SEMO presidential search down to four candidates

The Presidential Search and Screening Committee at Southeast Missouri State University has narrowed its search for Southeast President Kenneth Dobbins' successor to four candidates, university officials said Tuesday.

The names of the candidates, as well as their background information, are expected to be released by the end of this week once on-campus interview schedules have been finalized, said Brady Barke, senior associate to the president and secretary for the board of regents.

Two candidates will tour Southeast's campus and meet with faculty, students and other community members the week of Feb. 16, and the remaining candidates will do the same the following week.

Burke said the university's goal is to announce the president's successor by the middle of March, if not sooner.

Dobbins announced his intention to retire Sept. 8, and his last day will be June 30. The job was posted Nov. 6, and the application deadline was Dec. 31.

Dobbins, 65, became the 17th president of Southeast on July 1, 1999, after serving as its vice president of finance and adminstration from 1991 to 1993, and executive vice president from 1993 until his appointment as president.

His base salary for fiscal year 2015 is $235,000. He receives an annuity of $65,000, and on-campus housing is provided by the university.

Doyle Privett, chairman of the search committee and president of the board of regents, said the committee conducted in-person interviews with nine candidates in St. Louis on Feb. 2 and 3.

Each candidate was interviewed by the 16-person committee for about an hour.

"We basically had standard questions, scripted questions, to ask these individuals, so we were asking each one the same thing," Privett said. "In doing that, we got to see the response from each candidate -- how they handled themselves, how they spoke in front of a group."

After Dobbins' announcement, the board of regents hired Parker Executive Research to help the committee find a new president. The university is contracted to pay the Atlanta company $82,500, plus expenses such as travel, advertising and interview costs.

Forty-six candidates applied for the position, and after reviewing questionnaires and curriculum vitae, the committee selected 10 candidates to interview in St. Louis. One candidate withdrew their application before the interviews.

Privett said the search has gone very well so far, and all of the committee members have participated and provided good comments.

"The four (candidates) we have coming, everybody will be pleased with," he said. "I'm excited to get the process completed, so we'll know who our new president is going to be going forward."

klamb@semissourian.com

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