Missouri budget cuts threaten to cripple small colleges, says departing Lincoln University president -Ashley Jost, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

State funding, or lack thereof, isn’t the sole catalyst for Kevin Rome leaving his post as president of Lincoln University in Jefferson City. But it is a factor. For four years, Rome has led Lincoln through budget cuts, a limited ability to increase tuition to keep up with education costs and through multiple rounds of layoffs — including some this week. “As a president it’s very disheartening to think that I’m at an institution and we don’t have the resources to be successful,” Rome told the Post-Dispatch. “That’s a direct reflection of me. As the state thinks about recruiting talent, particularly in higher education leaders, I think it will be more difficult if you are not setting (them) up for success.” Rome leaves June 15 for Nashville where he will become the next president of Fisk University. Like Lincoln, Fisk is a historically black college, but it’s private. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/missouri-budget-cuts-threaten-to-cripple-small-colleges-says-departing/article_0dee55ea-e831-5d08-a420-ffbbb79f9739.html