ATCHLEY IS FLEXIBLE ABOUT LENGTH OF STAY

Southeast Missouri State University's interim president says he isn't here for the long haul, but he won't rule out staying longer than a year.

The interim president, Dr. Bill Atchley, commented Wednesday prior to meeting in private with the Board of Regents to select members for a presidential search committee.

Regents said search committee members will be announced at a regular board meeting Friday morning and will meet with search consultant Allan Ostar next week.

Jean Maneke, a lawyer with the Missouri Press Association, said the closed-door session violated the state's Open Meetings Law.

But regents and board attorney Joe Russell defended their actions. They said decisions about whom to name to the search committee amounted to personnel matters, one of the exceptions to the law.

Wednesday's 1 1/2-hour meeting marked the second time since June that the regents have held a closed-door meeting that Maneke believes violated the Open Meetings Law. At the June meeting, the regents discussed plans to hire a search consultant.

Maneke said in a telephone interview with the Southeast Missourian prior to Wednesday's session that the regents weren't hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting employees.

Hiring actions can be handled in closed session. But Maneke said naming members to a search committee must be done openly.

"It's not a personnel matter," she said.

A Missouri attorney general's opinion states that people appointed to volunteer boards aren't employees.

Donald Harrison, president of the Board of Regents, and Regent Lynn Dempster will co-chair the search committee.

Dempster said the regents didn't want to hurt people's feelings by publicly discussing candidates who might not be picked by the committee.

Harrison added that the search committee itself will conduct its activities in secret to protect the confidentiality of applicants.

The board president said prior to the closed session that the regents hoped to appoint a 20-member search committee from a list of about 50 names.

The committee will include representatives from throughout the university, as well as alumni and community members.

Rumors had circulated in recent weeks that the regents had considered offering the permanent job to the 63-year-old Atchley.

But both regents and Atchley said Wednesday that no such offer was made.

Atchley said he told Regent Don Dickerson this summer that he would be willing to serve as university president for a short time, possibly three years at most.

Atchley was hired in late July on a one-year contract, although regents said they expect him to remain until a permanent president is hired to succeed Dr. Kala Stroup.

Stroup resigned to take a job as state commissioner of higher education. Atchley began his duties as Southeast president last month.

Regent Don Dickerson said he has heard from some area residents who think Atchley has great credentials and would be a good choice for the permanent post.

But Dickerson said it was nothing more than wishful thinking.