UNIVERSITY REGENTS TO MEET ON TUESDAY IN POPLAR BLUFF; SOUTHEAST GOVERNING BOARD HITS THE ROAD FOR FIRST NON-CAMPUS SESSION IN 5 YEARS

The Board of Regents of Southeast Missouri State University will meet in Poplar Bluff Tuesday, marking the first such off-campus session in five years.

The regents routinely hold their meetings on the Cape Girardeau campus.

Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at Southeast, said the last off-campus regents meeting was held in Poplar Bluff in April 1987. Prior to that, in 1986, a regents meeting was held in St. Louis, Wallhausen said.

The university administration, he said, is interested in holding such off-campus meetings from time to time because it helps bring the university closer to the people in its 24-county service region.

"We do want to go out in the region," said Wallhausen.

However, he said the scheduled meeting in Poplar Bluff doesn't signify any change in the regular routine of holding regents meeting in Cape Girardeau.

"I don't think it signals anything," said Wallhausen. "This time it seemed appropriate."

He pointed out that the term of board President Carl Ben Bidewell of Poplar Bluff ends Jan. 1, as does that of Regent Daniel Williams Jr. of St. Louis.

Bidewell recalled his first meeting as a regent was in April 1987 when the board met in Poplar Bluff.

Bidewell said Saturday that he likes the idea of holding regents meetings around the Southeast Missouri region, and, in particular, in the hometowns of the various regents.

"I think once a year would be great," said Bidewell.

As was the case five years ago, Tuesday's meeting will be held on the campus of Three Rivers Community College.

Both Wallhausen and Bidewell stressed the strong ties between Three Rivers and Southeast.

They said the regents meeting will provide a forum for publicizing the successful efforts of Southeast and Three Rivers in regard to the operation of the Bootheel Education Center at Malden and the 2+2 nursing program. The nursing program allows students to obtain bachelor's degrees in nursing through courses offered by both Three Rivers and Southeast at Poplar Bluff.

The Bootheel Education Center has received national recognition, including a recent education award.

Bidewell said the close cooperation between Southeast and Three Rivers is beneficial to students and higher education in general in the region. "It is one of those deals where everybody wins."

Bidewell said the regents will have lunch with the Board of Trustees of Three Rivers prior to the 1:30 p.m. regents meeting. The meeting will be held in Rutland Library on the Three Rivers campus.

The regents will consider three curricular title changes, one new curricular option, an addition to a fee refund policy and the annual financial report.

The board will consider changing the title of an option in the health management major from "sports medicine" to "fitness and sports medicine." The title change is being sought to broaden the career potential for program graduates, university officials said. Also on the agenda is a proposal to approve a new option within the health management major in "athletic training." The new option would allow students to become certified athletic trainers.

The board also will consider changing the title of an option in the bachelor of science in human environmental studies degree from "foods and nutrition" to "food service and hospitality management." The title change is needed to reflect curricular revisions designed to provide a clearly defined career track for students and allow the human environmental studies department to pursue accreditation by the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education, officials said.

In addition, the board will discuss changing an option in the industrial technology major from "production technology" to "manufacturing technology." The title change would help the industrial technology department in seeking accreditation by the National Association for Industrial Technology, officials said.

In other business, the board will consider approving the annual financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30 as prepared by the firm of Coopers and Lybrand. The regents are expected to discuss rewording the university's refund policy for incidental and non-resident fees to address federal and state program requirements.