Advertisement

Roo News

The Student News Site of University of Missouri - Kansas City

Roo News

Roo News

Amidst the festive spirit of St. Patricks Day, the iconic symbol of luck, the clover, reminds us of the rich traditions and celebrations honoring Irish heritage.
Exploring St. Patrick's Day Alternatives in Kansas City
Aydan Stigler and Grace Beshore March 14, 2024

  The annual St. Patrick's Day celebration is just around the corner, and with celebration comes large crowds.    The annual city parade...

Visit the City Market to explore local vendors.
Smart Saving Strategies for a Wallet-Friendly Spring Break
Emily Wheeler, Staff Writer • March 14, 2024

  UMKC students are ready for the upcoming week-long spring break, but are their wallets?   From travel adventures to staycations, spring...

Earth Mother by Sheron Smith
Her Art/Their Art Explores the Female Experience in the 21st Century
Elyse Bredfeldt, Staff Writer • March 12, 2024

  Her Art/Their Art is a collection that aims to answer the question: “What does it mean to identify, live, navigate, or be perceived by society...

Nina Simone: Four Women” playbook.
The KC Rep’s “Nina Simone: Four Women” is both timeless and poignant.
Maisy Blanton, Staff Writer • March 5, 2024

  The Kansas City Repertory Theater (KCRep) recently performed “Nina Simone: Four Women.” The show follows musician Nina Simone as she...

Around 1 million people were estimated to be in attendance at the parade.
One Dead, Several Injured During Chiefs Parade
Zach Gunter and Jazlyn Summers February 14, 2024

Update:   As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the number of those injured at the Union Station shooting after the Chiefs Super Bowl parade...

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson visits UMKC on Workforce and Education Tour

Missouri+Gov.+Mike+Parson+visits+UMKC+on+Workforce+and+Education+Tour
Missouri Governor Mike Parson discusses partnerships between the universities and workforce with Kansas City leaders. (Twitter)

Gov. Mike Parson hosted a roundtable at UMKC to bring together Kansas City area leaders earlier this month. 

Parson held the event, which took place in Bloch Executive Hall on Feb. 9, to discuss partnerships between the university and the workforce. Most of the nearly 25 attendees were UMKC administrators, MCC administrators and community leaders. 

“Chancellor Agrawal and Chancellor Kimberly Beatty (MCC) mentioned multiple times they have an ongoing partnership to allow MCC students to easily transition to UMKC,” said Riley Newton, a strategic communications specialist for UMKC. “The two also mentioned ‘many’ partnership programs currently in the works between the two universities.”

One existing partnership is UMKC’s affiliation with University Health, an academic health center with locations throughout Jackson County. The UMKC Health Sciences District, which includes the UMKC School of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing and Health Studies, is a cooperative partnership that UMKC formed with University Health in 2017.  

A newer alliance is the Professional Mobility Escalators program, in which UMKC students get hands-on experience in health care, education, business, engineering or law. Opportunities include internships, career guidance and a $2,500 per year on-campus housing scholarship.   

Future collaborations, however, were the main focus of the meeting. 

“It was more of a discussion about what potential partnerships could be formed between UMKC, Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City Public Schools and businesses in the greater Kansas City area,” Newton said. 

UMKC was only one stop on Parson’s Workforce and Education tour. Since visiting UMKC on Feb. 9, Parson has hosted roundtables at Mizzou, Missouri State, Missouri Southern and other universities.  

“We are proud of our higher education institutions,” Parson tweeted on Feb. 10. “And we will continue working to help these organizations increase access to education, strengthen our workforce, and give Missourians the skills and on-the-job training they need to be successful.” 

Due to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Missouri has a budget surplus for the fiscal year 2022. In his State of the State Address last month, Parson outlined his plans for investing some of these funds in Missouri’s future. 

“Governor Parson recommended nearly $600 million in higher education investments that are expected to generate over $1.1 billion in economic impact for the state, strengthen communities assets, and bolster workforce development programs,” the administration wrote in a press release published on the Missouri Governor website

Chancellor Mauli Agrawal indicated during the roundtable that he plans to invest UMKC’s portion of these funds into UMKC’s Health Sciences District. 

“When I first became governor, improving infrastructure and workforce development were the two main goals,” Parson said. “We are building the foundation of that right now.”

[email protected]

Leave a Comment
Donate to Roo News

Your donation will support the student journalists of University of Missouri - Kansas City. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to Roo News

Comments (0)

All Roo News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *