Board Approves Tuition Increase and FY 2010 Budget Priorities
During its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, the IHL Board approved resident tuition increases ranging from $157 to $214 per year to help offset inflationary costs and an increase in state funding of only 1.2 percent for the upcoming fiscal year. The following annual resident tuition increases were approved: - Alcorn State University: $175 (4.0%) increase to $4,498 annually
- Delta State University: $201 (4.7%) increase to $4,449 annually
- Jackson State University: $157 (3.5%) increase to $4,634 annually
- Mississippi State University: $172 (3.5%) increase to $5,150 annually
- Mississippi University for Women: $214 (5.1%) increase to $4,423 annually
- Mississippi Valley State University: $158 (3.6%) increase to $4,575 annually
- University of Mississippi: $173 (3.5%) increase to $5,107 annually
- University of Southern Mississippi: $181 (3.7%) increase to $5,096 annually
The Board also approved non-resident and professional tuition as well as room and board increases. Detailed information can be found online in PowerPoint and PDF formats. In addition, the Board approved the FY 2009 operating budget and the FY 2010 budget priorities for the legislative appropriation funding request. The FY 2010 budget priorities include an 18 percent increase in classroom instruction; and a 33 percent increase in student financial aid, including $5 million earmarked for community and junior college transfer assistance scholarships. The FY 2010 budget priorities also include increases for health care and agriculture, both critical to our state, with a 26 percent increase to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and an 11 percent increase to Mississippi's agriculture programs. In addition, the Board approved a 55 percent increase for its institutes and centers. Details can be found online in PowerPoint and PDF formats. In other news, at the Commissioner's recommendation, the Board approved the use of Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. as the search consultant for the current Mississippi Valley State University presidential search. Learn more about the IHL Board.
| MSU Search Advisory Committee Participates in Orientation
Members of the Mississippi State University (MSU) Search Advisory Committee, formed by the IHL Board to assist with the Board's search for the next institutional executive officer of MSU, met for an orientation with Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith and executive search consultant Mr. Jerry Baker today, Friday, June 20. Search Advisory Committee members discussed the steps of the presidential search as well as their important role within the process. Mississippi State University's Search Advisory Committee members were chosen based on recommendations by university and community constituencies and reflect key members of the university community as well as the public and private sectors. The Committee is charged with identifying the most capable and qualified applicants and nominees to be presented to the Board Search Committee for review. Some Search Advisory Committee members will also participate in the final interview process with the Board of Trustees. IHL's institutional executive officer search process allows Mississippi to be on the consideration list of the highest caliber professionals in higher education. The process is open, transparent and representative-based, and works in accordance with today's recruitment standards for high-level institutions of higher learning. For more information on the MSU institutional executive officer search process, including a timeline of events, visit the IEO search website. | Board Receives MUW 20/20 Report, Endorses Name Change Study
During its annual retreat, the IHL Board received an update from the Mississippi University for Women's regarding the university's MUW 20/20 report. This report resulted from an extensive future planning process at MUW and a meeting of community members, System representatives, policy makers, students, alumni, faculty, and staff, which detailed ideas and strategies to enhance MUW's future and meet the greater needs of the MUW community and the state. The report included consideration of a potential name change for MUW. The Board passed a resolution with respect to the MUW 20/20 committee's recommendations. In the resolution, the Board stated, "The Board appreciates the thoughtful good work of the MUW 20/20 committee and endorses the process of considering changing the name of Mississippi University for Women. The Board anticipates receiving an additional report from MUW in conjunction with this process." The MUW 20/20 report can be viewed online. | |  Items included in the "University News" section of the System Review are submitted each week by the universities. The news items are listed in rotating alphabetical order by university.MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN NEWS
 MUW Part of Nursing Consortium
