Greetings on this first week of February.

I was kind of searching for a topic for this column as three seemingly unrelated happenings have come together this week—giving me a message that doesn’t hurt to have repeated for all of us here at Murray State. Let me start by sharing these random items with you that I’m alluding to—and then I’ll try to make my point at the end.

First Thing: If you are a reader of The Paducah Sun, you noticed this week a new insert in that newspaper—in addition to the typical advertisements and flyers. We debuted THE REVIEW, a tabloid news publication dealing with all things MSU that we’ll be including four times throughout the year in newspapers for (besides Paducah) Henderson, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, and Owensboro. This new piece is produced in-house by University Communications and sent to the papers for inclusion usually on a day when it won’t get lost in a plethora of other inserts.

As most readers know, MSU already has a strong presence on the web and through a variety of social media outlets. But many people (especially those older and more codgerly types…like me) still rely on a daily paper and the 10 p.m. news for much of their local information and updates. Unfortunately, it’s been an ongoing challenge for Murray State to “cut through the clutter” and get the great stories about what is happening on our campuses picked up by the traditional news outlets and covered in a timely fashion. (And this fact makes me appreciate even more the good work of The Murray State News…) So we’re doing what we can with this new publication, in a very cost effective way, to provide one more venue for far west Kentuckians to know the full range of what we are doing and to be reminded just how vital MSU is to the betterment of this region. We may eventually look to extend The Review’s reach to deep southern Illinois and northwestern Tennessee.

Second Thing: As I write this column, I am sitting in Frankfort preparing to give testimony to (get ready for this…) the Kentucky House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the House Committee on Appropriations and Revenue.

This is one of numerous legislative committee hearings we’ll be appearing at throughout the spring to request and justify the millions of dollars in state appropriations for MSU in the upcoming biennial budget. Testimony in front of these groups in the state capitol is a ritual for virtually every public university president in the country. Individual legislators and committee members change over time, of course. As I talk at length with some of those elected officials who do not hail from west Kentucky—and hence may not know us all that well—I am always amazed myself to see how amazed they are when they find out everything we have underway on our campuses: I am constantly telling the story of our signature academic programs, the outstanding research that is ongoing by faculty AND students, our Residential College system, the regional stewardship imperative we have taken to heart, our national rankings across many years now, low tuition pricing, and much more. And slowly—over time—they figure out that Murray State is indeed a jewel in the crown of Kentucky higher education.

It is only then, after they understand MSU’s story and the power of what we are accomplishing for the Commonwealth and across the country, can our requests for funding and support be put in their true context and be fully comprehended. Once legislators, policymakers, and others of influence know what we stand for and are trying to do…I’ve not had one refuse to come on board and work for our benefit.

Third Thing: So this week, I met with a prominent individual who works in the administration of state government who had recalled hearing that Murray State men’s basketball was having a fine season…and then queried me as to whether we were in Division II or Division III! As this important official contemplated my ticked-off visage, I simply told him to make sure he was watching the NCAA selection show later this spring and he’d get his answer to that question.

Anyway…the reality is that we are located in a geographically isolated corner of a fairly large state where its largest metropolitan areas and seat of government and major state institutions are located hours away from us. That’s just a statement of fact. The purpose of sharing these stories is this: Those of us who live…and work…and make our lives at Murray State University see every day the phenomenal things that make us an outstanding regional public university—among the best in the country. But in an effort to keep us strong and to maintain the level of support we’ve traditionally enjoyed from our region, friends, alums, and donors, we have a concomitant responsibility to continually share our story and the impact MSU is making in academic excellence, cultural awareness, economic development, regional growth, social change, and a host of other endeavors.

We are only as good as people know we are…and we need all of you to help tell MSU’s story to sustain what we have and make the case for additional support in the coming years. It’s not hard to do…because we have much of which to be proud.

Have a great week.

Randy Dunn