2012 Man and Woman of the Year Derek May and Leshay Mathis with Southeast President Kenneth W. Dobbins

Dear Friends,
Of all the events I’m privileged to take part in as president of Southeast Missouri State University, Homecoming is one of my two favorites (the other is commencement). It is always fun to see the students gearing up to celebrate the Homecoming events. Their creativity in the annual Homecoming parade is truly amazing. Additionally, I continue to be impressed by the qualifications and accomplishments of man and woman of the year candidates. The spirit at Southeast is always alive, but there’s something about Homecoming with the mix of student excitement and returning alumni that make that weekend extra special.

It was nice to see so many alumni during Homecoming this year. It is great to be at a University whose graduates enjoy coming back to visit with professors, support our athletics teams or just tour campus to see all of the changes we have made. Next year should prove to be a spectacular Homecoming with the grand re-opening of Academic Hall and the completion of construction projects across campus. Mark your calendars now for Oct. 25-26, 2013. We would love having you as part of this special Homecoming celebration. Please contact the Alumni Association if you have questions about Homecoming or other campus visits.

Speaking of visiting, one of the really nice events of Homecoming weekend is the endowed scholarship reception. As you may know, scholarships are vital to our students. All across the nation, we’re seeing education costs rise. We’ve worked to keep Southeast affordable for students, which allows students to pursue knowledge and a brighter future. That’s why the endowed scholarships given by friends and alumni to Southeast are so vital. Not just important, but vital. Scholarships make dreams come true for students and make a college degree possible for those who might not have the financial means to attend Southeast. The endowed scholarship reception is a time for donors to meet the students who receive scholarships. It is very gratifying to see these students thanking generous benefactors and explaining the importance of scholarships. However until you look into the faces of these appreciative students and hear them explain not only what it means to them, but also what an education has meant to their life, it just doesn’t have the same impact. In this issue, some of our benefactors who have offered scholarships to Southeast students shared with us why they made that decision. If you choose to support Southeast, I urge you to consider endowed scholarships as a means of offering that support. If you have questions, Bill Holland, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, is happy to assist you.

In addition to Homecoming, it has been very busy at Southeast. Former Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell visited our campus; we experienced the twelfth year of record-breaking enrollments; a historic $90 million of construction projects is simultaneously occurring on campus; the sixth season at the River Campus began with several sold-out shows; our athletics teams made it to the OVC tournament; and we made major announcements regarding Southeast’s support of military and veteran students. All of these areas are mentioned in this publication.

Please comment and share your experiences with regard to any of the articles included in this issue or let us know what you’d like to see in future issues. As always, we thank you for your support, your interest, your attention to Southeast Missouri State University.

Best wishes,
Kenneth W. Dobbins
President