Missouri State University President Clifton M. “Clif” Smart III received praise from the Board of Governors for his performance as president of Missouri State for fiscal year 2019.

Smart presented his self-assessment to the board in an executive session at its June meeting.

The board then completed an electronic survey that evaluated Smart in nine major categories:

• Strategic leadership
• Educational leadership
• Organizational management
• Financial management
• Fundraising
• External relations
• Internal relations
• Board and governance relations
• Personal characteristics and values

The board completed its evaluation in executive session on Aug. 9 as part of its annual summer retreat.  Smart scored very high in all categories.

“President Smart’s success in obtaining a $10 million core-funding increase in state appropriations is a game changer for the university,” said Board Chair Gabriel E. Gore. “There have been, and continue to be, many challenges for the university; however, this ongoing funding increase enables the university to continue to provide an affordable, quality education to Missouri State’s students.”

Smart’s contract

Smart will receive a $25,000 salary increase. He has donated all of the increase to the Clif and Gail Smart endowed professorship in the Darr College of Agriculture.

“This has been an important year for the university,” Smart said. “The additional core funding enables us to address the current challenges and be even more successful.”

Smart’s contract continues through June 30, 2026.

Smart joined Missouri State as general counsel on Dec. 1, 2007, after a successful 20-year legal career. He was named interim president June 27, 2011, and became the 11th president of Missouri State on Oct. 16, 2012.

The Missouri Open Meetings, Open Records Law, also known as the Sunshine Law, requires that personnel decisions made in executive session be reported within 72 hours.