Southeast regents extend Dobbins' contract through 2014

Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Ken Dobbins will be with the university for another four years, the university announced Friday.

Southeast's board of regents approved a contract extension at their Tuesday meeting. The decision was not announced after a closed session that lasted nearly two hours. The board made several other decisions regarding faculty promotion and merit designations during the closed session.

Dobbins' contract did not include a salary increase and runs through June 30, 2014, according to a university release. The university would not immediately provide a copy of the contract.

According to the official state manual, which lists salaries for state employees, Dobbins' salary is $194,109. Dobbins was promoted to president July 1999 at a salary of $130,000.

"President Dobbins has guided the institution through some tough financial times in the past, and he possesses the ability to lead Southeast through the anticipated difficult financial times ahead of us," said board president Brad Bedell, in a statement.

The university has been identifying about $8 million in budget reductions over the next two years to prepare for anticipated cuts in state funding. The board also passed the university's $97.2 million operating budget Tuesday. For the second year, faculty did not receive a pay increase other than those who were promoted.

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