REGENTS APPROVE NEW ROOF FOR SHOW ME CENTER, KING HOLIDAY

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Three and a half years after the opening of the Show Me Center, the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents has approved plans to reroof the structure and the adjoining Student Recreation Center because of roof leaks.

The regents authorized the preparation of specifications and advertising of bids for the project Friday.

In other action, the board approved a recommendation by university officials and faculty to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday as an official holiday, beginning in January 1992.

The action comes only three days before Yolanda King, a daughter of the slain civil rights leader, is scheduled to lecture on the university campus.

Yolanda King is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Show Me Center.

The regents also approved the hiring of Sverdrup Corp., of St. Louis, for architectural services for the new College of Business Administration building.

Under the contract, Sverdrup will be paid a fee amounting to 5 to 7 percent of the total cost of construction. That fee will include $100,000 in planning work, university officials said.

The board entered into an agreement with the city of Cape Girardeau for relocation of a sewer line in connection with the on-going construction of the Division of Youth Services group home on the Southeast campus.

The board also agreed to allow the university administration time to reconsider the discontinuance of the German language program. University officials noted there is a need for people to be qualified in foreign languages.

The program was dropped in the 1980s because it did not meet the standards set down by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, university officials said.

As to the roof project, Robert Foster, executive vice president at Southeast, said a new roof appears to be the only way to eliminate the leaks.

"From the moment we opened the Show Me Center, we've had problems with the roof," said Foster, adding that attempts at partial repairs have not worked.

The Student Recreation Center opened in January 1987 and the Show Me Center opened in August of the same year.

Foster said the university has negotiated a settlement with W.R. Grace, the company that provided the roofing material.

Under that settlement, the university received $175,000. Foster said the money, which has been kept in a separate fund, will be used to replace the roof.

Foster said the roofing work will be done this summer.

"We are optimistic that we might get this whole thing done for $175,000," he told the regents.

As to the Martin Luther King holiday, university officials said an existing official or unofficial holiday will be dropped to accommodate the King holiday.

"We are not willing at this point to add a new holiday," said Southeast President Kala Stroup.

She said no decision has been made on what day of classes or partial days of classes will be added back into the calendar to accommodate the King holiday.

As an official holiday, classes will not be held on King's birthday.

In the past, the university has celebrated the slain civil rights leader's birthday, but has held classes.

Provost Leslie Cochran said Southeast was one of only four of Missouri's 13 public four-year colleges and universities that held classes on King's birthday this year.

He said the federal holiday is important symbolically in terms of racial diversity.

In addition, the spring semester is generally two to three days longer than the fall semester, noted Cochran. As a result, he said, there should be no problem in accommodating the King holiday into the academic schedule.