REGENTS TO WEIGH SEMO MASTER PLAN

The Board of Regents Friday tabled a proposed master plan that would dramatically change the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Among the most noticeable changes, Parker Hall would be transformed into a campus student center and the University Center would become a conference and visitors center.

The 20-year plan designed to make the campus more user-friendly would result in a lot of internal moving. Many of the university departments would relocate to different buildings.

Regents said they wanted more time to study the campus master plan developed by consultants with the aid of a campus committee.

They suggested they may hold a work session to review the plan and consider possible changes in the blueprint.

They said they had only received the master plan and other regents-meeting documents on Monday. "Give us some lead time -- I think that is important to us," said Regent Don Dickerson.

"These packets come too late on complicated issues," board President Donald Harrison said after the meeting.

Dickerson said the regents needed time to discuss the plan in detail before they would be prepared to vote on it.

Dickerson objected to plans to move the Child Study Center from the Scully Building to the little-used and aging Dearmont residence hall.

Regent Pat Washington voiced concern about the proposal too. She also said she had reservations about other parts of the plan, but didn't elaborate.

Long term, it is proposed that Dearmont be torn down and a building be built with two levels of parking underneath it.

But for now the plan would keep the public safety office in Dearmont and add the Child Study Center.

Dickerson said he had heard from parents, who were alarmed at the idea of having to drop off their young children at Dearmont.

"There is no place to drop them off over there," he said.

Consultant Becky Zahner said drop-off areas and short-term parking could be provided on the west side of the building and on the street behind it.

She and university administrators argued that it would be safer and there would be less traffic congestion.

The new College of Business Building, just to the north of the Scully Building, is slated to open in August, bringing with it increased traffic to that part of campus.

The biggest concern is the safety of children, said Dr. Ken Dobbins, the university's executive vice president.

Dickerson questioned the wisdom of relocating the child center. Dickerson said there is plenty of space in the Scully Building to house the child center and provide room for other departments and offices. "There is just tons of space in the building."

The Cape Girardeau lawyer said the deteriorating Dearmont is "a dump" of a building and isn't suitable space for young children.

"I think it is a very bad idea," said Dickerson, who proposed axing the move from the plan.

Dobbins and Dr. Bill Atchley, Southeast's president, insisted that the master plan is just a guideline that is subject to revisions by the regents and the university every step of the way.

"The campus master plan can't happen tomorrow and it's not gospel," said Dobbins.

But Dickerson maintained the administration would move to implement the master plan once it was approved by the regents.

He complained that he was getting "the usual, administrative runaround."

He suggested the university administration had been prepared to move the child center as early as this fall.

Dickerson said there wasn't any reason to approve a flawed plan. "If it is a bad idea now, it won't be any better then."

SEMO BOARD OF REGENTS ACTION

Friday, University Center Ballroom

* Approved operating budget and auxiliary budgets for fiscal 1997.

* Approved draft of request for capital improvements for the 1998 and 1999 fiscal years.

* Tabled campus master plan.

* Awarded a contract for the university audit.

* Awarded architectural and engineering contract for $4.2 million project to renovate the Social Science building.

* Awarded an engineering contract to assess the condition of Academic Hall and the Art Building.

* Approved a student-records policy.

* Established a minor-degree program in child-life services.