SOUTHEAST SEEKS BIGGER OUTREACH ROLE IN REGION

Southeast Missouri State University wants to set up shop in outlying towns to reach out to the region.

The effort could expand the school's reach as far south as Kennett and as far north as Festus, Southeast President Dr. Dale Nitzschke said.

The university already is involved in higher education center operations in Malden, Sikeston and Perryville.

Nitzschke told the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club Monday the university might buy a former Catholic seminary campus in Perryville for use as a higher education center. It would replace the operated out of an old school.

Nitzschke has had discussions with officials of the Congregation of the Mission, which owns St. Mary's of the Barrens.

The St. Louis-based organization earlier this year sold its former seminary in Cape Girardeau to the university to develop as a school for fine and performing arts.

Nitzschke said the Congregation of the Mission might sell or donate some of its Perryville campus to Southeast.

The university has long operated the Bootheel Education Center in Malden, and a higher education center is operating in temporary quarters in Sikeston until a $6 million center is built in Sikeston's new industrial park.

Nitzschke said about 400 students are enrolled in classes in Sikeston.

The state has contributed $1.5 million to the project, with the rest being funded through a sales tax Sikeston voters approved.

The university has talked about putting a smaller operation in a former grocery store in Kennett. The building was purchased by the community.

Nitzschke said the university might put in a high-tech classroom in the Dexter store to allow for long-distance learning. Southeast would act as a broker to other agencies using the building.

Southeast also has looked at establishing a similar center in a former Baptist college in Marble Hill, Nitzschke said, explaining that the owner has offered to give the building to the university.

Nitzschke said the Board of Regents want to establish centers in two other cities, at Ste. Genevieve and Festus.

A center at Festus could allow Southeast to attract commuter students from the St. Louis area, Nitzschke said.

Southeast isn't alone in trying to reach out to the region and is part of a consortium with Three Rivers Community College, Mineral Area College, the University of Missouri and Lincoln University.

At Malden, for example, classes are offered by Southeast and Three Rivers. At Perryville, the center involves a partnership of Southeast and Mineral Area College.

Nitzschke said Southeast wants to better serve a region where a college education is still rare.

To do so, it has to be accessible, he told about 50 Rotarians gathered at the Holiday Inn.

"Many colleges and universities over the years have become cloistered entities," he said. That isn't happening at Southeast.

But the university president acknowledged that not everyone is in step with the campus. "There are many who still think the place here is full of eggheads," he said.

Nitzschke said Southeast hasn't lost sight of its fundamental mission to provide a solid education in the arts and science.