February 25, 2025 - Navigating Change and Investing in a Sustainable Future
Dear Colleagues,
I want to update our university community regarding our budget and the evolving landscape of higher education funding. Like many institutions nationwide, UMSL is closely monitoring changes at the federal and state levels that may affect guidelines, regulations and funding—such as adjustments in indirect cost returns and modifications to some federal projects.
We remain committed to being a careful steward of state, federal and private resources while ensuring our long‐term sustainability and investing in areas of growth that uplift our region and state. For example, our Transform UMSL initiative is supported by funding restricted to capital investments in our facilities which will significantly reduce maintenance and repair costs to the campus while providing facilities to support our future. We have also garnered state and private investments to support the launch of the UMSL School of Engineering; and just yesterday, we held the grand opening of the API Innovation Center’s research and development laboratories in UMSL’s Science Complex as another example of state funding and private investment on our campus.
In addition to the sustainability of our physical infrastructure we need to pay close attention to our financial sustainability. As we collectively work through our five-year financial plan, we remain committed to merit raises and will continue to review all positions through our justification process to ensure our future investments align with strategic priorities and support future growth. By managing our resources with care, we are making thoughtful investments in a sustainable future.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our mission.
Kristin Sobolik
Chancellor, University of Missouri–St. Louis