IHL board approves Ole Miss housing expansion, Jackson State hotel lease; new degrees and centers cleared
The Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning on Thursday approved a second phase of student housing at the University of Mississippi and a lease of hotel rooms for Jackson State University, board documents show. Trustees also approved new degree programs at Mississippi State and Southern Miss and two new centers at Alcorn State and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Senior Associate Commissioner for Finance John Pearce told the board the Ole Miss project is the second phase of a student housing plan first approved in November 2025. The second phase aims to add about 850 beds on roughly 15 acres. The board approved a ground lease with PRG-Oxford Properties for a West Row site that includes four acres for housing, parking and a pad for food and beverage trucks, Pearce said. Completion is expected in July 2028, and student fees will cover rent and maintenance; the university will not be responsible for project debt, Pearce said.
The board approved Jackson State University’s lease with The Westin Jackson for 179 hotel rooms at $169 per room per night beginning Sept. 7. The contract runs through Aug. 2, 2027, with a maximum cost of $379,912 and includes student access to internet, parking and complimentary breakfast, according to board materials.
Trustees approved three new bachelor’s programs: a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Human Forensic Science at Mississippi State, and a Bachelor of Science in Social Media and Digital Communication at the University of Southern Mississippi. Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Casey Prestwood said the 120-hour Criminal Justice program will cost $205,720 to implement over five years and could generate $648,508 in that period. Prestwood said the degree will prepare graduates for leadership and practical roles and noted some state agencies require higher education for advancement. The forensic science program carries a five-year implementation cost of $2.4 million and projected revenue of $6.6 million; Prestwood said it will seek accreditation from the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission and cited a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projection of 14% growth through 2033. The Southern Miss social media program is a 120-hour online degree with an estimated five-year implementation cost of $218,000 and anticipated revenue of $5.5 million, Prestwood said.
The board also approved two new centers. Alcorn State will host a Mississippi Small Business Development Center serving the state’s southwest region, with an estimated five-year cost of about $750,000 funded by federal Small Business Administration funds, sponsorships, grants and university matching funds, the board was told. Prestwood said Alcorn, as the state’s only HBCU to host a federally funded SBDC regional center, is positioned to advance minority entrepreneurship. Southern Miss received approval for a Center for Sales Excellence under its College of Business and Economic Development at a five-year cost of $365,000, to be offset by corporate partners, alumni and endowments. Other approvals included renaming M.M. Roberts Stadium to Renasant Stadium under a naming-rights deal worth $13.7 million through June 30, 2036; entering the design phase of a Mississippi State parking structure with a $1 million planning estimate for a 500- to 700-space facility; and increasing a Mississippi State legal services contract with Butler Snow LLP from $125,000 to $225,000 to support the university’s programs in Italy, according to board materials.
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