The University of Missouri System is a public land grant university system providing centralized administration for four doctoral research universities, a health care system, and an extension program. More than 63,000 students are currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs at the four campuses.^[2] The health care system operates several hospitals and clinics in central Missouri,^[3] while the extension program provides distance learning and other educational initiatives to communities statewide.^[4]

The UM System was created in 1963 when the University of Missouri (founded in 1839 in Columbia) and its offshoot, the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (founded in 1870 in Rolla), were combined with the formerly-private University of Kansas City (founded in 1929) and a newly-created campus in suburban St. Louis.

All four campuses are comprehensive, separately-accredited,^[5] doctoral research^[6] institutions.

• The University of Missouri–Columbia (also officially known as the University of Missouri, Mizzou, or MU)^[7] is the oldest campus, founded in Columbia in 1839. It is the largest university in the state with over 28,000 students. MU is considered the flagship of the system and offers over 270 degree programs through 20 schools and colleges, and is the only public university in Missouri that is a member of the American Association of Universities. It is also a member of the Big 12 athletic conference and is the only university in the state in which all athletic programs are NCAA Division I or higher.

• The Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is located in Rolla and currently enrolls approximately 5,800 students. The university offers a comprehensive range of degrees, but emphasizes science, computing, mathematics, and engineering. S&T was formerly known as the University of Missouri–Rolla (1964–2007), University of Missouri at Rolla (1963) when it joined the UM System, and originally, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (1870–1963).

• The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) is the largest school in the Kansas City area with over 14,000 students. UMKC houses Missouri's only School of Dentistry. The school was privately founded as the University of Kansas City in 1929, but its name was changed upon joining the UM System in 1963.

• The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is the largest school in the St. Louis area with over 15,500 students. UMSL houses Missouri's only College of Optometry.

The University of Missouri Health Care system operates several facilities, including University Hospital (the only Level I trauma center in central Missouri^[8]) and Ellis Fischel Cancer Center (the only hospital in Missouri specializing in cancer treatment^[9]). It is also closely affiliated with the University of Missouri–Columbia's School of Medicine and Sinclair School of Nursing.

As part of its economic development mission to support high-tech growth in the state, the UM System owns and operates five research parks throughout the state.^[10]

The Missouri Research Park in (Weldon Spring) was created in 1985 and is home to over a dozen high-tech companies.^[11] Other high-tech companies have established facilities nearby.^[12]

The Technology Park at Fort Leonard Wood in St. Robert is the first technology park in the nation to be located on an active Army post.^[13] It houses the MRP Business Center, which was created to be a catalyst for partnerships between the military, corporations, and academia.^[14]

Innovation Park in Rolla,

Discovery Ridge in Columbia, and a developing research park on the campus of UMSL.

In addition to the four universities, the UM System has a statewide extension program offering classes and resources at facilities in every county in the state and through Mizzou Online. The system also owns and operates an extensive health care system with several hospitals.

The UM System is governed by the Board of Curators, consisting of nine members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Missouri Senate. Curators serve six-year terms, staggered by three positions expiring every two years. Not more than one curator can be appointed from the same congressional district, and no more than five curators can belong to the same political party. In addition, there is a non-voting student representative to the board, likewise appointed and confirmed, who serves a two-year term. The post is rotated among the four universities.^[15]

The Board of Curators selects the president of the system, who reports to the board along with the general counsel. Each university is led by a chancellor who reports to the president, as does the chief of staff, the director of communications, the CEO of UM Health Care, and the six vice presidents in charge of system-wide departments.^[16] A special position of Executive Vice President has been created for former interim president Gordon H. Lamb to serve as an advisor to the new president, Gary D. Forsee. Forsee is a veteran chief executive officer, but has not formerly served in an academic capacity. Lamb's appointment is expected to last through 2008.^[17]

There have been nine presidents of UM System since its inception in 1963. Prior to the formation of the system, the position of president was more akin to what is now chancellor of the Columbia campus.^[18] However, the UM System counts presidents who served before the system was created, therefore the numbering starts at 14.^[19] See University of Missouri–Columbia#Presidents and chancellors for a list of presidents from 1841–1963 and chancellors from 1963–present. This list does not include interim presidents.