Mississippi University for Women's nursing program and those of four other universities in Mississippi are forming a consortium to offer programs in geriatric nurse practitioner (GNP) and mental health nurse practitioner (MHNP). "Mississippi has a great need for providers in both geriatrics and mental health in the more rural areas of the state," said Dr. Patsy Smyth, chair of the Department of Graduate Nursing. "This grant will help fill that void...With the graying of America and increasing numbers of individuals needing counseling or follow up for mental health reasons, this grant will be a godsend. The five universities will be at the forefront of fulfilling a health need that has a dearth of providers in the rural areas of our state." Other schools participating in the consortium are Alcorn State University, Delta State University, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Southern Mississippi. The grant, which is made possible by the Health Resources Service Administration, is for $1.2 million for three years, with the first year being funded at $450,000 since the start up costs are more for the first year. Much of the money will go toward updating the infrastructure at the schools such as Internet and communication hardware and software. Learn more. Mississippi Governor's School Among Various Camps Held at MUW Holcombe Promoted to Executive Director of Development at MUW Free Workshops Offered Through Women's Center for Entrepreneurship at MUW MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MVSU and Coahoma Community College Sign Cooperative Agreement
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) and Coahoma Community College (CCC) presidents signed a cooperation agreement to ease the transition between the two-year college and the four-year university. MVSU Interim President Roy C. Hudson and CCC President Vivian M. Presley signed the agreement benefiting CCC students, faculty, and staff. The agreement allows credit hour retention so that students transferring to MVSU from CCC will not lose any credit hours. "There is a long history of a cooperative relationship between Valley and Coahoma. We know that earning a higher education benefits not only our area but Mississippi as a whole. This agreement is MVSU's way of assisting CCC students as they adjust to life as a four-year-degree-seeking candidate," said Dr. Hudson. "The cooperative agreement ensures that Coahoma Community College graduates have a seamless transition to Mississippi Valley State University," added Rosetta Howard, dean of CCC Academic Affairs. In addition, the agreement involves providing two presidential scholarships to graduates of CCC which include payment of fees, room, and board, a monthly stipend, and an annual book allowance. Coahoma's faculty and staff will benefit from the agreement, too, said Dr. Hudson. "Individuals may take up to six credit hours per semester free of charge. We want to see Deltans attain the four-year college degree, and what better way to ensure this than through this partnership with Coahoma," he said. Learn more. MVSU Institute of Effective Teaching Practices Offers Free Workshops UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
UM Workshops Train Teachers to Use Alice 3-D Animation Software in Schools
Some two years after her debut at the University of Mississippi (UM), Alice is "graduating" to elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. Alice, an educational software that teaches computer programming in a 3-D environment, was introduced to UM students enrolled in the Survey of Computing course in fall 2006. Soon the programming system, which was developed at Carnegie Mellon University, became a favored course with computer science majors and nonmajors alike. The program's success at UM has led to Mississippi being one of six states to benefit from a National Science Foundation grant for three weeklong workshops to train 22 public and private school teachers statewide to use the program. "I've never worked with a group as excited as this one," said workshop coordinator Maxine Woolsey, educational outreach specialist for the UM School of Engineering. "Discussions are lively and everyone is so enthused about what they are learning that they don't seem to mind the daily eight hours of rigorous instruction." The teachers are expected to carry their enthusiasm back to their classrooms this fall to teach the program, which is ideal for intellectually astute students who may not receive the mathematical background required to major in computer science at the university level, said Pamela Lawhead, associate professor of computer and information science and an instructor for the workshops. Learn more. Kids Stay 'Cool' this Summer by Reading Mark Wilder Named Dean of Accountancy School Sophomores Exchange Ideas with South Korean Counterparts Medical Marketing Economics LLC Gives $350,000 to Support School of Pharmacy UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS
National Publication Rates UMHC Tops in Conservative Care
