8/15/2007 - Jackson, Miss.

Members of the Mississippi State Board of Education joined the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) during its regular monthly meeting to hear preliminary recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Redesign of Teacher Preparation (BRC). Co-chaired by IHL Trustee Dr. Bettye Neely and State Board of Education member Mr. Charles McClelland, the BRC convened in November 2006 to increase the quality and quantity of teachers in Mississippi by improving teacher preparation and recruitment programs in the state.

During her presentation, IHL Assistant Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Lynn House presented the BRC’s preliminary major goals, to be addressed by the Committee across multiple years of work. The goals include redesigning training programs to increase the quality and quantity of Mississippi teachers; creating an accountability system to link student achievement with teacher education and alternate route programs; implementing strategies to improve teacher recruitment; increasing teacher retention rates; aligning certification and licensure requirements with standards and federal mandates; and developing a better linkage between teacher education programs at junior and community colleges and universities.

“The preliminary recommendations presented by the BRC have the potential to revolutionize how we prepare Mississippi’s teachers,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith. “The hard work and efforts of the Blue Ribbon Committee will directly impact the success of our teachers, our students, and our state’s future.” For more information on the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Redesign of Teacher Preparation, visit www.mississippi.edu/Academic_Affairs1/brc/.

In other news, the Board approved a five percent salary increase for Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith. The Board also approved a $9,500 private salary increase for Mississippi State University President Dr. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong from the Mississippi State University Foundation, as well as a $25,000 private salary increase for University of Southern Mississippi President Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders from the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held Wednesday and Thursday, September 19 and 20, 2007, on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford. For more information, visit http://www.mississippi.edu/.

Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, IHL governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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