By AP/KWMU
Columbia, Mo – Northwest Missouri State University would become part of the University of Missouri under a memo of understanding approved by MU's Board of Curators.
The vote is the first step in a process that also needs approval from Northwest's Board of Regents, the Legislature and Governor Holden.
A draft of the 15-point blueprint for merger provides that tuition and admission standards at Northwest would not automatically be changed. But it also says tuition and admission standards could eventually be raised, by the Board of Curators.
The memo calls for re-naming the Maryville school the University of Missouri-Northwest.
That's a change from the four existing campuses, which carry the names of their home cities: Columbia, Rolla, St. Louis and Kansas City.
Northwest has about 6,000 students. The University of Missouri system has about 60,000 students.