NITZSCHKE RENEWS CONTRACT

Dr. Dale Nitzschke has signed on for another three years as president of Southeast Missouri State University.

The Board of Regents offered the three-year contract Tuesday, and Nitzschke accepted. The new contract begins July 1 and goes through June 30, 2001.

His initial two-year contract with Southeast ends June 30.

Regents' President Donald L. Dickerson of Cape Girardeau said the board is pleased with Nitzschke's performance.

"He has done an outstanding job for Southeast," Dickerson said. "He has become one of us. He has become our leader."

Nitzschke's new contract provides an annual salary of $138,250, an increase from $131,250. In addition, the board authorized an annual annuity payment of $23,000, up from the present $15,000.

Dickerson said administrative restructuring is in the works at the university. He expects to see a comprehensive plan at the board's July 8 meeting.

"On the administrative side there may be positions we don't need," Dickerson said. "If so, we may cut some positions."

"Today we settle the issue of the president's contract," Dickerson said. "This board backs him 100 percent."

In a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon Nitzschke said Southeast has proven a very exciting place to be over the past two years. Nitzschke is in Colorado attending a seminar for presidents on enrollment management.

"I see more exciting, challenging, forward-looking things happening in Cape Girardeau than just about anywhere else in the nation," Nitzschke said. "I attribute that to our Board of Regents. They've got guts."

Nitzschke said the university and the area it serves have "great and enormous potential."

That potential persuaded him to take the job in 1996 and to accept the three-year contract extension. The Board of Regents and Nitzschke have an idea for future growth at the university, and some changes are needed to bring that vision about, he said.

"As times change and as circumstances change institutions must change," Nitzschke said. "That's precisely why I'm here. We are recasting ourselves through enrollment management in order to recruit and retain students."

The restructuring began earlier this month when SueAnn Strom, vice president for Student Affairs at Southeast, announced her resignation.

Following her resignation, Nitzschke said he planned to restructure the student affairs division and eliminate the position of vice president for student affairs. Strom's resignation is effective June 30.

On Monday, the university announced that Strom has accepted a new position as associate vice president for academic and student affairs at Macon State College in Macon, Ga.

"We have already recast a lot of what she did to be more in line with what we see for the future of the institution," Nitzschke said. "Other changes are in the works."

For example, the university recently purchased the former St. Vincent's Seminary and is developing plans there for a new School for the Visual and Performing Arts.

"This will be a major, major addition to our academic program," Nitzschke said. "In the enrollment game, this will draw from all over the United States."

Under Nitzschke's leadership, the university has developed a number of initiatives to provide additional two-year and technical training opportunities in Southeast Missouri.

Groundbreaking ceremonies are planned this fall for a new Polytechnic Institute at the university.

A new Sikeston Area Higher Education Center is also scheduled for groundbreaking in the fall. The Bootheel Education Center continues to offer educational opportunities at Malden.

He has provided leadership in developing the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium, a partnership with Three Rivers Community College, Mineral Area College, Lincoln University and the University of Missouri system.

"In all of these initiatives, Dale Nitzschke has demonstrated the wisdom of the Board of Regents in choosing him from among a distinguished set of candidates," Dickerson said. "He is truly a leader with the vision, experience and drive to build on the university's solid traditions and enhance its reputation as one of the finest higher education institutions in the nation."