University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe announced in April his six priorities for the coming year: focused strategic planning; attracting and retaining the best people; innovative instruction; operational excellence; expanded research and economic development; and effective communication of our value and importance. Achieving these priorities, Wolfe has said, will likely include position eliminations and program reductions across the campuses, including phasing out the University of Missouri Press starting in the 2013 fiscal year. University spokeswoman Jennifer Hollingshead said the university is currently reviewing the press’ business operations to plan and execute the phase-out. Similar to other industries, scholarly publishing is dramatically changing due to emerging technology, making traditional publishing very challenging. Typically, most scholarly presses do not generate revenue for universities—with most just trying to break even. The UM System currently provides the press with a $400,000 yearly subsidy.
http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/news/news_releases/052412_news
