The first year that Southeast Missouri State University President Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins was employed at Southeast as the university's vice president of finance and administration in 1991 was the year Southeast athletics moved to Division I.

Dobbins became executive vice president in 1993 before his appointment as Southeast's president in 1999. The athletic department approached Dobbins about his visions for Southeast athletics before he became president.

"When I became executive vice president they started reporting to me. So that was in '93, so I just kept it [my vision for athletics]," Dobbins said. "One of the things that we want to make sure is that student-athletes are students first, athletes second. And one of the accomplishments is the coaches know that, and that's in their contract or things to make that happen."

On Feb. 12, 210 student-athletes were honored at the annual Scholar Athlete Dinner before the men's basketball game for earning a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

"I think what's really important is that over two-thirds of our student-athletes have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher," Dobbins said. "You could've gotten all of them in this room about 15 years ago and now you can't. You'd have to go the ballroom to keep them all in the same room -- that's great."

Dobbins went on to say that the athletic programs also need to be competitive, but also student-athletes need to enjoy their experience at Southeast.

Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt has a similar vision to Dobbins for Southeast athletics, and when the two first met in St. Louis for an interview for the position before Alnutt was hired in 2012, it was clear.

"My time with him was only supposed to be 45 minutes, but I recall, and it went about an hour and 15 minutes, which the search firm that helped conduct this search said I spent the most time with the president," Alnutt said. "Obviously we talked about so many different subjects and topics as it relates to athletics during my time with him up there. The impression that he made upon me was the fact that of the importance of being a student-athlete and how obviously academics is the focus and the opportunity to play a sport that you love is secondary."

Alnutt mentioned that they also talked about Dobbins' focus on athletics and how he could assist the athletic department in terms of elevating the athletic programs.

There are 13 athletic programs at Southeast, which include baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, gymnastics, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's track and field and volleyball.

Southeast has won a total of six conference championships in Alnutt's tenure as athletic director.

The men's track team won both the Ohio Valley Conference indoor and outdoor championship last year with the women's track team also winning the outdoor title.

The Southeast baseball team won the regular-season OVC Championship last season, and the gymnastics team won the Midwest Independent Conference Championship last season as well.

Alnutt is the fourth athletic director under Dobbins' tenure as president and the two have been through multiple coaching firings and hirings and also an NCAA investigation.

The men's and women's basketball programs just received new coaches with the hiring of Rick Ray for the men's team and Rekha Patterson for the women's team all last month.

"As you know he [Alnutt] reports to me, but I don't micromanage," Dobbins said. "Some people say, 'Well, he micromanages,' no I ask questions. If I have some concerns, and I will express if I have concerns, but for example hiring of a coach, it's his ultimate decision."

Dobbins went on to say that he talks to the coaching candidates about what their plans as coach are and expresses things -- that players are students first, athletes second and that no NCAA violations occur, otherwise they are gone.

Dobbins has been a part of three NCAA investigations in his time at Southeast with the most recent case being with the women's basketball program.

"One of the things I think that we want to make sure that we are known for is that our athletic program follows the rules, and if they don't, then you really, as part of being an NCAA member, you're responsible for self-reporting and you're also responsible for investigating if you find there's something wrong," Dobbins said. "So unfortunately I've had that opportunity three times, and that's not a good opportunity. But I think the people realize that we have a program where we won't tolerate people not living by the bylaws of the NCAA."

Keeping facilities up-to-date is a major focus of any university and Dobbins has overseen plenty of renovations for Southeast's athletic facilities.

"We do renovations for a number of reasons, one to improve our facilities for our teams to compete," Dobbins said. "Also to help with Title IX issues and making sure that the facilities for women's sports are comparable to men's sports, also just because things wear out."

The Show Me Center will undergo renovations this summer and Dobbins has also overseen other renovations to facilities, such as adding new lights and a playing turf to Houck Stadium and the creation of the Southeast Softball Complex.

The track at the Abe Stuber Track Complex has been resurfaced and also there were a number of locker rooms that needed to be built and upgraded.

Dobbins said that he thinks athletics at any university are vital for the atmosphere of that institution.

"I think collegiate athletics, and intramurals too, are really vital to having the feel of a university," Dobbins said. "So that students can enjoy that opportunity, and I think that it also provides some school spirit, and I think that's really important. Remember, I think that there are a lot of individuals at a university -- students I should say -- that represent our university. Student-athletes are ambassadors, and we tell them that."