14. Elmer Ellis † (1963–1966)
15. John C. Weaver (1966–1970)
16. C. Brice Ratchford (1971–1976)
17. James Olson (1977–1984)
18. C. Peter Magrath (1985–1991)
19. George A. Russell (1991–1996)
20. Manuel T. Pacheco (1997–2002)
21. Elson S. Floyd (2003–2007)
22. Gary D. Forsee (2008–present)

† Elmer Ellis had been president of the University of Missouri since 1954 and became president of the University of Missouri System upon its creation, while a new person was selected to become first chancellor of the Columbia campus.

The University of Missouri was founded in 1839 in Columbia. It was the first public institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River. It became a land-grant university after passage of the Morrill Act of 1862. In 1870, the University established the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla.

The UM System was created in 1963 when the University of Kansas City, which had been a private institution, was acquired and renamed UM–Kansas City. That same year, a new university named UM–St. Louis was created. In 1964, the School of Mines was renamed UM–Rolla and the original university in Columbia was renamed UM–Columbia. Effective January 1, 2008, UM–Rolla will become the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Since its founding in 1839 until the formation of the system in 1963, the institution in Columbia was known simply as the University of Missouri. When the University of Missouri System was established, the existing institutions—the University of Missouri in Columbia and its offshoot, the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla—were renamed the University of Missouri–Columbia and the University of Missouri–Rolla.‡ The formerly-private institution acquired by the system, the University of Kansas City, was renamed the University of Missouri–Kansas City. The newly-created institution in St. Louis was suitably named the University of Missouri–St. Louis, thus creating a uniformly-named system of institutions.

The original generic name, the University of Missouri, was not officially assigned to any of the schools or the system. However, it is commonly used both informally and formally to mean the original Columbia campus or the system, thus causing confusion if context is not clear. Further confusion stems from the other three campuses also being individually referred to as the University of Missouri, though this is most often done in a casual manner at the campus in question, or by persons unfamiliar with the system. All four campuses feel their regional designations potentially cause them to be mistaken as second-tier regional institutions. Considerable controversy over use of the generic name has been caused by the historic Columbia campus claiming de facto ownership, further marginalizing the other three campuses.

The Rolla campus was the first to enact a change to break free from regional designation. On 7 February 2007, the UM System Board of Curators approved a proposal to rename the school as the Missouri University of Science and Technology, effective 1 January 2008. In addition to ridding itself of a regional designation, it also emphasizes the school's technological research mission.^[20] This quickly catalyzed a long-dormant "name restoration" campaign at the Columbia campus to officially drop its regional designation and restore its original generic name.^[21] This proposal met with considerable criticism, mainly from the Kansas City and St. Louis campuses, as they saw this as unnecessary and an intentional detriment to their campuses. On 29 November 2007, the Board of Curators voted unanimously on a compromise, allowing the Columbia campus to use the generic University of Missouri name for essentially all public purposes, but not officially change its name when dealing with "official business", such as budget documents, legal contracts, and other internal UM System documentation, or whenever clarification from the system or other campuses is needed. The decision also stipulates that the UM System refrain from using the generic term, utilizing the "System" designation in most instances. Proponents of the change say that it simply recognizes what has always been common usage, but the issue remains controversial.

‡ The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy was briefly named the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1963 before changing to the University of Missouri–Rolla in 1964.

For a detailed history of the University, see:

• The University of Missouri, 1839-1939, by Jonas Viles, E.W. Stephens Co.
• A History of the University of Missouri, by Frank Stephens, University of Missouri Press, 1939
• The University of Missouri, An Illustrated History, by James and Vera Olson, University of Missouri Press, 1988.

The UM System has created 266 new need-based scholarships by leveraging $4 million in unanticipated state funding with money from private donors. The endowed scholarships are earmarked for students on the four universities with the greatest financial need. Students received nearly $588 million in grants, loans, work programs, scholarships, fellowships, and other aid in fiscal year 2006.

As part of efforts to hold down tuition increases, the system is implementing a plan to generate some $20 million in administrative savings, representing a 16 percent reduction in administrative costs. The money will be redirected to not only help limit tuition increases, but also to directly benefit students by improving access and strengthening academic programs.

To better coordinate research and economic development activities the UM System established the Office of Research and Economic Development to link university researchers with emerging and existing firms from across the state. The office also serves as a conduit for local, state and federal agencies interested in strengthening the economy.

• University of Missouri System
• University of Missouri–Columbia
• Missouri University of Science and Technology
• University of Missouri–Kansas City
• University of Missouri–St. Louis
• University of Missouri Extension
• University of Missouri Health Care
• Mizzou Online
• Missouri Research Park