COLUMBIA, Mo.- There have been 37 layoffs this year at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Interim Chancellor Dr. Hank Foley says despite the job cuts, Mizzou’s fall enrollment is the third-highest student retention rate on record at the University.

MU Interim Chancellor Hank Foley

MU Interim Chancellor Hank Foley

Foley says students who attend Mizzou want to return.

“It’s really good for how we feel about ourselves and the job we’re doing and how our faculty feel about what they’re doing. And I can’t tell you how uplifting that is for all of us, both as administrators and faculty. And we have outstanding faculty,” Foley told reporters.

Chancellor Foley addressed the University of Missouri Review Commission on Wednesday in Columbia, saying rekindling pride in Mizzou is important for all Missourians.

“And I’m going wherever I can in the state to talk about what a great University this is, what proud traditions it’s had and has, and that we’re also making tremendous progress for the future and that we’re really a very good investment for the state and its taxpayers to make,” Foley says.

Foley also says the school’s diversity is improving among the student body.

“We were up to last year 26 percent of our students were not majority-white students. All right, so we bring in students who are international, students who are from all minority groups. We’ve done a good job, we can always do better. Where we need to do better is on inclusion and retention of those students and faculty,” Foley says.

Foley told the Commission that the University must be inclusive. He plans to make a September announcement about diversity at Mizzou, although he wouldn’t elaborate with reporters. That announcement will apparently involve Kevin McDonald, MU’s new Interim Vice Chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity.

Commission member Renee Hulshof, who graduated from Mizzou’s School of Journalism, tells Missourinet the September 13 announcement will include a press conference.

Foley noted MU has about 13,000 employees. The UM System’s Steve Knorr told the Commission that the UM System’s entire budget is about $3.1 billion. That includes University Hospital.

The University of Missouri Review Commission was established under legislation this year from State Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), who said that the UM System’s future was unclear, without some oversight.