REGENTS TO HEAR RESULTS OF FORUMS

Southeast Missouri State University needs to provide more two-year and graduate programs.

That's the message university officials have received at nine strategic planning forums held throughout the region last month.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to discuss the results of last month's forums at its meeting today.

"We need more graduate education," said university President Dr. Ken Dobbins.

Communities in the region also want the university to provide more two-year programs in cooperation with community colleges.

The university is seeking to update its strategic plan, approved by the regents in 1996.

Southeast sought the advice of local educators, community leaders and the general public at the forums.

More than 100 people attended the forums.

Dobbins said the university's efforts in recent years to better serve the region have been well received, judging from comments made by those who attended the forums.

"They are very pleased with what we are doing now," said Dobbins.

Southeast has sought to expand its outreach efforts through establishment of higher education centers in the Bootheel, the use of interactive television in delivering courses and the offering of courses on the Internet.

Teacher education continues to be a major focus of the university and the region it serves.

"We are a major provider of K-12 teachers in the area," said Dr. Pauline Fox, vice president of administration and enrollment management.

The university is slated to hold two more off-campus forums. Both will be held in the St. Louis area on Nov. 11.

One will be held at Jefferson Community College North in Arnold and the other will be held at the university's outreach office in downtown St. Louis.

Southeast also will hold a campus forum from noon to 1:15 on Oct. 20 in Dempster Hall, Room 124.

The Board of Regents will meet in open session at 2 p.m. today in the University Center Party Room.

Strategic planning is just one item on the agenda.

The regents are slated to consider a proposal to establish a School of Polytechnic Studies and place the agriculture department and the industrial technology departments under the administration of that school.

School officials said the agriculture department's goals are closely aligned with the polytechnic school's goals, including advancing local and regional business and industry.

The regents will hold a joint meeting with the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education at 3:30 p.m.

The two boards will discuss Southeast's strategic planning.

At 4:30 p.m., the Kala M. Stroup Fountain on the Plaza will be dedicated.

Stroup, the state's commissioner of higher education and a former president of Southeast, donated money to help finance the fountain project.

She will be in town for the dedication and the meeting of the coordinating board.

The coordinating board will conduct its regular business at a meeting Thursday.

The state board will meet at 10:15 a.m. in Dempster Hall's Glenn Auditorium.

Board members will consider seeking a $1.2 billion budget for higher education in Missouri in fiscal 2001.

The budget request to Gov. Mel Carnahan and the Legislature includes funding requests for Missouri's public colleges and universities, the state's higher education department, student financial aid programs and information technology.