Mid-Missouri Business Week: University of Missouri is “open for business” for all Missourians

The University of Missouri is a land-grant institution. According to Marshall Stewart, MU’s Vice Chancellor of Extension and Engagement, that means the university is open for business.

“Extension means that we take things like agriculture, 4-H, human development, nutrition, areas like community development, business development, and we extend them out across the state of Missouri in various ways in local communities,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the university is trying to reset the institution after years of low enrollment. And it is working.

According to a news release from the University of Missouri, enrollment for MU’s incoming freshman class is up 14.4 percent from this time last year, with 4,547 students having paid enrollment deposits.

This increase will eventually lead to a growth in jobs in the area, Stewart said.

ABC 17’s Deborah Kendrick sat down with Stewart for Mid-Missouri Business Week to talk about how the increase and MU Extension are helping local economies.