COLLEGE ON WAY TO FASTER ACCREDITATION THANKS TO HARRISON

Cape Girardeau businessman Donald L. Harrison's generous gift to Southeast Missouri State University will play a vital role in the university's efforts to acquire accreditation of its College of Business by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.

Harrison, who serves as president of the university's Board of Regents, has endowed $1 million and pledged another $1 million in the future to the College of Business. With announcement of the endowment last fall, the college rightfully became known as the Donald L. Harrison College of Business, the only one of the university's colleges named for an individual.

The university has planned toward AACSB accreditation for some time, and the endowment will speed up that process. The income will allow the college to move at a faster pace to provide the business program necessary and will help improve teaching effectiveness by acquiring new instructional materials.

Other planned uses of the money are for acquisition of digital reference materials related to international business, reading materials for the library, and other special instructional materials such as videotapes for classrooms. The college also plans to improve instructional microcomputer labs, making business applications and links to international communications networks available to a greater number of students.

At an early May dinner at which Harrison was recognized for his gift, university President Kala Stroup paid tribute to him for his "exceptional gift" and pointed toward his "extraordinary career in business at the local, national and international levels." Harrison, who attended Southeast and graduated from Yale University in 1944, is principal owner of the Delta Companies and Southern Illinois Companies. The companies have 15 subsidiary operations in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Louisiana that are involved in highway construction and production of materials for highway construction.

Harrison told those at his dinner that "Without education, there can be no progress -- education is progress."

The university and its service area will owe special thanks to Harrison when the Donald L. Harrison College of Business obtains the distinction of AACSB accreditation.