Consumer Reports has rated University of Mississippi Health Care (UMHC) the state's leader in conservative treatment for certain serious chronic conditions. In May, Consumer Reports launched a new page on its Web site (www.consumerreports.com ) that helps consumers compare how intensely hospitals treat patients with conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, dementia, or many types of cancer. The information is based on a 2008 study by the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and additional research by Dartmouth Medical School faculty. Findings of the study of more than 4.7 million Medicare patients at thousands of hospitals across the country from 2001-05 suggest significant variations in the way people with serious illnesses were treated during the last two years of their lives. According to the study, some regions used two or three times the medical and financial resources than others. Learn more. Graduate Studies Dean, Physiology Faculty, Students Receive Awards Assistant Professor Lands NHLBI Career Development Funding RWJ Foundation Selects Winters for Junior Investigator Award UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Southern Miss Awarded $2 Million NIH Grant for Five-Year Walking Study
A $2 million National Institutes of Health grant has been awarded to The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Nutrition and Food Systems for a five-year community-based participatory research intervention to increase walking in Hattiesburg. Based on a previous successful Department of Nutrition and Food Systems walking study model in another Mississippi community, the community research intervention will include the City of Hattiesburg as a research partner. Southern Miss researchers, in collaboration with a community steering committee, will recruit key community members to assist with the implementation and evaluation of intervention components, including health improvements resulting from an increase in walking. The project contains three components that include developing and assessing the community to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, an intervention phase to test the effects on blood pressure and other health indicators from a walking program using social support, and a maintenance phase to determine if motivational enhancement helps individuals to sustain walking after the intervention. Learn more. Ball Recipient of Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award Youth Sleep Patterns Focus of Southern Miss Psychology Research Project Southern Miss Study Reveals Knowledge of Basic Nutrition Information Low in Delta Region Southern Arena Theatre Offers Summer Comedy, Mystery, Romance UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST CAMPUS NEWS
Southern Miss Faculty Launch Inaugural Journal for Political Science
Jack Covarrubias, visiting assistant professor of political science at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, served as executive editor of the inaugural issue of the journal Global Horizons: The Journal of the Association for Policy and Resilience . The journal received support from the Southern Miss Trent Lott National Center of Excellence for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. It is comprised of articles from faculty members in the Department of Political Science and International Development and Affairs. The goal of the Association for Policy and Resilience is to bring together "various stakeholders in the field and practice of policy and development in order to build a more resilient society." Other contributors from Southern Miss include: editors Tom Lansford, assistant dean in the College of Arts and Letters and associate professor of political science; Robert J. Pauly, assistant professor of international policy and development and director of the international development doctoral program; David Butler, associate professor of international development and director of the Southern Miss Call Center Research Lab; and associate editors J. J. St. Marie and Edward Sayre, both assistant professors of political science and international development and affairs. Learn more. Artists Invited to Participate in Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival Aug. 23 Marine Science Student Receives Doctoral Assistantship Award Southern Miss Gulf Coast School of Social Work Application Deadline Extended ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Alcorn Students Learn Beyond the Classroom
Members of Delta Mu Delta (DMD) International Honor Society in Business Administration from Alcorn State University attended the 39th Annual Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) Conference held June 3-6, 2008, at the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, Fla. The entourage included Ms. Andrea Dixon, School of Business campus liaison, Mr. Courthney Hall, DMD president, and Mr. Gifford Blakely. Hall and Blakely were honored as Marriott Scholars during the week's activities. The three-day event, entitled "Developing the Leader Within," brought together African American professionals to train and mentor students from historically black colleges and universities. The BEEP conference, sponsored by JP Morgan Chase, UPS, and Unilever, featured prominent speakers including Marc Morial, Don Thompson, president of McDonald's USA, Michael Hyter, president of Novations Group Inc, and Thomas W. Dortch Jr., chairman emeritus of 100 Black Men. "This year's conference empowered young people to develop the leadership traits and support networks necessary to secure and retain high-quality employment opportunities," said National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial. "In these difficult economic times, we must equip our young people with as many advantages as possible to propel their success." Learn more. Alcorn State Faculty Appointed on an Agroforestry Multi-State Committee DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta State Staff Awarded for Excellence in Service
