastika, drawing condemnation from black and Jewish student organizations.\nIn November 2015, Missouri's Legion of Black Collegians announced that approximately thirty athletes would not participate in any team activities unless Wolfe resigned.\nOn November 8, 2015, the Missouri Student Association joined in calling for Wolfe's resignation.\nOn November 9, 2015, Wolfe resigned at a special Board of Curators meeting that morning.\nIn a statement, he said, \"My motivation in making this decision comes from a love of Columbia where I grew up and the state of Missouri. I thought and prayed over this decision. It is the right thing to do. ... The frustration and anger I see is real and I don't doubt it for a second. ... I take full responsibility for the actions that have occurred. I have asked everybody to use my resignation to heal. Let's focus in changing what we can change today and in the future, not what we can't change in the past.\"","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T18:33:09.185Z","updated_at":"2025-01-25T18:33:09.185Z","search_vector":"'missouri':3 'system':4 'univers':1","search_content":" \n \n**Name:** University of Missouri System \n**Image Size:** 150 \n**Latin Name:** Sigill Universitatis Missourien \n**Established:** 1963 \n**Type:** [Public](https://bliptext.com/articles/public-university) \n**Endowment:** $2.24 billion (FY 2023) \n**Budget:** $4.11 billion (FY 2024) \n**President:** [Mun Choi](https://bliptext.com/articles/mun-choi) \n**Total Staff:** 19,330 (Fall 2023) \n**Students:** 61,550 (Fall 2023) \n**Faculty:** 5,530 (Fall 2023) \n**City:** [Columbia](https://bliptext.com/articles/columbia-missouri) [Kansas City](https://bliptext.com/articles/kansas-city-missouri) [St. Louis](https://bliptext.com/articles/st-louis) [Rolla](https://bliptext.com/articles/rolla-missouri) \n**State:** [Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri) \n**Country:** [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states) \n**Campus:** 20019 acre \n**Website:** www.umsystem.edu \n \n\n# \nThe **University of Missouri System** is an American [state university system](https://bliptext.com/articles/state-university-system) providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, and ten research and technology parks.\nOver 61,500 students (Fall 2023) are currently enrolled at its four campuses.\nThe health care system operates several hospitals and clinics in central [Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri), while the extension program provides [distance learning](https://bliptext.com/articles/distance-learning) and other educational initiatives statewide.\nThe UM System was created in 1963 when the [University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri) (founded in 1839 in Columbia) and the Missouri School of Mines (now the [Missouri University of Science and Technology](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology), founded in 1870 in Rolla), were combined with the formerly private University of Kansas City (now [University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri)–Kansas City, founded in 1933), and a newly created campus in suburban St. Louis ([University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri)–St. Louis) in 1963.\n\n# Components\n\n## Universities\nAll four campuses are comprehensive, separately [accredited](https://bliptext.com/articles/educational-accreditation), [land-grant](https://bliptext.com/articles/land-grant-university)/[research](https://bliptext.com/articles/research)-intensive institutions offering [under[graduate](https://bliptext.com/articles/postgraduate-education)](https://bliptext.com/articles/under[graduate](https://bliptext.com/articles/postgraduate-education)-education), [graduate](https://bliptext.com/articles/postgraduate-education), and [professional degree](https://bliptext.com/articles/professional-degree) programs.\n# [Mizzou logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/University///of///Missouri///logo.svg]\n# [UMKC logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/University///of///Missouri-Kansas///City///logo.svg]\n# [Missouri S&T logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Missouri///S%26T///logo.svg]\n# [UMSL logo | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/UMSL///wordmark.svg]\n\n## Health care\nThe [University of Missouri Health Care](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-health-care) system operates several facilities in central Missouri, including [University Hospital](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-hospital) (the only [Level I trauma center](https://bliptext.com/articles/level-i-trauma-center) in central Missouri ) and [Ellis Fischel Cancer Center](https://bliptext.com/articles/ellis-fischel-cancer-center) (the only hospital in Missouri specializing in cancer treatment ).\nIt is also closely affiliated with MU's [School of Medicine](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-school-of-medicine), [University of Missouri School of Health Professions](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined), [Sinclair School of Nursing](https://bliptext.com/articles/sinclair-school-of-nursing), and [University of Missouri-Kansas City Doctor of Pharmacy at MU satellite program](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined).\nIt employs 4,515 employees.\n\n## Extension\nUsing science-based knowledge, [University of Missouri Extension](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-extension) engages people to understand change, solve problems and make informed decisions.