Southeast president OKs contract

Dr. Ken Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University, accepted a five-year contract Tuesday to continue in his current position.

Don Dickerson, president of the board of regents, said the group offered Dobbins the contract because of his "outstanding leadership over the past four years."

Dobbins was beginning the last year of his current contract, and Dickerson said the job market was ripe for Dobbins, who has considerable experience in finance.

"The board knows that Dr. Dobbins has been approached by several universities about taking other positions in higher education," Dickerson said.

Under the new contract, Dobbins will receive a salary increase of 2 percent plus $500, resulting in a base pay of $143,810 for fiscal year 2004. In addition, he will receive a monthly housing allowance of $1,000 and an annuity payment of $20,000 annually.

In addition, to make Dobbins' salary more comparable to other public university presidents, according to the Coordinating Board of Higher Education, regents voted to pay $64,000 so Dobbins' four years of Air Force experience will count for future compensation under the Missouri State Employee Retirement System. If he leaves before June 30, 2008, he must repay a pro rata amount of that cost to the university.

Dobbins became the 17th president of Southeast on July 1, 1999. Dobbins came to Southeast in 1991 as vice president for finance and administration.

He was promoted to executive vice president in July 1993.

The regents voted on the contract after reviewing survey results from the Office of Institutional Research, which showed 53.4 percent of employees and 60.8 percent of students rated his performance as high or superior, and considering the goals accomplished under Dobbins' leadership.