DOBBINS CALLED A KEY PLAYER

The way the Board of Regents sees it, Kenneth W. Dobbins has been in training for the job of Southeast Missouri State University president for several years.

He and soon-to-be-departing Provost Dr. Charles Kupchella were candidates for the job of president four years ago.

Dobbins was one of eight semi-finalists for the job. The regents ended up choosing Dr. Dale Nitzschke for the post in May 1996.

Last year he was a candidate for the position of vice president of finance and administration for the four-campus University of Missouri system. But he withdrew his candidacy and decided to stay at Southeast after the university made some restructuring moves and gave him some added responsibilities.

"Nobody knows more about this institution than Ken Dobbins," said Don Dickerson, president of the Board of the Regents.

The regents chose Dobbins to be Southeast's new president starting July 1. Dobbins was hired as vice president for finance and administration at Southeast in 1991. He was promoted to executive vice president in 1993.

He came to Southeast from Kent State University in Ohio where he was director of university auditing.

In his eight years at Southeast, he has served as the school's chief financial officer. He has frequently traveled to Jefferson City to lobby lawmakers and the governor for funding for the school.

Dobbins said he plans to continue lobbying lawmakers when he becomes university president.

Dickerson has walked the halls of the state Capitol with Dobbins. He said Dobbins has the ear and respect of lawmakers.

"In the last four years Kenny has been our point man with the state legislators, and nobody does it better,' said Dickerson.

Southeast, he said, has done well in securing state money for projects. "We get our share because we go up and fight for our share."

Dickerson said Dobbins knows the operations of the university from the financial side but also from the academic side.

Dickerson said Dobbins is the logical person for the job and the only one who could "hit the ground running."

The president of the Board of Regents said he knows that some faculty may see Dobbins as lacking in academic experience. But he views such criticism as unfair. "He's always been more than a numbers guy," said Dickerson.

He said Dobbins is committed to working with a new provost in addressing the academic operations.

Dobbins was an adjunct assistant professor and taught graduate courses in higher education administration at Kent State University.

"I have obviously not stood for tenure," said Dobbins. But he said he would rely on the assistance of the new provost in dealing with academic matters.

Dobbins also said he would like to visit classrooms at the invitation of faculty. Dobbins said such visits would stress the importance of teaching at Southeast.

Dobbins said he is committed to moving forward with the River Campus and other university projects that are already on the drawing board.

Dobbins' wife, Jeanine, is coordinator for the Missouri Statewide Early Literacy Intervention Program. She operates out of Southeast.

Dobbins said his wife's job is funded by grants and doesn't come out of the university's operating budget. As a result, Dobbins said he doesn't believe their two jobs pose any conflict of interest.

The couple have a son, Paul, who is finishing his freshman year at Southeast.

At a glance

Kenneth W. Dobbins

Born: Sept. 8, 1949

Education: Bachelor in accounting from the University of Akron, Ohio, in June 1971; master of business administration degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., in May 1979; Doctorate in higher education administration from Kent State University in Ohio in August 1987.

Experience: Directed university auditing at Kent State University from April 1988 to June 1991.

Hired as vice president for finance and administration at Southeast Missouri State University in July 1991. Named executive vice president in July 1993.

On May 20, 1999, he was named Southeast's 17th president.

Personal:

He is married to Jeanine Larson. They have a son, Paul, who is finishing his freshman year at Southeast. The family lives in Cape Girardeau.