\nMU Extension makes university education and information accessible for:\nUniversity of Missouri Extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through county extension councils, and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.\nMU Extension offers distance learning, [Mizzou Online](https://bliptext.com/articles/mizzou-online), continuing education, evening classes,.\nPrograms in agriculture, natural resources, lawn and garden, home and consumer life, nutrition and health, families and relationships, community and leadership, business and careers, and emergency management are available through offices throughout the state.\n\n## Research and technology parks\nAs part of its economic development mission to support high-tech growth in Missouri, the UM System owns and operates 10 research parks throughout the state.\n\n## Press\nThe [University of Missouri Press](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri-press) was established in 1958 and today publishes over 70 titles per year, including several series such as the Missouri Biography Series.\nIt also distributes books for the Missouri Historical Society Press.\n\n## Students organization\nThe Associated Students of the University of Missouri is a student run organization that represents the students of all four UM system campuses in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. It was created in 1975 by the Missouri Students Association.\nASUM has an internship program that lobbies the [Missouri General Assembly](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-general-assembly) on a regular basis pertaining to student issues including equalizing the Access Missouri tuition grant, increasing funding for the Bright Flight Scholarship, and giving the student representative to the UM Board of Curators a vote.\n\n# Administration\n\n## Organization\nThe UM System is governed by a [board of curators](https://bliptext.com/articles/curators-of-the-university-of-missouri), consisting of nine members appointed by the [governor](https://bliptext.com/articles/governor-of-missouri) with the advice and consent of the [Missouri Senate](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-senate).\nCurators serve six-year terms, staggered by three positions expiring every two years.\nNot more than one curator can be appointed from the same congressional district, and no more than five curators can belong to the same political party.\nIn addition, there is a non-voting student representative to the board, likewise appointed and confirmed, who serves a two-year term.\nThe post is rotated among the four universities.\nPresently, the post is held by Avery Welker from the S&T campus.\nThe board of curators selects the president of the system, who reports to the board along with the [general counsel](https://bliptext.com/articles/general-counsel).\nEach campus is led by a chancellor who reports to the president, as does an executive vice president, four vice presidents, and a chief of staff.\nThe president chairs the University of Missouri Health System advisory board.\n\n## Presidents\nThere have been ten presidents of UM System since its inception in 1963.\nPrior to the formation of the system, the position of president was more akin to what is now chancellor of the Columbia campus.\nHowever, the UM System counts presidents who served before the system was created, therefore the numbering starts at 14.\nSee [University of Missouri](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-missouri) for a list of presidents from 1841 to 1963 and chancellors from 1963–present.\nThis list does not include all [interim](https://bliptext.com/articles/interim-management) presidents.\n [Elmer Ellis](https://bliptext.com/articles/elmer-ellis) (1963–1966)\n [John C. Weaver](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-carrier-weaver) (1966–1970) \n [C. Brice Ratchford](https://bliptext.com/articles/c-brice-ratchford) (1971–1976) \n [James C. Olson](https://bliptext.com/articles/james-c-olson) (1977–1984)\n [C. Peter Magrath](https://bliptext.com/articles/c-peter-magrath) (1985–1991)\n [George A. Russell](https://bliptext.com/articles/george-a-russell) (1991–1996)\n [Manuel T. Pacheco](https://bliptext.com/articles/manuel-t-pacheco) (1997–2002)\n [Elson Floyd](https://bliptext.com/articles/elson-floyd) (2003–2007) \n [Gary D. Forsee](https://bliptext.com/articles/gary-d-forsee) (2008–2011)\n [Timothy M. Wolfe](https://bliptext.com/articles/timothy-m-wolfe) (Feb. 15, 2012 – Nov. 9, 2015)\n [Mun Choi](https://bliptext.com/articles/mun-choi) (2017–present)\n \n\n# History\nThe University of Missouri was founded in 1839 in Columbia.\nIt was the first public institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River.\nIt became a land-grant university after passage of the [Morrill Act of 1862](https://bliptext.com/articles/morrill-act-of-1862).\nIn 1870, the University established the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla.\nThe UM System was created in 1963 when the University of Kansas City, which had been a private institution, was acquired and renamed University of Missouri-Kansas City.\nThat same year, a new university named University of Missouri-St. Louis was created.\nIn 1964, the School of Mines ‡ was renamed the University of Missouri-Rolla, and the original university in Columbia was renamed University of Missouri-Columbia.\nEffective January 1, 2008, UM–Rolla became the Missouri University of Science and Technology.\n\n## Naming\nSince its founding in 1839 until the formation of the system in 1963, the institution in Columbia was known simply as the University of Missouri.\nWhen the University of Missouri System was established, the existing institutions—the University of Missouri in Columbia and its offshoot, the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla were renamed the University of Missouri–Columbia and the University of Missouri–Rolla.