FORMER SOUTHEAST HISTORY PROFESSOR NAMED PROVOST

Dr. Jane Stephens, a former Southeast Missouri State University history professor, was named Friday by the Board of Regents to serve as the school's provost.

Stephens will make $115,000 a year in her new job as Southeast's chief academic officer. She also will receive tenure and professor rank in the history department as part of a three-year contract. She begins her new job July 5.

Stephens currently is executive vice chancellor at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg.

Stephens worked for 16 years at Southeast from 1978 to 1994. Besides teaching, she coordinated the honors and Governor's Scholarship programs from 1985 to 1989.

She was academic associate in the provost's office from 1989 to 1993. She served as assistant provost from 1993 to 1994.

"I have proved Thomas Wolfe wrong," she told reporters at a press conference following the regents meeting. "You can come home again."

Earlier in the day Stephens thanked the regents for choosing her from a nationwide pool of candidates. "I am indeed flattered and honored to be invited back," she said at the regents meeting in Dempster Hall's Glenn Auditorium.

Stephens said she looked forward to working with the school's other administrators.

Board President Don Dickerson welcomed her return as did Southeast President Dr. Ken Dobbins, who said: "Dr. Jane Stephens will provide the kind of innovative, forward-thinking this university desires as we progress into the 21st century. We are very fortunate to have as our new provost someone who has experience at this university but also has grown professionally at the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg."

Stephens has served as executive vice chancellor at the South Carolina school for the past year. She served the previous five years as vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Spartanburg campus. As vice chancellor, she helped improve the school's education programs, implemented a faculty rewards system and worked with enrollment management.

The school is the fastest-growing four-year school in South Carolina, officials said.

Stephens said her biggest challenge at Southeast will be to maintain the quality of existing academic programs while focusing on development of the new River Campus arts school and the School of Polytechnic Studies.

Stephens was among more than 50 applicants for the position. She was one of five finalists chosen by the university's search committee in February. One of the finalists later withdrew his candidacy. In the end, Dobbins recommended the board hire Stephens.

Southeast has been seeking a permanent provost since Dr. Charles Kupchella resigned last June to accept a position as president of the University of North Dakota.

Dr. Dennis Holt, who has served this school year as interim provost, will become vice provost at Southeast.

Stephens launched her career in the mid-1960s as a high school teacher in Muncie, Ind. She later taught at Ball State University and Western Illinois University.

Stephens holds a bachelor of science degree in English from Middle Tennessee State University and has conducted post-doctoral work in historic preservation at that school.

She holds a doctor of philosophy degree with emphasis in American history and a master of arts degree in history from Ball State University.

Stephens said she doesn't plan to teach any history courses during her first year as provost but would like to teach some history courses later.