11/17/2011 - Jackson, Miss.

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning announced today the selection of Dr. James B. Borsig as the preferred candidate for the presidency of Mississippi University for Women. Dr. Borsig has over 30 years of experience in higher education, government and the private sector.

Currently serving as Associate Commissioner for External Relations and Public Policy for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Dr. Borsig served previously as Assistant Commissioner or Government Relations for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, as Executive Assistant to the President of the University of Southern Mississippi, and as Research and Development Coordinator for the John C. Stennis Institute of Government. Since 2007 he has been a visiting professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Jackson State University.

Dr. Borsig was recommended by the Board Search Committee, chaired by Trustee Christy Pickering, with input from the Campus Search Advisory Committee and the Interview Search Advisory Committee following careful review of all applications and two rounds of interviews.

“I would like to thank Trustee Christy Pickering for her service as chair and for the other members of the Board Search Committee for the time and attention they have devoted to this very important endeavor,” said Robin Robinson, president of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. “Leading a search process in not easy, but their hard work is evident in the caliber of the candidate selected.”

Dr. Borsig holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and American Studies and a master’s degree in political science with a concentration in public administration, both from the University of Southern Mississippi. He earned his doctorate in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University.

“I would like to thank the Campus Search Advisory Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Sue Jolly-Smith, for their dedication to finding the best possible candidate to serve as president,” said Trustee Christy Pickering, chair of the Board Search Committee for the Mississippi University for Women presidential search, an ad hoc committee of the Board of Trustees. “They serve as the voice of the campus community, which is a vital element of the search process. Finding the best person to serve MUW at this point in its history would be impossible without the input received from the committee.”

Campus listening sessions were held in August with constituency groups for the members of the Board Search Committee and the Campus Search Advisory Committee to hear what qualities and qualifications stakeholders believed the next institutional executive officer should possess. After careful review of all applicants, the Campus Search Advisory Committees submitted the names of several candidates unranked to the Board Search Committee and selected the Interview Search Advisory Committee. The Board selected the candidates to be interviewed and two rounds of interviews were held.

Members of the Campus Search Advisory Committee include Renee Flynt, Emily Myers Garner, Ruth Jones, Brandon Newsome, Andrea Overby, Nora Miller, Dr. Sue Jolly-Smith, Dr. Mark Bean, Dr. Gloria Bunnell, Dr. Dionne Fortenberry, Dr. Kimberly Taylor-Gathings, Cathy Young, Jessica Harpole, Phillip Cockrell, Jenna McMurphy, Carlos Williams, Kathy Dyess, Bobby Harper, Joe Higgins and Alma Turner.

“Receiving input from every segment of the Mississippi University for Women family has helped us to identify the best person to lead us into the future,” said Dr. Sue Jolly-Smith. “Dr. Borsig has a vision for our university and knows how build relationships and inspire others to help our university reach new heights.”

Dr. Borsig will meet with campus constituency groups on a visit to the campus in Columbus. The visit will be held on Wednesday, November 30, beginning at 8:00 a.m. with community leaders in the President’s Dining Room. All other sessions will be held in Cochran Ballroom. While all sessions are open to the public, each session focuses on the needs of a specific constituency group.

The Board of Trustees meeting will be held at 3:00 p.m. Members of the Board may participate in the meeting via teleconference. The public may attend in Cochran Hall, Room 305. An executive session may be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

View the Mississippi University for Women presidential search page for more information.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning 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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