Southeast Missouri State University will be saying goodbye soon to Doyle Privett and Darren Todd, two Board of Regents members, because their terms have expired.
Each member of the Board of Regents is selected through a process headed by the governor of Missouri, and the members have six-year terms. The duties of the board are to govern the university. This includes appointing the president of the university, employing faculty and staff and making necessary policy decisions and implementing them. The board has a total of seven members, including one non-voting student member.
"Board of Regent members are appointed by the governor," Brady Barke, senior associate to the president and Board of Regents secretary, said. "Anyone that is interested in serving on any board or commission, they apply as a state-wide process. The governor actually makes those appointments. The university does not make those appointments or the replacements."
There are several requirements made by the governor in how the Board of Regents is composed, including the requirement that there cannot be an even number of members from different political parties.
The terms of Privett and Todd, both appointed in April 2009, expired on Jan. 1. They are still in office until the replacements for their positions are chosen.
"Their terms expired in January, but they generally continue to serve until a replacement is appointed," Barke said. "For example, the last member appointed, Don LaFerla, began in December of 2013, and he replaced a member whose term ended in January of that year, so we don't know if it will be sooner rather than later."
Privett and Todd have served on the Board of Regents the longest of the current members.
"They have been involved and seen a lot in terms of progression for the university. [They have] a lot of experience in that sense," Barke said. "So naturally we are losing in that leadership role. They both have been on the board for a long time, so we are losing a lot in that aspect."
Privett, a resident of Kennett, Missouri, and alumnus of Southeast, has seen many improvements in the university during his time on the board, and is proud of his service as a member.
"I have been involved in most of the decisions for the university, especially the last two since I've been [the board's] president," Privett said. "We are going through a big change in the selection of a new [university] president, of which I am chairing the committee. I'm also excited that our enrollment has increased all during this period of time."
Privett also believes he will leave the university in a place where it can succeed for a long time.
"Dr. [Kenneth W.] Dobbins and I were co-chairs of a committee that developed a new strategic plan that was approved by the board in December that will lead Southeast into the future for the next three to five years," Privett said. "We have done tremendous things at the university, including a new residence hall at the River Campus. I think my presence on the board is a big part of that."
Privett will leave the board and continue to be the Chief Financial Officer at the Kennett National Bank.
"I really enjoyed my time as a member and it's been a real learning experience for me," Privett said.
