REGENTS GIVE DOBBINS PAY RAISE

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents has given school President Dr. Ken Dobbins a 5 percent pay raise and added $3,500 to his retirement annuity.

Dobbins will receive a salary of $136,500 for the fiscal year that began July 1. That's a $6,500 raise over his former salary, said Don Dickerson, president of the Board of Regents.

Dickerson said the regents also raised the school president's annuity from $15,000 a year to $18,500.

Dickerson said the regents unanimously approved the pay raise at the board's June 30 meeting.

"I think we are all pretty pleased with what Ken is doing," Dickerson said Monday.

"We have a lot of stuff going on. The job the president does is almost a seven-day-a-week job," Dickerson said.

Dobbins formerly served as vice president of finance and administration before being promoted to the top spot last year, replacing Dr. Dale Nitzschke. He has served as president for a year and is starting the second year of a three-year contract.

"I think this whole transition has been very smooth and I don't think we missed a beat," said Dickerson.

He said the pay raise puts Dobbins' salary at a competitive level with that of presidents at other public colleges and universities in the state.