Published on March 27, 2020

Updated on March 18, 2021

March 18, 2021: Content on this page is historical. While COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our institution, the university’s financial outlook continues to stabilize and we no longer require exceptions for hiring or position classification. The university continues to remain vigilant in order to best manage our resources and meet financial performance expectations.

March 27, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As we finish spring break and prepare for remote learning to resume on Monday, I want to again thank you for your impressive efforts to provide high-quality instruction for our students through this enduring challenge. Our efforts to support our state through the coronavirus pandemic continue and many members of our Mizzou family are finding ways that they can help our communities. I especially want to thank the members of the MU Health Care team and the on-site employees for their deep commitment to our community.

The Mizzou spirit perseveres.

As we continue to work through many practical challenges of running the university during this period, we strive to make the best decisions possible within an ever-changing situation. During this uncertain time, we also must be good fiscal stewards. To that end, we are asking our staff and faculty to take prudent actions now to mitigate the unknown financial impact on the Mizzou community. Effective immediately, we will restrict hiring and large purchases.

For the short-term, we will use the following priorities to guide our financial decisions.

• Ensure our students receive a high-quality education.
• Support retention and recruitment of our students.
• Continue research and scholarship, especially related to the public health crisis and precision health.
• Support the University’s response to the public health crisis and other engagement activities.
• Support activities that grow revenues for the University.

We are not alone in this reality and many institutions are curtailing new spending as a prudent action during this unprecedented time. More details can be found here.

Thank you for your understanding and for your diligence in taking these measures.

Mun Y. Choi
President, UM System and Interim Chancellor, University of Missouri