Duties of former chancellor Loftin's job at Missouri unclear

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Former University of Missouri Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin is preparing to move to a new role at the school but details of what he will be doing remain unclear.

Loftin stepped down as chancellor Nov. 9 after months of disagreements with former system President Tim Wolfe and discontent from faculty and students. Wolfe resigned the same day in response to student protests about his handling of racial issues.

He and his wife are preparing to move out of the chancellor's residence April 29 and after May 1 his salary will be reduced from $459,000 to $344,000, plus other compensation, The Columbia Daily Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/1Mw0utl).

Loftin, a tenured faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, said he is eager to have details of his new job worked out "so we can all move on and go ahead."

A university spokesman was vague about Loftin's future.

"Since stepping down as MU chancellor, Dr. Loftin has been exploring the feasibility for advancing the development of research at the University of Missouri relative to his unique expertise and relationships," spokesman Christian Basi wrote in an email.

One possible job mentioned in Loftin's transition agreement was research director at the Tiger Institute for Health Innovation but it was contingent upon Cerner Corp.'s approval. After the agreement was publicized, Cerner told the Board of Curators that it was not ready to approve the job for Loftin.

A job for Loftin has not been submitted to the institute's Board of Governors, Cerner spokesman Dan Smith said this week. Loftin said he has not heard from the institute or Cerner since meetings in February.

He has had meetings for another possible role as director of research development for the university, he said.

"What I am doing right now I think is meaningful to the university and satisfying to me, so I am happy doing that," Loftin said.