ATCHLEY SEMO'S 15TH PRESIDENT

When Dr. Bill Atchley was named interim president of Southeast Missouri State University, he warned the Board of Regents not to expect status quo from him.

Regents expressed their satisfaction with the momentum Atchley created on campus during the past year by officially naming him the 15th president of the university.

Don Dickerson, vice president of the Board of Regents, said the honor reflects the good job Atchley has done leading the university through a time of transition on campus.

"He brought us stability and direction and a lot of leadership at a time that is often sort of mark time for a university," Dickerson said. "As a result the university kept its momentum. We felt he was deserving to be named the 15th president."

Dr. Dale Nitschke will be the university's 16th president. He starts July 1.

Atchley was hired as interim president July 28, to lead the university while regents sought a permanent replacement for Dr. Kala Stroup. She left Southeast to become Missouri commissioner of higher education.

Atchley said: "When I came on board there were certain things the regents wanted accomplished. I feel we've made great strides."

He added that he hands over the university to the 16th president in better shape than he received it. "That's the way is should work," Atchley said. "Everyone moves it forward a little more."

The honor was bestowed on Atchley Friday when the regents passed a resolution outlining some accomplishments of the university during his tenure.

During Atchley's presidency, construction and furnishing of the Robert A. Dempster Hall has been all but completed; funding has been secured for reconstruction of the social science building, and funding has been authorized for a new maintenance facility.

The University Foundation experienced its second-best fund-raising year in its 13-year history.

The university has undertaken innovations such as a "common hour," conferral of honorary doctoral degrees, a campus-wide celebration of May Day, the organization of Emeriti Association for retired faculty and administrators, and a similar association for former regents, collection of a fee dedicated to improving computing access for students, and discussions aimed at providing post-secondary, high-level technical training for the region as part of a comprehensive mission revision for the university.

Under Atchley's leadership, the university also:

- Completed its long-range strategic plan and a campus master plan.

- Inaugurated a physical therapy assistant degree program.

- Began the Southeast P.M. program to improve higher education access.

- Received accreditation by American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.

- Received accreditation of the master's degree program in speech-language pathology.

"We thought, quite frankly, that Dr. Atchley was deserving of this award," Dickerson said. "It signifies how pleased we are with the transition Dr. Atchley gave us."

Atchley said: "You don't do this alone; I've had a tremendous staff working with me."

Atchley's wife, Pat, was also honored by the regents for her work as the university's first lady.

The Atchleys are planning to move out at the end of the month and will be headed to South Carolina.

"I'm available for Dr. Nitschke if I can assist," he said.