O6 Operational Environment Requirements

Western is a state-supported institution operating under the oversight of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE). Western’s primary service area is determined by statute. Missouri public institutions choose, and the State Legislature approves, their admissions selectivity category. A state committee is reviewing current selectivity categories and admissions requirements for Missouri’s public institutions. Western is an open access institution.

Western believes that citizens should have the opportunity to pursue higher education and continues to honor its tradition of open access. In many of the performance areas established by the CBHE, Western achieves outcomes that rival those of more selective admissions institutions in Missouri. Western is committed to academic excellence and quality teaching, and provides a variety of special offerings, ranging from academic assistance to programs for honors students. All are designed to meet the diverse needs of students.

The campus core consists of 744 acres with 20 buildings, including six residence halls and a commons building that provides meeting, gathering, and casual eating spaces. The new Living/Learning Residential Center (LLC) supports an environment where first-year, first-time students live and learn together. This residence hall can
accommodate eight to ten communities of 40 to 50 residents each. Information technology attracts students and faculty to the campus, assists instructors and students in the teaching and learning processes, and enables the campus to operate more effectively and efficiently. All classrooms at Western are technologically “smart classrooms” that include computers, ethernet connections,
video/data projectors, document cameras and diagonal video format screens.

Western began replacing existing administrative computing software and hardware systems in 2004 with an integrated, technologically current web-based system that empowers users with access to accurate, current information. Category Two describes this important project.