WILDWOOD, HOUCK PLANS ADVANCE

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents expressed interest Wednesday in a plan to turn the school's Wildwood home into an alumni center. The regents also expressed support for a plan to renovate Houck Stadium.

They agreed to ask the Southeast Missouri University Foundation to include the $5 million Houck project in its capital campaign. Some funding would come from the state in the form of maintenance and repair money.

The actions came during a lengthy board meeting at the University Center.

Building plans weren't the only items on the agenda. The regents approved the university's $95.2 million budget.

Regents authorized the university to proceed with an architectural study to determine the feasibility of the Wildwood project. The university's alumni council and fund-raising foundation requested the study. It will be funded with private money, said Don Dickerson, president of the Board of Regents.

Wildwood has served as the official residence of the university's presidents since 1924. But Dr. Ken Dobbins, Southeast's new president, already has a home off campus. Dobbins officially took office today. Dickerson said Dobbins won't be moving into Wildwood.

The alumni council and the foundation board have proposed building a 3,200-square-foot addition to Wildwood that would house alumni and foundation offices. The home itself would be used to entertain alumni and provide overnight housing for special guests.

"We want to preserve Wildwood. It is part of the rich heritage of this campus," said Shelton Smith, president of the National Alumni Council and a member of the university foundation's board of directors.

The current plan envisions putting the office of the alumni services director in Wildwood.

But Smith said alumni and foundation officials would prefer to build a large enough addition to provide all of the needed office space. There is also a need for added parking. As a result, the project could cost nearly $700,000.

Smith said the foundation has $494,000 in private money that has been committed to the project.

School officials said Wildwood is short of living space and entertaining space, and it no longer is adequate as the home of the university president.

Foundation officials initially had proposed buying a vacant, brick home on Whitener as the new home for the university president. But that proposal was first voiced before Dr. Dale Nitzschke resigned as president to a fund-raising job with the school in the newly created position of university chancellor.

The regents didn't take any public action regarding the Whitener property. Dickerson said there is public sentiment for having the university president live in a home on campus or in one close to the campus. He suggested that a suitable home might be found in the future. Meanwhile, this could be a good time to renovate and expand Wildwood since it is no longer being used as the president's home, Dickerson said.

As to Houck Stadium, the boosters club has voiced support for stadium renovations, including a plan to install artificial turf.

Athletic booster Jim Limbaugh said the old stadium needs a major renovation. It would help in recruiting football players, he said.

"This is the right investment for right now,' he said.

Limbaugh said in the future a new stadium might be built on the north side of the campus. But Limbaugh and school officials said it would be folly to spend $25 million on a new stadium at this time.

Dickerson said, "I don't see this as a stop-gap measure."

Don Kaverman, Southeast's athletics director, said renovating Houck wouldn't be a temporary Band-Aid measure.

"I think it represents a commitment to Houck. There is a lot of history in Houck," he said.

Board of Regents Agenda

Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents

Wednesday, June 30

* Authorized study for new alumni center.

* Reviewed the conceptual design for the River Campus.

* Voiced support for Houck Stadium improvements.

* Accepted a Faculty Senate recommendation to add more faculty to the provost search committee.

* Approved the fiscal 2000 budget.

* Accepted the annual audit of the university's federal funds.

* Approved a purchasing policy statement.

* Appointed William Duffy, the new vice president for finance, to the Show Me Center Board of Managers.

* Approved plans to hold public forums in the region this fall as the first step in efforts to revise the university's 1996 strategic plan.