UCM Board Renews Two Charter School Agreements, Approves New Safety-Related Degree

By Jeff Murphy, November 1, 2018

WARRENSBURG, MO – A new Bachelor of Science in Environmental, Safety, and Risk  Management degree, a study abroad fee, on-call construction services agreement, and renewal of agreements with two university-sponsored charter schools were approved by the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors when it met Oct. 26.

Congruent with the university’s mission and its role as a leader in teacher preparation and providing educational opportunities for Missouri students, the board approved the renewal of a charter agreement between UCM and Academie Lafayette for a 10-year period, effective July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2029. Academie Lafayette is defined by Missouri statutes as a high-quality charter school, according to Victoria Hughes, director of the UCM Office of Charter Schools.

The board also approved the renewal of a charter agreement with Kansas City International Academy (KCIA) for a term of five years, July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024. The school was renewed due to an upward trend in academic performance since implementing the Missouri Turn-Around Model for school improvement two years ago.

Academie Layfayette is a French immersion charter school that serves more than 1,000 students in grades K-8 in Kansas City’s urban areas. KCIA provides educational services to approximately 620 K-8 students, the majority of whom are from refugee families. UCM has been a charter school sponsor for nearly two decades, now serving more than 5,000 students in eight different schools throughout Kansas City’s urban core.

In other business, the board approved the B.S. in Environmental, Safety and Risk Management degree offered within the School of Geoscience, Physics, and Safety, in the College of Health, Science, and Technology. This degree must now be approved by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. In addition to preparing students for a highly competitive career field, the program maximizes use of all credit hours earned in an associate’s degree to accelerate time to graduation and reduce cost.

The B.S. in Environmental, Safety, and Risk Management will benefit individuals who are affected by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) recent decision to raise the educational requirement from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree in order to obtain Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. BCSP made this effective July 2, 2018.
 
A proposed $100 study abroad fee to be charged to students who are accepted and commit to a study abroad program (UCM-sponsored or not) was approved. This fee will be effective for all students studying abroad after July 1, 2019. The $100 fee will help cover costs related to international travel insurance for the duration of their experience, the online application process with Terra Dotta Software, and an application service to assist students located in an emergency area.

The board also approved an on-call construction service agreements for construction services with Nouveau Construction and Technology Services of Carrollton, Texas; Reasbeck Construction, Inc., Warrensburg; and Richter Excavation & Plumbing LLC, Warrensburg, for one year with two-year renewal options. This agreement is effective Nov. 1, 2018 through Oct. 31, 2019.