ATCHLEY SUGGESTS TOSSING OUT TENURE

Southeast Missouri State University's interim president, Dr. Bill Atchley, believes that higher education will eventually toss out tenure.

Atchley has his own ideas about how to replace the system of tenure.

Under the current system, faculty members have almost permanent job security once they are tenured, regardless of how well they continue to teach.

Atchley believes a better system would be to hire faculty on short-term contracts of perhaps three years initially and then give them longer-term contracts as they are promoted.

At the top end, professors would be given seven-year contracts. That would mean that even longtime faculty would have to continue to demonstrate their worth to the school in order to assure continued employment.

"Seven years is pretty good job security," Atchley said.

He said any new system would have to be phased in and applied to new faculty. Those with tenure would retain it as long as they taught.

Atchley said tenure was originally designed to protect faculty from political pressure. But he said over the years it has become an automatic reward.

Atchley said he may promote his alternative to tenure after he leaves Southeast this summer.

When the Cape Girardeau native was hired last year as interim president of Southeast Missouri State University, he made it clear he wouldn't be a caretaker.

He has served as interim president since Sept. 1.

The 64-year-old Atchley will serve as president until the school's new president, Dr. Dale Nitzschke, takes over July 1.

But for now, Atchley is still in charge and says so.

"I am going to show direction and leadership as to where we need to go. I am running the university until July 1," he said.

Atchley believes Southeast needs to find a better way to govern itself.

He pushed for the school to hire an outside firm to review the administrative system from top to bottom and offer recommendations to improve it.

But the Board of Regents decided it would be wrong to pursue it in advance of Nitzschke's arrival as the school's new president.

"We certainly agree with Bill that there is a need here for it," said Donald Harrison, board president. "It was just put on hold until Dr. Nitzschke takes over."

Atchley has found flaws with the current administrative structure.

"I don't believe Faculty Senate works very well," he said. The senate is the group that represents the faculty.

He also believes school officials spend too much time in meetings.

"I don't believe in meetings to have meetings."

He cut back on administrative meetings with his vice presidents. Atchley said the vice presidents can manage their departments without constantly meeting with the president.

"I think you will find the new president feels the same way," he said.

As president, Atchley has repeatedly stressed that the university is here to serve the students and the region, not the other way around.

He was instrumental in the university's decision to establish a common hour program, beginning this fall. The program will offer everything from lectures to musical entertainment for students once a week during the lunch hour.

He regularly set up his "traveling desk" at the University Center in an effort to be more accessible to students.

"You see the students come by and you know why you are there," he said.

Regent Sarah Long said Atchley has demonstrated a student-centered philosophy.

Atchley's willingness to chat has made him popular with the general public, regents said.

"He is certainly one of those gregarious individuals who likes to get out and talk to anyone on any occasion," she said.

Atchley attended chamber and civic club meetings. "I think that is important," he said.

"I think you have to work to be accepted as well," Atchley said.

Atchley said he and his wife, Pat, will probably travel to California in early July, once his job as interim president at Southeast is completed.

"We still have a car out there," said Atchley, who served as president of the University of the Pacific at Stockton from July 1, 1987 to June 30, 1995.

The Atchleys plan to return to their South Carolina home near Charleston.

The custom-built home is part of a residential development that surrounds a golf course. "I am on the fourth green," he said.

The Atchleys have some solid roots in South Carolina. Atchley was president of Clemson University from July 1979 to July 1, 1985.

At this point, the Atchleys are ready to settle down. "We just want to take our time," he said.