PROVOST'S WIFE IS HIRED BY UNIVERSITY

The wife of Southeast Missouri State University Provost Charles Kupchella has been hired as a fund-raiser for the institution.

R. Adele Kupchella will receive an annual salary of $17,500 in her part-time position as foundation and corporate relations associate in the university's development office.

Her husband makes an annual salary of $90,000 as provost.

Adele Kupchella began her job Aug. 1, but her hiring was only recently announced by the institution.

Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at Southeast, said Monday that the hiring of Adele Kupchella was not tied to the hiring of the new provost.

"It wasn't a condition of his employment," said Wallhausen. But he said that in the interview process with applicants for administration positions such as provost, it is not uncommon for such candidates to inquire about job possibilities for their spouses.

"It's typical in a two-career family. You want to know if there are (employment) possibilities," said Wallhausen.

Don Ford, director of university development, said Adele Kupchella's job is a new position that has been on the drawing board for close to a year.

"We've had an opening for a period of time but because of budget restraints we hadn't filled it," said Ford.

"I think we are very fortunate to have her on a part-time basis," he added.

Ford said Kupchella will focus on securing funding for the university from corporations and foundations.

Kupchella was selected for the position from a pool of applicants because of her development and professional sales experience during the last 17 years, Ford said.

"Adele has a proven track record in development activities supporting higher education and as a producer in professional sales and marketing in the private sector," he said.

Kupchella said she is working 2 days a week for the development office. She said part of her focus is on raising money for KRCU, Southeast's National Public Radio affiliate; and the University Museum.

"I have a lot of experience working with public radio and working with university museums. That's what I did at Western Kentucky (University)," she explained.

She served as development officer of Western Kentucky University Libraries and Kentucky Museum.

Her husband was a college dean at the Bowling Green, Ky., school before being hired as Southeast's provost.

Charles Kupchella was hired as provost in December, but didn't begin his new duties full time until May.

"We've only been here since the middle of May," Adele Kupchella said. "I am still trying to get settled."

Kupchella has seven years of experience in raising funds for higher education. From 1986 to 1989, she worked as development coordinator for WKYU-FM/WDCL-FM, the public radio service of Western Kentucky University. In 1989, she pioneered the establishment of a development office for Western Kentucky University libraries and museum.

Both positions involved seeking financial support through private, corporate, foundation and government sources. Kupchella also planned major fund-raising events, recruited volunteers, edited newsletters, and designed and published annual brochures.

Prior to Kupchella's work in development positions, she served 10 years as an insurance agent and insurance executive.

A strong believer in volunteerism, Kupchella has served on a number of community boards. She chaired a variety of committees of the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce and was active in the arts.

She previously lived in Murray, Ky., where she served as a volunteer with the Chamber of Commerce, League of Women Voters, and the Murray-Calloway County Community Theatre Board of Directors.