River Campus Center named after retiring university president, wife

Southeast Missouri State University staff, students and community members Friday celebrated the official naming of the Kenneth & Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center.

Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins and his wife, Jeanine Larson Dobbins, cut a ceremonial ribbon Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 after a dedication ceremony for the Kenneth & Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center. From left are regent Thomas M. Meyer, Board of Regents president Doyle Privett, Jeanine and Kenneth Dobbins, Board of Regents vice-president Kendra Neely-Martin, regent Jay B. Knudtson, regent Donald G. LaFerla, student representative Austin Cordell and Student Government president Caleb Cockrill. (Fred Lynch)

"There really are no words that can capture how I feel," Jeanine Dobbins said during a dedication ceremony at the River Campus. "Some people will say, 'It's so well-deserved.' And I say, 'So many people deserve so very much.' I look at it as grace."

Southeast president Kenneth Dobbins, who will retire June 30, is credited with the creation, establishment and growth of the $58 million River Campus.

The campus dedicated to art, dance, music and theater opened in 2007.

"Nothing took more time, persistence, patience and passion than the building of this River Campus," he said, adding it took nine years to complete the project. "My wife lovingly referred to it as my nine-year pregnancy."

The 90,000-square-foot center named for the Dobbinses opened in the fall and combines academic and living spaces. The building is just north of the original Convocation Center and Seminary building, forming the completion of a River Campus quad.

The first floor includes a directing/acting black box studio; a dance studio; a choral rehearsal room; sectional practice rooms; and St. Vincent's Commons, a 120-seat dining facility overlooking the Mississippi River.

Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins and Jeanine Larson Dobbins admire a photograph of the Kenneth & Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center that was unveiled at a dedication ceremony Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. (Fred Lynch)

An art education classroom is on the mezzanine level, and the second floor houses faculty offices.

The building also provides a 180-bed living area housing many music, art, theater and dance majors who now are living close to the academic facilities they frequent.

The majority of the second and all of the third floor accommodate four-person student suites, along with practice rooms, laundry facilities and lounges. A fitness center also is on the third floor.

Since the River Campus opened, enrollment of music, art, theater and dance majors at Southeast has seen dramatic growth, Dobbins said.

"We have, in fact, attracted some great talent," he added.

Doyle Privett, president of the Southeast board of regents, said he was always impressed by Dobbins and his vision for Southeast.

So when the university's former president retired in 1999, Privett said the board didn't need to conduct a search because they knew Dobbins was the best candidate.

After a dedication ceremony, people walk over to the Kenneth & Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center for the ribbon cutting Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. (Fred Lynch)

"He has certainly proved to be one of the most outstanding presidents in the history of this university," Privett said. "And you can certainly understand why we voted unanimously to name this building after him and Jeanine."

Caleb Cockrill, president of Southeast's student government, thanked the Dobbinses for the "unparalleled generosity and support" they've shown to students over the past 16 years.

Cockrill then listed accomplishments made by the couple during their time at the university.

"This innovation has never come at the cost of students, but to their benefit," he said. "Their selfless giving back has not only touched the lives of the thousands of students at Southeast today and past years, but for decades to come will have a profound impact on their future."

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