REGENTS HIRE NEW DIVERSITY OFFICIAL

Southeast Missouri State University has hired a new administrator to handle affirmative action and employment diversity issues at the school.

The Board of Regents in closed session Wednesday hired James La Cour, director of the Office of Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity and Employment Diversity at the University of Northern Colorado.

La Cour will serve as assistant to the president for equity issues at Southeast. He will begin his new duties on Nov. 8 at a salary of $70,000.

Southeast President Dr. Ken Dobbins said his new assistant would help create "a more diverse faculty and staff."

La Cour also will work with the university's minority affairs commission.

Said Dobbins, "He understands diversity and is committed to creating a supportive environment for all minorities -- ethnic and racial minorities, women and individuals with disabilities."

In a prepared statement, La Cour said he has developed skills in getting people to meet diversity goals.

"I really have a passion that institutions of higher learning need to achieve diversity in order to be successful in the 21st century," he said.

He replaces Leonard Clark, who served as assistant to the president for diversity issues and legal liaison. Clark left Southeast last year to take a position with Wichita State University.

La Cour has 28 years of experience in a variety of areas, including employee relations, conflict resolution, policy development and skills assessment.

He has worked at the University of Northern Colorado since 1995.

He has held a number of other offices at other institutions, including director of personnel and affirmative action officer at Park College in Parkville, Mo.

He was a guidance counselor with the U.S. Army in Kansas City and served as director of personnel and career development with the U.S. Public Health Services in Beaufort, S.C.

At its open meeting Wednesday afternoon, the regents approved a resolution honoring the university's Golden Eagles Marching Band for its participation at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland this summer.

The Golden Eagles were only the third American college band to be invited to the Military Tattoo in its 56-year history.

More than 30 of the band members paraded into the University Center Party Room for the start of the board meeting.

They were accompanied on bagpipe by Andrew Campbell, a member of a Scottish regiment.

Campbell met the university's band members at the Military Tattoo and decided to visit Southeast.

Campbell said he wants to live in the United States when his tour of duty is over.

"I'm going to cash in and come over here," he said.

Following the regular meeting, the regents met with Missouri's Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

CBHE Chairman Ray Henry praised Southeast for its educational outreach efforts in the region.

The coordinating board is scheduled to conduct its regular business at a meeting today at Southeast's Dempster Hall.

Agenda

Board of Regents

Wednesday, Oct. 6

University Center

Action Items

-- Agreed to place a student on the search committee for a new provost.

-- Renamed the industrial technology department as the industrial and engineering technology department.

-- Established a School of Polytechnic Studies that includes the industrial and engineering technology department and the agriculture department.

-- Gave Dr. Randy Shaw, who directs the polytechnic effort, a new title of dean of the School of Polytechnic Studies.

-- Approved the purchase of a new computer central processing unit at a cost of $275,000 or less.

-- Approved the conceptual design for the River Campus and authorized the university to request proposals for architectural services and construction management.

Report Items

-- Discussed the strategic planning forums.

-- Discussed fall enrollment.