Mississippi IHL (Photo from IHL website)
- The Institutions of Higher Learning Board also recognized Governor Tate Reeves with the Karen Cummins Award for his efforts to improve education in the state.
A new nursing program and two new degree paths were approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher learning Board of Trustees during their meeting last week.
Prior to taking up those matters, the IHL Board presented Governor Tate Reeves with the Karen Cummins Award for his leadership in his current and previous elected offices, and more notably for his work in leading the state to nationally recognized educational gains.
“Our state has seen record investments and strong growth in our ability to stand out in an increasingly competitive economy,” Board President Gee Ogletree said. “Governor Reeves’ record in these areas, combined with the state’s nationally recognized improvements in public education dubbed as the Mississippi Miracle, deserves recognition and appreciation.”
The IHL Board went on to approve a request to acknowledge completion of the first step in establishing the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program at Mississippi College.
“A completed application for stage one has been submitted, which declares their intent and provides supportive evidence of the need for the establishment of the DNP program at Mississippi college school of nursing,” Melissa Temple, Director of Nursing Education, explained to the Board.
Temple added that the remaining steps include qualifying for the initial accreditation and creation of the curriculum, along with a site visit by IHL’s nursing education staff.
The IHL Board also approved the establishment of a new center at the University of Mississippi aimed at researching and providing guidance on the future policy in relation to college sports gambling. Named the Center on Collegiate Gambling, the new center will operate within the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at an annual cost estimated to be $700,000, Dr. Casey Prestwood, Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs, described.
“Gambling among college students and gambling on collegiate sports are becoming increasingly prevalent behaviors with consequences for health, wellbeing and achievement among young people before, during and after college,” she explained.
Two new degree paths at the University of Mississippi were also approved by the IHL Board, the Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and the Bachelor of Science in Sociology. Both degrees will require 120 hours to complete and will not incur a cost to implement because Bachelor of Arts in both degree paths currently exist.
Potential five-year revenue for the degree in anthropology is estimated to be $600,000. That degree will allow graduates to seek careers in archeology, forensics, or even applied fields such as environmental sciences or health sciences.
The sociology degree program is estimated to provide a five-year revenue of $430,000 and allow graduates to seek careers in advanced data science study, medicine, population health along with environmental and health sciences, Prestwood said.
In addition, the IHL Board approved a motion to modify a bond request from Ole Miss totaling $256 million. John Pearce, senior associate commissioner for finance, said the request provides a new list of projects from a bond request approved in 2024. That previous list of projects totaled $240 million.
“So, because these projects have changed, that’s why this is before you now,” Pearce told the Board. “The main project to identify in the original projects list is the new student housing facility.”
With that project removed from the new list, the university will not receive a “marginal” amount of revenue that could have helped cover the debt service costs, Pearce added. The project is no longer needed because the university is engaged in a P3 program that will meet that need.
The new bond will increase the university’s debt, but Pearce is confident that even in lean years the institution will be able to retire the debt.
“It will almost double the debt amortization of the university, from $24 million up to a high of $40.6 million in 2030. But by the time we get a decade into this we will be back where we are around $24 million,” Pearce said.
The bond request was approved.
The IHL Board also elected Greg Raider as vice president for the term beginning May 8 of this year.
Jeremy Pittari
