1/20/2005 (JACKSON, MISS. ) - The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) today met and approved two new academic programs at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). MVSU will offer a Master of Business Administration in fall 2006, and a Master of Bioinformatics in fall 2005. Although the Board usually considers new academic program requests in October, MVSU was given the authority for these programs under the Ayers decision, which was settled recently.
Today the Board also voted to elect Dr. D.E. Magee as the next vice-president of the Board. His term will begin May 8, 2005. By Board policy, vice-presidents are nominated each January. After serving as vice-president for one year, Dr. Magee will automatically serve as president of the Board for one year. Virginia Shanteau Newton, the Board’s current vice-president, will become president of the Board on May 8.
The Commissioner Search Committee met immediately following the Board meeting and informed the university leadership of recent visits with university systems in Georgia and North Carolina. The Commissioner Search Committee plans to meet again in February to continue discussion and the search for a permanent commissioner.
The Board heard a report from the Budget and Financial Affairs Committee that outlined possible budget cuts during this legislative session. Both Governor Haley Barbour’s budget recommendation and the Legislative Budget Recommendation (LBR) propose to cut the higher education budget.
The Governor’s recommendation would reduce IHL’s budget by approximately 5% while the LBR proposes a 10.3% cut.
During the committee meetings on Wednesday, the Board heard from the Presidents’ Council. Some issues the Presidents’ Council plans to study soon are multi-year tuition increase plans and ways to keep the Board informed of universities’ accreditation status.
The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is February 17, 2005.
It could be very interesting this May or June when Newton becomes Board president and Magee becomes the VP. Recall this sound-bite from the HA editorial, Dec.18, 2004:
Did Thames grasp depth of problem?
...College Board member D.E. Magee was equally skeptical: "You're saying that they never sent you a big sign saying, 'You all are in trouble.' But it sounds like they said it, but in a more subtle way...."