In three years' time, a quarter of Southeast Missouri State University faculty members have been replaced, resulting in a changing climate on campus, school officials said.

Thirty-five new faculty members are participating in a five-day orientation to campus and Southeast Missouri.

At the opening of the orientation, Dr. Dale Nitzschke, university president, told the teachers, "You are coming into the university at a wonderful time."

The university has completed long-range planning for academics and the physical plant.

"We have a budget that reflects that planning," he said. "The planning isn't something that will sit on a shelf. We have devoted resources to make things happen."

In fact, he apologized for the status of the campus as new faculty and students arrive. Construction projects have roads closed and sidewalks torn up.

But the work is a sign of progress, he said.

At the same time, change is evident within the teaching staff.

In the mid- to late 1960s, the university experienced a hiring boom in response to baby boomers arriving on campus. Many of those faculty members are retiring at the end of 30-year careers.

Dr. Fred Janzow, director of the Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning, said 25 percent of the faculty is new in three years' time.

"That trend will continue," said Janzow. "You are a group of people who are recreating this university."

New faculty members bring new ideas and different experiences, Janzow said. "The resulting political upheaval and discussions have been pretty lively," Janzow said.

"You have a tremendous opportunity to make this university what you want it to be," Janzow said.

The new crop of faculty members has teaching experience ranging from one semester to 32 years.

They will be working in 20 different departments, with most teaching in education, liberal arts and sciences.

Nitzschke told the faculty members their first and foremost reason for being on campus is to educate students.

"It is the student who is No. 1," he said.

Before entering the classroom on the first day, the university offers new faculty members a five-day Teaching Enhancement Workshop, started in 1986.

On Thursday, staff had a chance to meet each other.

Today the group will take a day-long bus trip through the Bootheel to learn about the region's history and culture.

The new faculty will tour the Harry L. Crisp Bootheel Education Center in Malden. They will participate in a demonstration of distance learning technology that connects students at the Southeast campus and the Malden center

In addition, they will learn how to pronounce words like New Madrid, Advance and Cairo Southeast Missouri-style.

Next week, they will discuss teaching topics like active learning, critical thinking and enhanced lecturing.

The workshop will also focus on using technology like PowerPoint software, the campus computer network, e-mail and electronic search systems in Kent Library.