By Dustin Henggeler

Since taking office as Northwest’s new president in July 2009, Dr. John Jasinski has been asked countless times to present his vision for Northwest. President Jasinski says he will never verbalize his vision as it would be a disservice to Northwest to even attempt. Instead, he will gladly share his views on Northwest’s future and what he thinks would be a good idea for the university. Jasinski knows that Northwest’s vision reaches much further than he alone can visualize, which is why he gets excited speaking about so many different positive avenues with the future of Northwest Missouri State University.

“What I see as most valuable is our collective vision of the future,” said Jasinski as he lists, “listening, building relationships and strategizing are all key roles in my obtaining the vision for our institution, and it’s what I’ve been doing these past months.”
It’s been seven months now since Northwest named it’s 10th president, and though the transition may not have brought too many changes, Jasinski admits it’d be foolish to change something that has been working so great for so long. Instead, he is playing to the strengths of Northwest, focusing on the success that comes from the hard work put in by the faculty and staff involved in the entirety of Northwest.
“It’s not on the final outcome, but instead, how you got to that point of success,” stated Jasinski. “It’s not about football championships or having the highest graduation and retention rates, but the greatness that won every game before Alabama or the instruction that kept students going to get that diploma.”
Northwest’s leaders have tended to look at the larger picture when looking to the future and Jasinski is continuing that tradition with his own leadership. Here’s a breakdown of how Jasinski plans to continue Northwest’s success.

Academics: Can’t be a Bearcat without it
Recruit, retain, engage; it’s as easy as that. However, there are so many details behind each word an institution needs to succeed at in order to thrive.
To recruit students, the institution must have the criterion that creates a desire for the masses to want to attend. To retain, a university must have the curriculum and faculty that will both draw students, while preparing them for future success in the ever-changing workforce. And to engage students successfully, the college must provide sports, organizations, academic services and everything else a student or faculty/staff member may wish to have as their university experience.
So how can the leaders be sure that Northwest is doing this in reaching its market?
Fall 2009 brought in 7,200 new freshmen to the campus, equalling a six percent increase and a new record for freshman enrollment at the university. Add that to the 30 percent increase in online tudents and this year’s highest number of international students Northwest has ever had, to see some of the positive challenges facing Jasinski. All of that highlights the need for a much more expansive campus, a more diverse environment of studies and extra-curricular offerings making for a great recruiting tool for future record-breaking enrollment numbers.
As if those numbers weren’t impressive enough, the retention numbers at Northwest are also at an all-time high of 73 percent, which looks great next to the 64 percent six-year graduation rate Northwest holds. Both are far better than most of Northwest’s competitors and is well above the national average.
But Jasinski asks, is that good enough for Northwest? So as Northwest travels down its path, Jasinski wants to ensure that Bearcats continue to set the bar academically at a high level, paving the way for students’ futures.
“We as an institution need to make sure that we are giving our students the right stuff for graduation in the years 2012 and 2014,” stated Jasinski. “Distinctive needs are relevant so that you have a successful curriculum. That’s what we look to keep up and that’s why we’re able to bring our students back.”

Finances: The financial future doesn’t have to be bleak
With Northwest’s growing numbers and continued success in various national events academically and beyond, the university’s operational finances may not always be the first thought for the average Bearcat. But that’s just what is at the forefront of Jasinski’s mind, especially with the proposed 10.5 percent state budget cut for higher education over the next two years. That is why he is looking in diverse arenas when it comes to potential partnerships for Northwest.
Finding an alternative means of providing an energy source to fuel the campus is a strength Northwest has already embarqed upon thanks to the past leadership of Dr. Dean Hubbard, president emeritus, but Jasinski doesn’t want to stop at turning paper products into burnable pellets.
Partnering with Maryville’s newest manufacturing firm, Carbolytic Materials Company, or more commonly called CMC, has provided Northwest with used petroleum. One should not think that Northwest is becoming a waste dump, as that used oil has been a positive step for energy use to provide heating and cooling for the university. Now, the Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center, the former National Guard Armory, recently had solar panels installed to provide the energy needed to load software on the thousands of student laptops.
“Northwest has been the leader in environmental stewardship in this area for several years now and we want to continue to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to renewable energy sources for our institution,” said Jasinski. “And it’s not a bad thing that we’re saving Northwest several millions of dollars in the process.”
So while the economy is still on a slippery slope seemingly in the clutches of the government, Northwest and its lead leader are looking to the future proactively. Looking for 105 more years of success, Jasinski is making his leadership a collaborative effort through partnerships, thorough communication and transparent governing. Building on the strengths of Northwest, while remaining agile to the ever-changing needs of future graduates, Jasinski is dedicated in keeping Northwest’s future bright, taking the strategic and aggressive steps necessary.
“Northwest is much larger then Maryville or Nodaway County, even the Northwest region,” said Jasinski. “We’re without boundaries which means an endless amount of resources and countless partnerships that will help us continue the greatness that makes Northwest what it is today.”