9/20/2007 - Jackson, Miss.

During its regular monthly meeting on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) approved the annual Ayers Settlement Agreement Disclosure report as well as revisions to the Accreditation Standards and Rules and Regulations for Mississippi Nursing Degree Programs.

In other news, the Board also heard presentations from the Tuition and Financial Aid Task Forces and tabled discussion of both task forces’ recommendations for further consideration by Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith and the eight institutional executive officers. Dr. Joseph Paul, vice president for student affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi, served as chair of the Tuition Task Force, which convened in February 2007 to think creatively about tuition and to consider any and all options for making a university education more affordable. Dr. Bucky Wesley, vice president for student services at Mississippi University for Women, served as chair of the Financial Aid Task Force, which convened in March 2007 to assess current state and institutional financial aid policies and programs to determine ways to increase access to universities and improve student success. Both task forces were comprised of various university representatives from throughout the System.

During his Commissioner’s report, Commissioner Meredith announced that entries may now be submitted for the Board’s third-annual Best Practices awards program. The award program is designed to highlight efforts that create efficient and effective practices initiated at institutions in the following four categories: Academics; Finance, Business, and Administration; Student Services; and Technology. Entries are due from the institutions on October 19, and winners will be announced during the January 2008 Board meeting. Winning institutions receive a stipend from the Board’s incentive pool. For more information, visit http://www.mississippi.edu/bestpractices/.

The Board will hold its annual retreat October 16-18, 2007, followed by its next regular monthly meeting on November 14, 2007, in the IHL Board room. For more information, visit www.mississippi.edu.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the eight 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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