Mun Choi will serve as both president of the University of Missouri System and Chancellor of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, under a new system governing structure approved July 28 by the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

The Columbia campus is one of four universities that make up the System, along with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla.

The new structure will also include a Council of Chancellors, consisting of the chancellors of all four universities, that will meet monthly to “confer, address mutual challenges and opportunities and exchange information,” according to the board resolution.

 “I respect the decision of the Board of Curators and appreciate the fact that they are willing to ask hard questions regarding the governing structure of the University of Missouri System,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “It is clear that the board recognizes the lasting significance of any changes to this structure and the potential impacts on each individual campus. Through the ongoing process approved by the board, we must ensure that the entire UM System flourishes and UMKC can thrive and continue to be the vibrant and vital urban resource of teaching, research and service that Kansas City depends on.” 

The board also directed the Council of Chancellors to explore the role and services of the UM System, the role of the president, the role of the chancellors and the scope of the Council and how it should function. The council will provide ongoing updates and recommendations to the board within 120 days.

Agrawal says he will call on the UMKC community for guidance and input into the questions the board has asked the council to explore. In addition, he looks forward to introducing the two curators who will be appointed as a UMKC-specific advisory committee to the Board of Curators. He wants those two curators to understand the unique needs of UMKC and to hear from a diverse group of campus-specific voices.

Julia Brncic, chair of the Board of Curators, said the new governance structure “offers the best way to ensure continued academic and research excellence across the UM System while providing a more cost-effective model during this unprecedented budget crisis and beyond.”