The 2008 recipients of Delta State University's "Awards for Staff Excellence in Service" were formally recognized on Friday, June 6 at a luncheon held in the atrium of Kent Wyatt Hall on the Delta State campus. The awards are funded through the Delta State Foundation and the University in an initiative geared toward recognizing individual staff members who have made outstanding contributions to the university, their colleagues, or the university's relations with communities in the region. Award recipients include: Director of Student Health Services Bevaline Black, Senior Secretary for the Department of Social Sciences Linda Douglas, Administrative Payroll Officer Donna Fitzgerald, Assistant Director of Human Resources Lisa Giger, Administrative Secretary to the Dean of Education Deleslyn Dakin, Director of Career Services Christy Montesi, Electrical Supervisor James Marquis, Jr., Groundskeeper for the President's residence Rickey Brown, Vice President of Finance and Administration Greg Redlin, President of the Foundation Frank Sibley, and Supervisor of Carpentry and Painting William (Junior) Miller. Learn more. Delta State's Master of Science in Nursing Program Has 100 Percent Exam Pass Rate Delta State's Noland Signs with St. Louis Cardinals JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Church Music Workshop at JSU Featured Praise, Worship
Praise and worship is what happened at the 32nd Annual Church Music Workshop of America at Jackson State University. The event, themed "Music and Worship: A Celebration of Life," began Monday, June 16 and ended Thursday, June 19. This year's workshop featured Norman Hutchins, a Stellar and Dove Award nominee, and Grammy-nominated artist Myrna Summers. On Monday, the Recital Hall at the F.D. Hall Music Center on the JSU campus was filled with participants singing along to gospel songs and applauding guest speakers to help bring in the workshop with praise. Leander Bridges II, a choir director at Springhill Baptist Church in Ellisville, said the workshop helps his ministry with praise and worship techniques. "This workshop helps you to think outside the box," said Bridges, who is attending the workshop for the fourth year. Learn more. Jackson State Collecting School Supplies for Students in Zambia, Africa Middle, High School Students Learning Math, Technology Skills at Jackson State State Higher Ed Official Volunteering at Jackson State JSU Hosting Summer Science Programs for Recent High School Grads MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Mississippi State's Challenge X Team Makes Victory Lap
Mississippi State's Challenge X team is inviting state residents to help celebrate its second consecutive first-place finish in a national competition to re-engineer a Chevrolet Equinox for higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Competing with 16 other university teams from throughout the United States and Canada, MSU recently repeated its 2007 win in a four-year competition jointly sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy. MSU's entry features an electric hybrid powered by a 1.9 liter GM direct-injection turbo diesel fueled by B20 biodiesel. It has achieved a 38 percent increase in fuel economy over the production model on a modified urban test cycle, while maintaining passenger comfort and vehicle performance. After receiving accolades from U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman and other government and vehicle industry leaders, the MSU team was recognized in Motor Trend magazine. Now, MSU team members are taking a Mississippi victory lap over the next two weeks to give interested members of the public an up-close appreciation of their hard work. The schedule includes: Jackson - Thursday, June 26, the state capitol's north entrance, 12:30-2 p.m.; Meridian - Friday, June 27, Multi-Modal Transportation Center, 5 p.m.; Tupelo - Tuesday, July 1, Tupelo Automobile Museum, noon. Learn more. MSU Chemical Engineering Researchers Win RARE EPA Grant MSU Administrator Appointed to Commission by President Bush MSU Student Recognized with Major PGA Honor, Scholarship MSU's Historic Perry Cafeteria Undergoes Renovation MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND VETERINARY MEDICINE NEWS
MSU Veterinary Oncology Unit Offers Hope for Pet Owners