\nThe formerly private institution acquired by the system, the University of Kansas City, was renamed the University of Missouri–Kansas City.\nThe newly created institution in St. Louis was suitably named the University of Missouri–St.\nLouis, thus creating a uniformly named system of institutions.\nThe original generic name, the University of Missouri, was not officially assigned to any of the schools or the system.\nHowever, it has been commonly used both formally and informally to mean the original Columbia campus or the system.\nIt has also been used to mean any of the other three campuses, though this is most often done in a casual manner at the campus in question, or by persons unfamiliar with the system.\nAll four campuses have felt their regional designations potentially cause them to be mistaken as second-tier regional institutions.\nConsiderable controversy over use of the generic name has been caused by the Columbia campus claiming de facto ownership, further marginalizing the other three campuses.\nThe Rolla campus was first to enact a break from regional designation.\nOn 6 April 2007, the board of curators approved a proposal to rename the school the Missouri University of Science and Technology, effective 1 January 2008.\nIn addition to ridding itself of a regional designation, it also emphasizes the school's technological research mission.\nThis quickly catalyzed a long-dormant \"name restoration\" campaign at the Columbia campus to drop its regional designation.\nThis proposal met with considerable criticism, mainly from the Kansas City and St. Louis campuses, who saw this as unnecessary or unfair and an intentional detriment to their campuses.\nOn 29 November 2007, the board of curators voted unanimously to allow the Columbia campus to use the generic University of Missouri name for essentially all public purposes, but not when dealing with \"official business\" such as budget documents, legal contracts, and other internal UM System documentation, or whenever clarification from the system or other campuses is needed.\nUse of the generic name is not compulsory and the Columbia designation may continue to be used in any context.\nThe decision also stipulates that the UM System utilize the \"System\" designation in most instances.\nProponents of the change say that it simply provides clarification and recognizes what has always been common usage, but the issue remains controversial.\nSouthwest [Missouri State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-state-university) sought and eventually was granted permission to drop its regional designation and become [Missouri State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-state-university).\nThis change was initially vehemently opposed by the UM System, as it saw this as a threat to its funding and its stature as the premier public institution of higher learning in Missouri.\nIt also would create historic entanglements, as the University of Missouri had interchangeably used the Missouri State University name at times in its history.\nThis resulted from MU being designated as both a land grant and a research institution, unlike states such as Iowa where separate institutions ([University of Iowa](https://bliptext.com/articles/university-of-iowa) and [Iowa State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/iowa-state-university)) were created.\n\n## Proposed merger\nIn April 2003, [Northwest Missouri State University](https://bliptext.com/articles/northwest-missouri-state-university) in [Maryville](https://bliptext.com/articles/maryville-missouri) approached the UM System with the possibility of becoming the fifth school in the system.\nName proposals for the university after the merger, such as the University of Missouri–Northwest, were to reflect the school's separate heritage.\nThe Maryville institution would have become a doctoral degree-granting research university of equal stature with the existing UM System universities.\nHowever, the enabling legislation before the [Missouri General Assembly](https://bliptext.com/articles/missouri-general-assembly) never passed and the deal [sunset](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunset-provision).\nThere have been no further attempts at a merger.\n\n## 2015 racial controversies, protests, and resignations\nIn 2015, Wolfe was the subject of criticism from a variety of groups over his failure to address a series of racist incidents at the University of Missouri, including students openly using racial slurs towards minority student leaders, and an October incident where feces was used to draw a swastika, drawing condemnation from black and Jewish student organizations.\nIn November 2015, Missouri's Legion of Black Collegians announced that approximately thirty athletes would not participate in any team activities unless Wolfe resigned.\nOn November 8, 2015, the Missouri Student Association joined in calling for Wolfe's resignation.\nOn November 9, 2015, Wolfe resigned at a special Board of Curators meeting that morning.\nIn a statement, he said, \"My motivation in making this decision comes from a love of Columbia where I grew up and the state of Missouri. I thought and prayed over this decision. It is the right thing to do. ... The frustration and anger I see is real and I don't doubt it for a second. ... I take full responsibility for the actions that have occurred. I have asked everybody to use my resignation to heal. Let's focus in changing what we can change today and in the future, not what we can't change in the past.\"","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}