Some lawmakers are pushing legislation that would restructure the state's public university system and give each school its own board of trustees.
Under a proposal discussed Wednesday, each of the eight universities would gain its own board to oversee issues like the hiring of presidents and faculty.
The existing state College Board would be transformed into a board of governors that would primarily oversee the collective budget issues and work as a liaison between the university boards and the Legislature.
The proposal has drawn opposition from the College Board as well as all the universities' presidents, who say the plan could create unnecessary competition between the state's schools and give way to political influence.
The Senate Universities and Colleges Committee held a hearing Wednesday on draft legislation that would take the issue to Mississippi voters. The hearing will continue today.
"We need to renovate our higher education system," said committee Chairman Doug Davis, R-Hernando.
Davis said if the proposal moves forward, it could appear on ballots as early as November 2010.
Recent issues over confidential presidential searches and the renaming of the Mississippi University for Women precipitated this look at the state College Board, he said.
Davis said he thinks individual boards would put people in place who have each university's best interest at heart.
"You wouldn't put the president of Pepsi in charge of making decisions for (Coca-Cola)," he said.
But all of the university leaders who spoke during Wednesday's hearing said they oppose the proposal.
"Our current structure is held in high regard," Delta State University president John Hilpert said.
Hilpert said creating additional boards would create additional costs and would benefit only the state's largest universities.
JSU President Ronald Mason said the College Board system is not the problem.
"We don't have any problems that money can't solve," he said. "The pie just isn't big enough, but I don't see how any of these changes would expand the pie."
College Board President Amy Whitten said she thinks the current system is the best option for Mississippi and is the best way to keep out political influence.
University of Mississippi Chancellor Robert Khayat said he also does not see a benefit in changing the system. "Do you want eight regional universities or a unified system?" Khayat asked.
Under the current system, the board has the ability to "advance pockets of excellence" and make sure universities "stay out of areas they shouldn't be in," Whitten said.
Interim MSU President Vance Watson also said the current system "works for us."
Some of the scrutiny being leveled at the College Board has come about because of the hiring of Watson's predecessor, Doc Foglesong.
Foglesong was hired to lead Mississippi State in 2006 following a search that many criticized as being too secretive. He resigned this year amid criticism of his leadership from students, faculty and alumni.
About 100 MSU alumni attended a meeting Wednesday evening in Rankin County with six members of the College Board to discuss the university's ongoing presidential search.
The College Board expects to name a preferred candidate late next month, board member Scott Ross said.
Many alumni who attended Wednesday's meeting said they had grown wary of the selection process after the hiring of Foglesong.
"The university is kind of at a tumultuous time," said MSU graduate Lee Hill. "We need certainty."
Alumni overwhelmingly expressed their desire for a president with ties to the university.
Though neither of the candidates the board has decided to interview has been identified, several alumni named their top two picks - Watson and U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Keenum.
Watson has been with the university since 1966, working his way from professor to vice president before being appointed as interim president. He also holds a doctorate from MSU.
Keenum holds bachelor's and master's degrees and a doctorate from MSU and worked with the university for several years before working as legislative assistant for Sen. Thad Cochran and his appointment to the USDA.
"I just think, from my heart, the Mississippi State family is looking for a visionary person who can guide us," MSU grad Hardy Mitchell said.
To comment on this story, call Elizabeth Crisp at (601) 961-7303.
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