About 12 years ago, Clif Smart said he didn’t even want the job. Now, he is grateful he had the chance to lead Missouri State University as its president.
“I never would have imagined that I would have a 13-year run as president, and lead the university forward in a variety of ways,” Smart said. “It has been an amazing run, and I’m so appreciative that I had this opportunity.”
Smart, who was given a raise earlier this year, on Wednesday announced his intent to retire as university president at the end of the ‘23-’24 academic year. An exact end date has not yet been announced; Smart said he intends to remain on the Springfield campus as its leader to assist with the transition once a new president is named.
The new president will have a large legacy to live up to, said Rob Fulp, regional managing director at Great Southern Bank and Executive in Residence for MSU.
“He will go down as the highest level president at Missouri State,” Fulp said. “He has demonstrated a passion for the university on a 24-7 basis since he took over.”
From attorney to university president
Smart’s path to being the university’s biggest Bear started in a non-traditional manner — he worked as a product liability attorney for about two decades. Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and a friend of Smart's since the early ‘90s, said Smart sought something different and jumped at the chance to work as a general counsel for Missouri State.
About four years after making that move, Smart began his tenure as an interim president, said Springfield Mayor Ken McClure. Smart was asked to take on an interim leadership role after the previous president, James Cofer, resigned after only 10 months on the job.
The next 12 years featured Smart elevating the university from turmoil to a period of tremendous growth and clout, said McClure, who stepped down as a university vice-president in 2015.
“We worked together during a transition. He became president after a tumultuous 10 months that were not good for the city or university,” McClure said. “With Smart, the university has seen large growth in enrollment, added facilities that needed to be built or upgraded and increased its prestige. He was clearly the right man at the right time.”
Making the grade
The list of Smart’s accomplishments is long, and steps over the boundaries of the National Avenue campus. The university reports record undergraduate enrollment for both the Springfield campus and its entire system since 2011.
Smart has four accomplishments he takes particular pride in, he said:
- Earning recognition as a doctoral granting university by the state, Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education and Higher Learning Commission. “That is a huge accomplishment for the university,” Smart said. “It lets us roll out new programs such as our clinical psychology cohort starting this fall, and a year from now our doctorate in education. The thing that most defines universities is the kinds of credentials you can offer.”
- The construction of several new buildings and other renovated buildings across campus, including the underpass, Plaster Stadium, Davis-Harrington Welcome Center and current construction to expand Roy Blunt Hall, previously known as Temple Hall.
- Working to increase the amount of funding from the state of Missouri — Smart pointed to how the amount the university received, compared with its enrollment growth, led the state to fall behind in funding.
- Expanding the IDEA Commons area in downtown Springfield, helping the Efactory get started and the Brick District growing.
Fogle said Smart’s most noteworthy achievement involves everything his team did to keep college affordable for students. He pointed to universities such as Rutgers and Penn State that are gaining attention for drastic cuts, as well as a declining base of traditional students.
“Despite those headwinds, Smart and his team have been able to grow enrollment and keep things very affordable,” Fogle said. “That’s a big thing for higher education, and I don’t think that is realized by as many as it needs to be. Missouri State is a success story in higher education.”
Aplomb among the community
For everything that happened on Missouri State campus, Springfield's key players appreciate the leadership role Smart took away from campus.
McClure said that the city government and university have a mutually beneficial relationship — when one prospers, both do. McClure complimented the collaborative spirit demonstrated between the city, university and Springfield-Greene County Health Department that Smart helped foster during the pandemic.
Smart also helped forge important relationships with other business partners to help develop the Efactory and the Brick City District. The university is also working with the city on a daylighting project for Jordan Creek, in order to manage stormwater runoff.
“I have read about ‘town and gown’ relationships between cities and universities, and many of those don’t get along well,” McClure said. “We have always had a superb relationship with Missouri State, and Smart deserves a lot of credit for that.”
Smart has served on a long list of community boards and groups. The outreach was a surprising part of the president’s job that Smart said he enjoyed. Fogle said Smart excelled at working with other groups.
“The president prior to Smart was not nearly visible in the community, and that was a noted absence,” Fogle said. “Missouri State is a huge contributor economically and quality of life-wise, and I think Smart stepped right in and embraced that role.”
Not done yet
Before Smart leaves, he said he still has some work to do, and wants to “finish strong.”
The university is in the second year of a two-year process of an academic transition plan that, when completed, will combine the college of humanities and public affairs with the college of arts and letters into the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.
“The goal is to have the bulk of the work done by next summer, so that it will be a good time for the next person to step in,” Smart said. “They won’t have to do the grind. They can begin investing and strategizing how to move forward.”
There are also ongoing construction projects, including the Blunt Hall expansion and a new building to replace the current Art Annex on Grand Street, as well as governmental relations to maintain, Smart said.
Future plans
Smart intends this position to be his last paid job, he said. Now 63, he will be 64 when he retires, and looks forward to spending time with family, traveling, philanthropy and other opportunities for community service.
Smart said that Gail, his wife, thinks something exciting may come along, but he is content to enjoy retirement. He ruled out running for a partisan political office in the future.
“I might be interested in a non-partisan race, but I’m not willing to commit to that,” Smart said. “I just plan on catching my breath and seeing if retirement is a good place to be.”
As for the university, Chris Waters, chair of the university’s board of governors, said it is in an outstanding position to attract a quality candidate, thanks to Smart’s work. During its upcoming meeting on Sept. 20, the university’s Board of Governors is expected to take up discussion of appointing a search committee to help name Smart’s replacement.
“How do you replace him? It will be very difficult,” Waters said. “He has done an unbelievable job, with strong enrollment, a good financial position, gifts continuing to increase at record levels, and all this is aimed at driving our student success.”
This report has been edited to correct Smart's career prior to joining MSU.
