The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees approved several academic initiatives and presented Gov. Tate Reeves with the Karen Cummins Award at a meeting last week, the board said.
The board acknowledged completion of the first step in establishing a Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Mississippi College. Melissa Temple, director of nursing education, told the board that Mississippi College submitted a stage-one application declaring intent and providing evidence of need. Temple said remaining steps include obtaining initial accreditation, developing a curriculum and a site visit by IHL nursing education staff.
The board approved creation of the Center on Collegiate Gambling at the University of Mississippi, which will operate within the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at an estimated annual cost of $700,000, Dr. Casey Prestwood, associate commissioner for academic and student affairs, said. “Gambling among college students and gambling on collegiate sports are becoming increasingly prevalent behaviors with consequences for health, wellbeing and achievement among young people,” Prestwood told the board.
The board also authorized two Bachelor of Science degree paths at the University of Mississippi: anthropology and sociology. Both will require 120 hours and will not require new implementation funding because Bachelor of Arts programs already exist, Prestwood said. She estimated five-year revenue of about $600,000 for anthropology and $430,000 for sociology and said the degrees could lead graduates to careers in fields such as archaeology, forensics, data science, medicine and population health.
The board approved a modified bond request from the university totaling $256 million, John Pearce, senior associate commissioner for finance, said. Pearce said the new list of projects replaces a 2024 request that totaled $240 million and removes a student housing project that will instead be addressed through a public-private partnership. He said the change will increase the university’s debt amortization in the near term to about $40.6 million in 2030 before returning to roughly $24 million over the next decade. The board also elected Vice President Greg Raider for a term beginning May 8, the board said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
