Mississippi IHL declines to disclose details in Jackson State presidential search

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board would not disclose how many people applied for Jackson State University’s presidency or confirm whether finalists will be invited for campus visits next week, Mississippi Today reported.

Mississippi Today said IHL officials completed a first round of interviews and that a draft timeline calls for finalist interviews and stakeholder meetings next week, but board members declined to confirm those plans. The top job has been vacant since Marcus Thompson resigned in May 2025, and Denise Jones Gregory is serving as interim president, Mississippi Today reported.

Alumni and activists criticized the board’s approach. Mark Dawson, chairman of Thee 1877 Project, told Mississippi Today the board had “reverted to its old ways of doing things.” Sharolyn Love, a member of the group, said she struggles to give the board the benefit of the doubt and added, “This seems to also be intentional,” Mississippi Today reported.

IHL spokesman John Sewell said in a statement that trustees are “committed to a transparent and cooperative search process” and have sought input from students, faculty, staff and alumni, but he added that “it is critically important to respect the confidentiality related to all applicants for this position,” Mississippi Today reported. Sewell said the trustees aim to name a new president by the end of the spring semester, May 1, Mississippi Today reported. Vice President of the IHL board Steven Cunningham and IHL Commissioner Al Rankins deferred questions to Sewell, Mississippi Today said.

Mississippi Today reported that the board met in a closed two-day session in March to discuss candidates advancing to first-round interviews and has not announced second-round plans. The outlet noted that an IHL policy prohibits members of an advisory constituency from speaking publicly about candidates. Judith Wilde, a George Mason University professor who studies presidential searches, told Mississippi Today the secrecy “violates a basic foundational tenet of universities, which is shared governance.” The report also cited past IHL internal appointments, including Tracy Cook at Alcorn State in 2024 and Joe Paul at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2022. Dawson told Mississippi Today his group will continue advocating for student housing, funding and philanthropy and said it will support the new president despite concerns about transparency.

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