Ten or fifteen years ago, a cancer diagnosis in a dog or cat might have elicited simply a sympathetic apology from a veterinarian. At the time, treatment options just weren't available. Since then, though, the study of oncology in veterinary medicine has exploded, and the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is responding. "Treating cancer requires a holistic approach: to do it right, you need lots of facilities and lots of people," explained Dr. Andrew Mackin, associate professor of small animal internal medicine. Accurate diagnostic equipment is one of the prerequisites for effective cancer treatment. The MRI technology added within the past year and the CT scanner already in place allow clinicians to "look where they couldn't look before," said Dr. Kari Lunsford, assistant professor and small animal internist. These technologies, along with ultrasound, can offer information about what stage a cancer is in and whether or not it is operable. But as Mackin notes, "diagnosing is the easy part" compared to treating. The College of Veterinary Medicine is now the only source in Mississippi for a melanoma vaccine for dogs. Still in the research phase, the vaccine is available only through specialty services like the one at the CVM. Learn more. MSU Specialists Detail Organic Options for Garden Pest Control MSU Economists Report Production Costs Prevent Dairy Price Celebrations MSU Researchers Reduce Building Material Chemicals to Clean Up Indoor Air MSU Rose Garden Fills Many Roles 
June 21 - Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library presents the 2008 Regional Genealogical Fair X from 9:30 to 3:30. The free event includes topics relating to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and multiple research strategies. For more information, call Lynne Mueller at (662) 325-7679. Learn more. June 22 - The L-O-U Summer Sunset Series continues with Oxford jazz ensemble Jazz Lite, a seven-piece ensemble that plays jazz and big band standards, at 7 p.m. in the Grove at Ole Miss. The event is free and families are welcome. In case of rain, the concert moves to Fulton Chapel. Learn more. June 23-27 - Mississippi State University hosts a butterfly workshop for teachers during the 59th annual international meeting of the Lepidopterist Society on the MSU campus. Registration is $85. Contact John Guyton at (662) 325-3482 or jguyton@cfr.msstate.edu . Learn more. June 25 - MSU's Statewide Dairy Field Day will be from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Southwest Events Center in Tylertown. Contact Lamar Adams at (601) 876-4021 or lamara@ext.msstate.edu . Learn more. June 25 - Mississippi Valley State University presents "Valley on the Road -- The Ultimate College Experience" from 1-5 p.m. in Shaw at McEvans School. Students can talk to MVSU Admissions, Financial Aid, and Housing representatives. For more information, call 1-800-GO2MVSU. Learn more. June 26 - Jackson State University's Dept. of Special Education will host a curriculum workshop from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the College of Business, Room 166. The workshop, "Total Engagement: integrating Arts Across the Curriculum" will feature storyweaver Diane Williams and Freddi Evans, music therapist. Learn more. June 26 - The Jackson State University College of Public Service is hosting a one-day forum to educate and empower men on improving the quality of their lives. The free forum, called the Men's Health and Healthcare Conference, will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Hilton Jackson Convention Center. Learn more. June 28 - Alcorn State Football Presents 7 on 7 Shootout and Big Man Camp. For more information contact Coach Terrance Robinson at trobinson@alcorn.edu or by phone at (601) 443-3117. Registration closes June 23. Learn more. June 29 - The eighth season of the L-O-U Summer Sunset Series concludes with a performance by the Germantown Symphony Orchestra in the Grove at Ole Miss. The event is free and families are welcome. In case of rain, the concert moves to Fulton Chapel. Learn more. Through July 6 - Nineteen contemporary quilts, including some from Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada, are on display in the Skipwith Gallery at the University of Mississippi Museum. Admission is free. Learn more. July 9 - Mississippi Valley State University presents "Valley on the Road -- The Ultimate College Experience" from 1-5 p.m. in Greenville at the Washington County Convention Center. Students can talk to MVSU Admissions, Financial Aid, and Housing representatives. Learn more. July 17 - MSU's Delta Research and Extension Center hosts crop producers, consultants, and industry representatives at the annual Agronomic Crops Field Day in the Capps Center in Stoneville beginning at 8:30 a.m. Contact Jody Stovall at (662) 686-3216 jstovall@drec.msstate.edu . Learn more. Aug. 23 - Southern Miss Gulf Coast will host the Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival from 2-8 p.m. on the front lawn of the university's Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The festival will feature live music, local artists and food vendors. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more. |
