Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO, reports on its website that RSU President, Joe Wiley, is one of two finalists for it presidency.

JOPLIN, MO (SNS) – The list of finalists for President at Missouri Southern State University has narrowed to two.

Dr. Dwight Douglas, chair of the Board of Governors at MSSU, announced in a news conference today that Dr. Bruce W. Speck, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., and Dr. Joe A. Wiley, President of Rogers State University in Claremore, Okla., are the finalists for the position.

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Dr. Joe Wiley will take part in a noon reception open to the campus community and the general community in the Billingsly Student Center 2nd floor lounge on Thursday, Jan. 17 followed by a 1 p.m. public forum at the same location. He also will meet with various campus and community groups throughout the day.

The Claremore Progress also reports the news, noting in its final paragraph that

He and his wife live in Claremore, Oklahoma, and have two grown children.

His wife must have an awful commute, as she is still listed as the Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Educator at the Bryan County OSU Extension Office, based in Durant. When I was attempting to serve Dr. Wiley with legal papers, which I eventually did in his office at RSU, I never encountered his wife, though I attempted to serve him at both his Claremore home (provided by the University(see #27)) and his Durant home. The rumor was that he was building a new home in the Durant area, though I never confirmed it.

UPDATE:

I have been getting some Google hits looking for Wiley’s salary at RSU. Oklahoma now has a new database where public money can be tracked: http://openbooks.ok.gov. Here’s what a query for President Wiley at RSU returns.

Click for big version.

Data from the Openbooks site indicates President Wiley is now making $20K per month. It appears his salary was raised from $18,750 per month to $20K per month retroactively (that would account for the $3,750 he received Oct. 9). You can also see he received a $50,000 payment July 9. This must be the $50,000 one-time stipend he was given by the OU Regents for “exceptional performance.” (OU Regents Minutes, June 25 & 27, 2007, See page 11). So, all told, it looks like President Wiley’s current salary is $240,000 per year + retirement + insurance and other benefits + housing + stipends and bonuses + ???